It’s hard to believe, but another brand-new year is just around the corner. And amongst other things, that means it’s a good time to check in on your website to see whether you’re keeping up-to-date with the latest trends or not.
To make things easier, we’d like to share with you a few best practices that are taking shape across the industry. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it should give you a quick-and-easy guide to what’s going on in the world of business web design.
Here are four trends to look out for in the coming year:
Retina-Ready Websites
Mobile devices are everywhere, and a new generation of smart phones and tablets will be hitting the market this holiday season. Because nearly every new device features so-called “retina” resolution, it’s a great idea to take advantage by making your website just a bit sharper. Retina-ready websites are subtle upgrades, but can make a big impression on new visitors.
Cleaner UX
UX, or user experience, has been a priority for savvy web designers and their clients for years. Now more than ever, things like clean design with lots of white space, simple navigation, and easy-to-understand page structures are must-have items. If your website seems like a chore to use, there’s a good chance visitors will take their attention (and money) elsewhere.
Long Scroll
In an effort to fit more great content in clean-looking websites, lots of web designers are turning to the “long scroll,” where users can dig as deep as they would like into content while loading one little block at a time. Long scroll doesn’t just simplify design, it cuts down on data charges and loading times by only displaying as much of a list or page as is needed at a time.
Oversized Images
While bigger images might seem out of place on a smaller screen, the reality is that oversized pictures often work well with clean designs. They are easy to focus on, and less distracting than multiple photos are animations on a page. Plus, they can let you highlight stunning images of team members, offices, or products, if that’s where you want visitors to focus their attention.
You’ll notice that the common themes running between the biggest web design trends right now are mobile friendliness and a better user experience. That only makes sense: as the web gets more crowded — and even more vital to our day-to-day lives — it’s crucial that we give visitors access to the tools and information they are looking for with a minimum amount of frustration.
Professional Web Design and Internet Marketing
Is your website ready for a year? If not, now is a perfect time to talk with the Weblinx team.
Either way, stay tuned for our next article in the series, which will examine Internet marketing trends that we expect to pick up steam in the coming year.