As technology evolves, businesses can maximize their space on the Internet through their website. In recent years, website trends have exceeded expectations for both customers and companies. It’s important to know several upcoming trends in the website design and development space, and we have a good hunch that these will be around for many years to come. Discover the details:
Design
Your website’s design is what will make or break your viewer’s first impression. Design can speak volumes of your company without saying a word. We live in a time where the design trends are breathtakingly beautiful yet still functional. You can be more expressive and show your personality through your website.
“Right now, website design trends include asymmetrical or broken grids, illustrations, large type, immersive experiences, and maximalism,” said M&R’s Art Director Heather Waldron. “There are so many ways that they can be combined and altered to suit your brand. They are the base and structure of your site. So, while they may change slightly over time, they will always have use in one way or another.”
SEO
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) changed the game for companies. This trend will always be in place, as it allows for search engines to find results for the viewer at a faster and more efficient pace. To maximize your space on the web, you want to place keywords or keyword phrases throughout your website’s content. The more SEO-friendly your website is, the better chance it has to show up on the first page of a search engine’s results.
Security
There’s no doubt that your brick-and-mortar establishment has several security protocols in place to keep your employees, customers, and products safe. But, did you know that with the increase of Internet users and interactions, your website needs to take safety precautions as well? Securing your website from cyber attacks and hackers will protect your customers as well as your company’s reputation. With cyber attacks on the rise, website security is a must.
“When you visit a website, you are sending information over the web, and it’s possible for that information to be intercepted,” said M&R’s Senior Web Developer Will Hawthorne. “When connected to a website with an SSL certificate, and you see the URL starts with https://, then all of that information you are sharing to the website is safely encrypted while it’s traveling over the web.”
User Interaction
More so than ever, websites are created to allow interaction with the user. Whether this is filling out a contact form, browsing through products, or watching tutorials, websites are created with the user in mind. If the website is difficult to navigate or load time is frustratingly long, you may lose a customer. Your website’s design can optimize the space for user interaction, so your bounce rate is low and customer retention is high.
ADA Compliance
Did you know that there are over 40 million Americans with disabilities? These disabilities can take many forms – hearing, visual, and physical impairment are just a few. Many legal strides have been taken to ensure inclusion for all people. That’s why it’s important for your website to be ADA-compliant! This will help you avoid costly lawsuits, gain more profit, and expand your customer reach. (We can help you determine what areas need to be updated to ensure you are ADA-compliant.)
Mobile-First Design
Your mobile device or tablet is essentially a hand-held computer. When the Internet became available to mobile devices, website opportunities exploded! Your company can now reach mobile users and desktop users with one website. But, you must make sure that your website design is mobile-friendly. Each screen that your website populates on must do so in a unique way. The elements must shift and reorganize for every screen size. By doing so, you are ensuring functionality and productivity.
Use of Video
A video is a great way to capture your audience’s attention while informing them of important information. It’s no surprise that more people would rather watch a 30-second video than read a paragraph. Fortunately, you can take advantage of this by placing videos on your website! We don’t see the video trend going away anytime soon. Websites with videos rank high on search engine results and it shows creativity within your brand. Excitingly, you can do different types of videos to capture your audience’s attention; for example, you can create a video that highlights a product, team member, customer, your office space, and more.
How M&R Marketing Can Help
Does your current website implement these seven important web trends? If not, we can help! We are in the business of helping your business succeed. And, the first way to do that is by creating or updating your website! Shoot us an email at hey@mandr-group.com to get started!