As we bring in the new year, you may be starting to consider updating your website.
Given the extreme rate of change in digital marketing – particularly with web design – you always need to be predicting future trends. So now is the time to observe current practices, and figure out where things are headed within the next 6 to 12 months.
A great place to start is by re-evaluating your website. Does it look contemporary? Is it inviting? Is it converting? As the face of your business, you need to make sure that it’s performing as it should.
Here are some general tips that I recommend you consider for your new re-design.
Responsive Design
It’s not exactly a revelation at this point, but I can’t emphasise enough the importance of responsiveness in your site design for 2015. For the unfamiliar, responsive refers to a site’s ability to render on devices other than a desktop, such as tablets and mobile phones. With more and more people using their phones to access the internet, your site simply can’t afford to be unresponsive.
Hero images
Hero images appear as the main attraction on your home page. They’re what users see as soon as your page loads. To understand their effectiveness. The hero images serve as an introduction to your website. Whether they’re static or rotate on a slider, they make a statement. It’s a simple way to grab people’s attention right away, and draw them in instantly.
Social existence
Social icons are nothing new. For years, websites have included them as a way to spread brand awareness, and entice visitors to further connect with them. In the earlier days of social media, they were even a bit of a novelty, however, icons have today become the norm, which is why websites need to take that extra step to further enhance them. Social proof is also a way to demonstrate to your users how popular your content is. By including the number of likes or shares next to a blog post, you can validate the relevance of your copy.
Typically the story is information about the company broken up into chunks that stand alone, but also flow into each other to create a kind of narrative about the business, and its products and services.
Keep it flat
Large, flat images are perhaps the most popular trend among website design, and a great way to show off your hero images. This is just the latest extension of the general trend online to make websites clean and minimalist. In addition to providing an improved user experience, flat design allows servers to render the web page more easily on mobile phones and tablets.
If you are interested in a re-design for your website, contact me today on 0468 629 301 or use the contact form below.
