Want to get ahead of your competitors and increase your market share?
A strong digital presence is the most effective way to do this. Your brand can be anywhere at any time.
But this means, your competitors also have access to this powerful tool. So how do you stand out and one up your competitors? By staying on top of design trends, you’ll be able to match the visual tastes of your audience and draw them into your brand without much resistance.
Unlike some aspects of high performance websites like copy, conversion rate optimization, and storytelling — web design is an area that is heavily reliant on trends.
Staying in line with these trends is essential as a web designer. Looking at some of the world’s largest businesses, all of them rely on top web designers to manage their websites and stay on top of visual trends.
The best web design services are by designers who continually update their skills. Keep reading to learn about the top web design trends for 2019.
1) Mobile-Friendly Designs
Over the past few years, mobile-friendly designs have become all the rage. This trend has ramped up significantly heading in 2019.
The number one cause of this is Google and its algorithm. The search engine giant and its algorithm started using mobile-friendly factors in search engine rankings. With this in mind, it’s become important to develop mobile-friendly websites because Google is a primary traffic source for many businesses.
In addition to search engine optimization, the average website visitor is more than likely to use their mobile devices rather than a desktop.
Therefore, having a responsive mobile-friendly design has become critical. The website needs to load quickly on these devices while remaining accessible and easy on the eyes.
Brisbane based hypnotherapy services company Act Now Hypnosis has boosted overall conversions by optimizing their site for mobile, saying “a persistent call-to-action header with our company phone number on top, has made it easy for phone users to call us. Instead of clicking small buttons to try find a contact page, it’s one simple click to contact us no matter what page they are browsing”.
2) Use of White Space
The appropriate use of white space can help make a website more readable and aesthetically pleasing. This trend has grown with time as improving a site’s aesthetics and readability is an important requirement for web designers.
3) Minimalism
This can be combined with white space but deserves a category of its own. In general, minimalism focuses on the use of simplistic layouts with an emphasis on speed and overall performance.
The web design has to be straightforward, crisp, and fresh while maintaining a seamless navigation setup. When done right, the website can also maintain the right amount of contrast in its design. This is why minimalism is foundational in 2019.
According to the team at A Plus Carpet Cleaning, simplifying their website has boosted bookings, saying “at first we went crazy with our website design. We wanted all the latest animations but this just slowed down our site and made it clunky. By keeping it minimal, we allow the words to reach the readers and move them towards a sale”.
4) Well-Designed and Thought Out Video Backgrounds
Movement attracts attention.
When a butterfly flutters by your side, it’s impossible to not look. When you see movement in the dark, your senses heighten.
Video backgrounds have become a popular option for web designers. While these move away from the “minimalist” theme, there’s room for video backgrounds heading in 2019 for web designers look to be bold.
In addition to grabbing attention, video backgrounds are great for brand awareness, spreading information about other branded content.
With the increasing speed of our internet, videos are becoming more accessible on the go. This combined with the increasing use of mobile, is a powerful trend to jump on if you want to gain a competitive edge in your industry.
5) Chatbots
Artificial intelligence (AI) has started to play a prominent role in how web designers work. This includes the use of chatbots in modern-age web designs.
In essence, a well-coded chatbot is able to help visitors navigate through a website’s content without having to face a real human. This allows visitors the ability to analyze the website and make their own decisions without feeling forced.
When a visitor doesn’t feel forced, they’re far more likely to engage with the website’s content and make purchases. This is essential while hoping to increase the company’s underlying conversion rate for incoming leads.
6) Quick-Loading Pages
The number one priority among web design trends is speed.
Whether it’s a traditional theme or a mobile-friendly theme, everything is geared towards speedy transitions and loading times. Web designers have to be careful about what they add to avoid slowing down their website.
Certain changes can go a long way such as setting up redirections, reducing image sizes, and more. Web designers are also able to look into new applications and getting rid of unnecessary scripts.
Even something as simple as a share button can be redesigned to work faster.
As you can see, some of the trends can be combined with each other such as white space, minimalism, mobile-friendly themes, and quick-loading pages. They all work hand in hand.
Perth funeral directors Perth Cremations & Burials have been able to decrease page load time by using more white space and minimal design, saying “instead of having pictures that visitors might not even want to see, we focus on providing information that our visitors are looking for. Previously, galleries would have to be loaded before the page would show properly. With Australian internet, this took way too long and people would bounce”.
7) Illustrations
This is one of the more intriguing trends associated in 2019. With illustrations, designers are moving away from traditional photography. Experts believe illustrations are able to garner a better response in people compared to traditional photos.
With illustrations, the additions don’t have to be dramatic and can be as simple as a mascot or background illustration.
The goal is to guide the user with the help of well-designed illustrations. Even a straightforward addition such as a progress bar on the main page can be exciting when done correctly.
The reason this has become a trend has to do with aesthetics. It looks great to the eye and is a good option for making successful first impression which is critical for branding.
8) One Page Applications
One page applications are all about working on a well-integrated setup that’s quick-loading and mobile-friendly.
The goal is to make sure users are able to go through everything on the website within one page. As a result, they don’t have to waste time clicking onto additional pages.
If the images and similar elements are appropriately optimized, a one-page setup can be successful. It’s all about meticulously setting things up and making sure all of the elements are in harmony with each other.
Certain web designers have applied this particular trend by building the entire shopping process on one page (i.e. add to cart, checkout). Instead of going through multiple pages, everything is done in one place.
Depending on your preferences, the website design services and prices you can expect to pay will vary.
Need help with your website design? Contact us.
Author Bio:
Luke Kurtz is a freelance writer and a student majoring in Accounting in Sydney. Luke’s favorite pastime is watching movies. This is what he does when he is not in school.
Content Disclaimer: This article was authored by the writer/author indicated above in his/her personal capacity. The opinions and views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the view or opinions of Web Design Just for You, or Eileen Forte.
