Across industries, 2018 is becoming the year of innovation. The ways in which businesses use and analyze data are changing. The ways in which they engage and service their customers are as well.
B2B and B2C consumers expect the same innovation in your design. They need to feel like you’re on the cutting edge of service and technology. Innovation is redefining business excellence, and web design is its image.
Just like most innovations, there are dimensions to good web design. We’ll take a look at how your values shine through in winning designs. We’ll discuss what customers look for in web design as well.
Why Are Web Design Trends Important?
Right now, your customers are talking about what they are looking for in your space. Your goal is to join that existing conversation with the right answers. Is your website telling them you have what they want?
Your competitors are having their own conversation. They’re deciding how their web design is going to undercut your own. What are they going to do differently?
Remember, a visitor spends 2.6 seconds focusing on a specific element of your website when it loads. This could be the decisive factor for customers who don’t know your business. If they choose to go deeper, will they find what they want?
First, develop a business plan for your website. Great design reflects your company’s purpose and credibility. Once you know the purpose of your website, you’re ready to think design.
8 Top Trends in Web Design for 2018
Your customers have unique needs, and you have to deliver on them. But first you have to get them in the front door.
Consider the following top design trends for 2018. Think about how your customers will view your site for the first time. And be confident you’re on the cutting edge of website design this year.
1. Engaging Photographic Content
Studio-quality photographic content is more achievable than ever. Plus, there are no images more honest about your brand than photographs. Leverage appealing photos to give a leg up for your credibility and appeal.
Share your photos in a dynamic way. Which are more appropriate for which pages? Aesthetic and inspiring photos can instill trust in your customers right away.
Be prepared to make updates regularly. Unlike other design elements, photos lose their appeal after a few dozen visits.
2. Short-Form Video
Short videos are approachable and light up your websites. They are shareable to increase customer advocacy. And they don’t take up more of your visitors’ time than either of you want.
Like photos, videos are a great way to inspire trust and brand appeal. Even with shorter videos you can make a bigger impact.
Think about inspiring visitors before becoming expository. If you capture their interest, they’ll seek out more information on their own.
3. Interactive Content
Visitors no longer want to simply read about a company. They want to engage with that company the moment they arrive.
You can give visitors practical ways to find the content they want. You will guide the right customers into places you want them to go as well.
Do you have a complex product or service? Help your customers locate the solutions they want right away. Make it easy and compelling for a better experience.
Interactive content should be purposeful but “playful.” That doesn’t mean games, but it should be enjoyable to use. It’s a subtle way to show customers you have their best interests in mind.
4. Minimalist Techniques on Homepages
Websites are called upon to do a lot for companies and customers. Visitors are quickly turned off by too many options. That’s why among web design trends in 2018, minimalism now has high appeal.
Create a minimalist homepage with as few as two options for visitors. The visibility of fewer options eases their transition into your desired funnels. You create gateway mechanisms to ensure they find their way to the right place.
5. Asymmetric and Creative Dynamics
Despite variations, most websites are similar. Their shapes have right angles laid out in a highly practical way. For dynamic brands, that’s not always enough.
Companies using asymmetry without sacrificing usability can get an upper hand with their brands. If that strategy is in line with their branding, it makes them stand out. It creates a more desirable, sharable website as well.
6. End-User Specialization
Do you have a very specific type of customer? Are you selling only one unique product or service? Design your website that facilitate those things.
Perhaps your product has several different versions depending on its use. You can build a website that helps customers find which version is right for them.
Apple’s Mac Pro website is a simple example. Apple helps you pick the computer features that are right for you. They help student customers finance computers as well.
7. Bold Serif Typefaces
How important is the design of your text? It’s more important than you and your customers think.
Last year, serifs seemed anachronistic compared to other web design trends. But their authoritative appearance is now highly desired.
Serif typefaces carry with them a sense of class and professionalism. They have a tinge of academia as well. But this is lost when it’s overused.
What’s more, better visualization via monitors allows greater variation. As one of the biggest web design trends of 2018, you can have your serifs any way you want them.
8. Content is King
Lots of content is one of the biggest web design trends of 2018. And we’re not talking about marketing copy.
Value-added content is celebrated as the key tool of inbound marketing strategies. That means visitors to your page shouldn’t be reading about your clients. They should get value for their time right off the bat.
Deliver True Value with Your Website Design
Are you ready to take advantage of the web design trends of 2018? You’re taking a step in the right direction for your business.
But you need some help getting on the right track. Turn your website into a growth contributor in 2018. Contact Chili Pepper Design for a free consultation.
