Each year, there are new trends in marketing and website design. Your customers are visiting websites every day, which means they are seeing innovative, eye-catching web solutions. Whether knowingly or not, your customers care about design. But how do you know which trends make sense for your business? How many new trends should you incorporate—if any? Will it be detrimental for your business if you don’t pay attention to new digital developments?
Because your website is your business’ “digital home,” your brand promise must be integrated both visually and with content. It adds credibility to your organization and allows you to position your company in the marketplace. It is the way customers connect with you and learn more about the products and services you offer. In fact, a well-designed website will save you time by providing answers to many questions your customers may have. Always accessible as a resource—24 hours, 7 days a week—your website is working hard as your marketing hub.
In 2021, website design trends include bold, eye-catching layouts and mixed media to amplify the user experience:
Animation
Web-based animation and motion graphic trends continue to gain traction. They are a necessary and expected way to engage users, adding appeal and interest to your website. Motion design is an ideal way to make your website more memorable in a crowded space. There are different types of animation to try to create seamless transitions as design elements change colors or size. Other techniques help you draw a user’s attention to important copy or to a call-to-action button and allow users to hide some information on the site by hovering or clicking on a specific element.
Voice User Interface
Voice search is becoming the preferred way users get information. Instead of typing a search query, people now ask questions, demanding quick answers even when they are on the go. That means you should incorporate voice search in addition to traditional text search. You can also offer virtual support to customers by incorporating voice chatbots and virtual assistants on your website.
Unusual Color Combinations
One of this year’s top web design trends is the use of glowing shades and intense color combinations. Another is dark mode, white text on a dark background, which is expected to become even more popular. Dark mode looks very stylish and modern, allowing other design elements to pop. Websites can be created in dark mode or users can choose to toggle between light mode and dark mode.
3D Elements
Saturated colors and lifelike color transitions will become more popular and realistic than ever. Three-dimensional elements that incorporate virtual reality and augmented reality will continue to gain traction. Consider using 3D designs for text sections, photo galleries and product demonstrations. To successfully pull off 3D elements, a fast-loading, optimized platform is critical. Ultra-fast website loading time will continue to be a leading way for websites to show up in search results. If your website takes more than two seconds to load, visitors will likely not return.
Asymmetric Layouts
The move away from blocky designs is another trend that involves shifting away from a grid, templated layout and applying asymmetric layouts to create a unique, unexpected experience. Users prefer unconventional, asymmetric layouts. Yet, visual balance should still be maintained throughout the website.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the web design industry and needs to be considered as you move forward digitally. Content and images can be altered depending upon which landing page or ad is clicked on by a user, creating highly personalized designs. In fact, AI features can simplify and speed up the design process for web designers.
A well-designed website will ensure your customers keep coming back. Afterall, your website is the center of your digital marketing universe. It provides a substantial opportunity to grow your business. In fact, websites offer a better return on investment than any other type of advertising!