As technology is ever-changing, website design trends change just as fast. It only takes a few seconds for someone to form an opinion about your business online. The last thing you want to do is to lose a potential customer because your website looks outdated or ignores critical web design standards.
Our web design team stays current with all the latest website design and development trends to create easy-to-use websites that look fantastic. Let’s take a look at 12 website design best practices that will ensure success in 2021.
Website Design Best Practices
1. Simple Navigation
Your website content should be easy to find. The website navigation and buttons should be clear and obvious so site visitors can easily explore your content. Most websites put the navigation menu horizontally at the top of each page. For larger websites, those menu items can offer drop-down menu options to provide easy access to additional information. Breadcrumbs also provide a simple way to retrace your steps and are useful for content-heavy websites and eCommerce sites. You can add a search bar to simplify the navigation process to help visitors find what they are looking for. Make it easy for visitors to navigate your website and they will find a clear path to conversion.
2. Clear Call-To-Actions
Motivate your customers to convert with clear and obvious calls-to-action (CTAs). You should be able to spot the desired action within three seconds of visiting your website. Effective CTA buttons are not just on the homepage but throughout your website. Site visitors want big, visible, and colorful CTA buttons that have a clear message on the desired action you would like them to take. Too many CTAs can confuse the visitor and spoil their experience. Drive your customers to action with one powerful CTA and you will see stronger results.
3. Minimalist Website Design
Less is more with minimalism website design. Create a simple website design by focusing on clean text, basic shapes, limited color palette, and empty space. Usability and functionality become key components of a minimalist web design. The user experience is the prime focus to increase conversions. The more we overcomplicate the website, the more users will struggle to find what they are looking for. Minimalism is sometimes called ‘flat design’ but doesn’t have to be boring. White space helps lead the site visitor to the desired content. You can create an attention-grabbing website with minimalism using bold background colors and clean text. Make your site easy to read to keep people engaged. You don’t want to fill your site with huge blocks of text. Use headings and images to break up content into smaller blocks of digestible content.
4. Bold Color
Bold, bright colors help your brand stand out from other businesses. Use bold color in your background colors, text, and shapes for a minimalist approach to an effective website design. The best way to choose your website color is with branding. Your color choices should match and coordinate with your logo to help reinforce your brand. Consistent branding is important across all your marketing efforts, including your website.
5. Bold Fonts
Heavy, bold fonts are trending in website design for many large companies. Good typography is essential to an effective website design. Large fonts in titles and headlines can help emphasize text, making a more prominent statement. Be sure to stick with fonts to match or coordinate with your logo for branding consistency. Adding a big, bold font will have a wow factor to help communicate a clear message to help increase your conversions.
6. Engaging Videos
While videos are the most effective online marketing tool, including them on your website needs to be well thought out. Videos on your website need to have a purpose and meaning. Including one high-quality, informative, and engaging video can be more effective than including a dozen videos with no clear purpose. A new website design trend that has become popular is to use a video as a background design element. The video background can be placed as a hero image at the top of your homepage to create an eye-catching website. Add floating elements like a strong call-to-action for even greater impact.
7. Storytelling Through Website Design
Tell site visitors who you are as a business and how you can be of service. Storytelling can grab their attention and engage people into listening to what you have to say. Your website can include images, illustrations, mascots, or powerful words to help tell your story. Developing your personality online can help your business become a reality to site visitors. Be sure to tell about your company history, goals, staff, and products or services you offer.
8. Custom Photography
Visuals help break up written content and can also show your visitors what you are about. Stock photography can be used to give your site a professional look, however, custom photography that is unique to your business will help them understand your story. Professional photography has the power to convey a message or visual representation of your product or services. People prefer photos over text because visual information is much easier to process and remember.
9. Fast Load Times
Ultra-fast load times are essential for websites to rank well and increase your conversions. If your website takes more than three seconds to load, your site visitors will most likely leave. Ensure you offer a good user experience by optimizing your website content including images, videos, and other complex media files. The more complex the page, the longer the loading time. Be sure to monitor your site speed and consider each design element added so that you don’t slow down your website unnecessarily.
10. Optimize Website Design for Mobile Devices
Mobile users continue to increase for website views and top websites found in Google searches belong to mobile-friendly websites. Making your website easy to read for mobile site visitors will increase your conversions. Responsive website design makes the website content easy to read and adjust on your smartphone, tablet, and other devices. Click to call buttons allow site visitors to easily contact you from any location.
11. Prioritize SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the key to increasing the quality and quantity of your website traffic. Search engines are known to drive the majority of people to a website. Determining what people are searching for and optimizing your site to increase your visibility in search results, can increase your conversions on your website tremendously. Everything you do on your website needs to include SEO.
12. Accessibility
There is a growing need for website designs to factor in the needs of people with disabilities. Improve the accessibility of your website to allow every visitor the opportunity to navigate and interact with your site. Providing an excellent experience for all users provides good customer service and can increase conversions, boost SEO and help you reach a bigger audience.
Take Your Website to the Next Level
Whether your website is brand new or needs a makeover, everyone’s website can be improved. The team of web designers and developers at Vervocity have years of experience navigating website design trends as they come and go. We are here to help. Don’t get overwhelmed, contact us today!
