We’re almost halfway there – halfway through 2019 that is. Heading into the year, many different folks made many different predictions about web design and the direction it would go. We’ve heard everything from mobile-only based websites to VR based websites. While it would be awesome to have your site available in VR, not all sites would benefit from such. There are some trends however that could certainly be of benefit.
Easy Navigation
Considering that the majority of site visits for many websites now take place mostly on mobile devices, navigation is of the utmost importance. Navigation should be kept as simple as possible. Having simple thumb navigation will certainly go a long way toward achieving this goal.
Now, what do you think is better: a nav at the top of your site or at the bottom? Trick question – navigation at the bottom of the screen is always more thumb-friendly. That said, you’ll likely see more and more sites including hamburger menus and such at the bottom of the screen.
Micro-Interactions
I know what you’re thinking. What the heck is a micro-interaction? It’s simple, really. Any time someone takes an action on a website and you receive a response, that is a micro-interaction. Does your site give a beep once someone submits a form? Does it have a floating effect when you hover over certain icons? Yup, all micro-interactions.
More and more sites are offering these as a means of keeping site visitors engaged. This can also help to reduce the overall bounce rate as people will keep moving around the site to see what else it will do.
Nothing is Black and White… Or is It?
Simplified palettes have come and gone through the age of web design. And now they are back again. In fact, palettes are becoming so simple that many are being built using black and white for a color palette. It doesn’t get any more simple than that, right? In fact, blacks and whites used correctly in web design can create a very striking effect.
It’s certainly advisable to consider simplifying your website palette. Does it need to be just black and white? Not necessarily, but a simple one nonetheless is the way to go.
More Video? Yes, Even More Video
The truth is that the internet is driven by people who are drawn in by video. While some folks seek out written content, video content is truly king. That said, be sure to include ample room on your website for embedded video content. Do make sure that your video content isn’t being hosted on the same servers as your site. Rather, go with a CDN (content distribution network) for hosting your site files including video, images, files, etc. That way your site won’t be bogged down by clunky files, and your site visitors can get down to enjoying the videos of their choice without facing long wait times.
So now it’s your turn… what trends did you hear were in the works at the start of 2019, and have those trends come to pass? Stay tuned for more!
Want to make sure your website is all it can be? That is, at the very least, mobile and user-friendly? Or maybe you want to make sure your website shows up on the first page of Google search results. We can help!!