After all, your website is much more than a few images and lines of text; it’s the virtual shop-front of your business and must accurately reflect your brand. Get it wrong, and visitors will bounce to Google and shop with one of your competitors. Get it right, and your brand will go from strength to strength.
Though the truth is web design varies from industry to industry, there are several emerging web design trends that you need to know about. Implement some of these into your website redesign and build a cutting-edge site that stands out from the crowd and delivers results.
One page websites
ow more than ever, consumers value simplicity. If you’re keen to get to the point and cut out the usual fluff, developing a one-page website should be something to consider. Indeed, some of the most effective websites are the least complicated; look at Google’s homepage, with minimal interference or distraction. Cutting out the unnecessary features and honing in on the key elements could help you drive customers to enquire about your services or make a purchase there and then, rather than sending them to explore dozens of pages and tools.
Putting your content front and centre and highlighting the most important elements of your product or service might sound difficult, but if you break it down, you’ll build a hyper-focused site and boost your conversion rate. Sure, one-page websites won’t work for everyone – if you operate an eCommerce business with dozens of products, then you’ll need something a little more than a single page, but for many businesses, a one-page portfolio with a contact form is all it takes. Be bold, be creative, and show visitors you’re serious about what you do.
Big, bold typography
Speaking of being bold, consider using big, daring typography on your website. Cutting down on the number of visual elements on your website – sliders, images, and graphics – and filling the gaps with well-crafted copy will show you’re confident about your proposition and force visitors to listen to what you have to say. Copywriting is an art; get it right and accentuate with bold, unique typography and you’re on a winner. Choose the right font that will set the tone for your business, or if you really want to go all-out with your branding, create your own.
Shutterstock has put together some typography recommendations for 2022, highlighting playful fonts Mixed Width and Fluid Display, as well as sophisticated typefaces like Simple Serif, Friendly Grotesk, and Readable Retro. Play around and see what works for you.
Storytelling
Now more than ever, digital marketing is about telling stories and selling ideas. Storytelling is becoming increasingly prominent in web design – you’re no longer slapping together a few images and lines of text – you’re painting the picture of how you’re going to solve problems or improve customers’ lives. Bundling together a few visual elements to convey a specific message or idea is a great way to build your brand and engage your audience – use quality imagery, think about user-generated content like Tweets and Instagram posts, and round it off with statistics, case studies, and copy. And remember that every user is different; the chances are that you have more than one target audience, so find ways to incorporate all of their stories into your web design with different visual queues and interactive elements.
You may even decide to turn a homepage into an interactive hub where you ask questions that direct people to the right areas of your site, or use chatbots to start the conversation from the get-go and hook in potential leads. Storytelling and personalisation can work hand in hand – experiment with A/B testing and see how different ideas and elements perform.
Horizontal scrolling
Most of us are used to vertical navigation, so why tear up the rulebook and do something different? Side scrolls are becoming more popular in modern design, and are particularly effective for visual businesses – think portfolios, product catalogues, and maps. Sideways navigation allows you to create immersive, interactive experiences and hide “delights” behind every touch. What might look like your bog-standard homepage might transform into a vibrant and colourful space where you can show off ideas, research, and work. What’s more, the fluid motion of sideways scrolling can create a sense of progression – ideal for storytelling, as we’ve outlined above, or showing off the before and after shots of a project.
Be warned, though. As HubSpot writes, horizontal scrolling can violate users’ expectations, can be easy to miss or ignore, and even present challenges for website accessibility. Think about horizontal scrolling before implementing it and consider using it in a small element of your overall website design, such as on a portfolio page, rather than across your entire site.
If you’re looking for help building a new website in 2022, you can depend on the team at Fusion. We design, inspire, and transform ambitious brands – and we’d love to help you next! Click here to drop us a message or give the team a call on 01772 769547.