Sites that have tons of traffic are constantly on the lookout for fresh ideas to keep visitors clicking back. However, sometimes a major overhaul is needed. Before writing one line of code, it’s a good idea to consider what elements to include to make a website look like it was created for the new year and beyond.
What Elements Must You Have?
For 2019 and beyond, websites need to provide a great user experience. This means a responsive design that translates well on any and all devices the user may decide to pick up. It’s the designer’s must make sure that the website conforms to every and any device visitors may be using. In 2019, a great resolution includes making a website that’s lightning fast on the desktop version and that has no lag on mobile devices. Any design enhancements should coincide with easy to scroll and navigate functionality across the board.
“We focus heavily on user-friendliness, SEO optimization and mobile responsiveness. Google has indicated that “mobile responsiveness” is a ranking factor,” according to Miami-based 7Elements, a web design firm.
Stepping outside of the creative box and taking on the persona of the target audience yields a list of pain points to be addressed in the new layout and browse-through experience. For example, user-friendly contact forms placed in high traffic areas make it convenient for visitors to respond to call to action.
As visitors jump from page to page, the landscape should reveal similar syntax and style. Copy needs to reflect the aesthetic of the landscape that frames it to avoid jarring or providing bad surprises to prospective clients. Similarly, design features that enhance rather than crowd the message are ideal. Despite budget constraints, it’s sometimes better to hire experts to make robust branded websites that users can’t wait to return to.
Choosing a Designer
The choices are using in-house talent or outsourcing the project. The in-house team has gone through ups and downs with users and knows what areas have caused issues in the past. However, to redo a whole website from a fresh perspective takes fresh eyes and dedicated resources.
What are the Emerging Trends for 2019?
New styles come and go, but revamping means branding a website that fits the message the site needs to convey. It isn’t necessary to throw in every bell and whistle that turns up on every site to create something unique. On the other hand, it’s vitally important to build a cohesive aesthetic that users recognize and that differentiates a site from competitors.
Here are some of this year’s exciting trends:
- Modular, non-standard designs. Modern, clean designs are uncluttered and based on a simple grid. High responsiveness is the earmark of this trend. This is a great choice for websites with a volatile balance of desktop and mobile views.
- Full-screen videos. Full-sized videos used to connect users to the brand are popping up on many company sites. Consumers take in information through videos 60,000 times faster than a flat text delivery.
- Hero images. Large background images are going to continue to be hot in 2019. A hero image is a prominently placed graphic that creates a sustained visual impact. Just keep in mind that the photo will become indelibly associated with the company and needs to be a worthy emblem. Also, user fatigue is a real risk.
- Minimalistic designs. Stripping a site down to component shapes and colors can frame content cleanly and result in an elegant finished product. This simplifies the web interface, so the user experience and ease of navigation may improve dramatically.
- Geometric shapes, see-through buttons. Websites are by nature flat due to the limitations of the medium. Creating, translucent buttons of non-rectangular shapes sets a website apart.
- Cinemagraphs. A cinemagraph is a looped video that adds sparkle and movement as a design element.
- Sticky navigation bars. Sticky navigation provides users with a touchstone, a path back through the site like a trail of breadcrumbs back to the home page.
A revamped website should result in a living, nuanced experience for end users. Redesigning a site should be viewed with the excitement and work ethic of spring cleaning. Clean house, move the furniture around and reinvent dull rooms guests no longer venture into.
