5 Website Must Haves in 2018
Website trends have really evolved over the years. Do you remember back to all the neon flashing headlines and the colorful, busy backgrounds? Here are some poorly designed sites if you need a refresher. Trends show that 2018 will be a year quite a bit different from the 90s in terms of website design trends. Less is more this year, folks. So, here are some website must haves in 2018.
5 Website Must Haves in 2018
Meaningful Images
Yes, your written content needs to be compelling and well written. Let’s face it, though. Images have power. Often times, website designers who have very little experience will put together amazing written content and design materials and then just slap some images into the scheme. There needs to be some method in what you are putting together. Imagery grabs people’s attention and can keep people on your site. Furthermore, when it comes to imagery it is obvious when images don’t fit into the design of a website. You want everything to look seamless, so spend a bit of time finding the perfect images for your website.
Videos on Your Homepage
Do you need a reason to consider adding video to your website? It has been said that 60% of site visitors will watch a video on a website before reading a single word of text. Video is becoming a powerful tool in website design, especially when it comes to showcasing information in a fast, entertaining way. Not only that, but video helps to create an emotional connection with site visitors as they get to have a deeper, more meaningful interaction with your company.
And, if that isn’t enough to convince you, let’s talk SEO for a minute. When people are watching a video on your website, they are spending more time on your website’s home page. While they are spending time on your site, your site is getting better “ratings” from search engines. This helps your site rank higher in search results. Plus, sites with videos tend to have higher engagement rates, click-through-rates and conversion rates. These stats also can help boost your search engine rankings as well.
Micro Animations
Small, purposeful animations on your website can be valuable for creating intrigue and increasing engagement. If you have ever been on a site that has a contact form that wiggles when the page loads, you know that your eyes were immediately drawn to the movement on the page. So, these extra little details can really help your conversion rates by drawing visitor’s eyes to the places you want them to go.
More: 11 Signs it’s Time to Redesign Your Website
Clear Headings
Not only do headlines (especially H2s and H3s) help site visitors find what they are looking for in a quick and painless way, but they also help your search engine rankings. When the search engine bugs see that your site has keywords in its headlines, it assumes that your site has relevant information about said headlines. That helps you move your way up in the search engine rankings. And, thaaat helps you get more eyes on your site. And, thaaaat helps you get more conversions. So, really, it is just a good idea to create those stellar headlines.
Mobile-Friendly Design
This should go without saying at this point, but if your site isn’t mobile friendly now, change that. Desktop searches are no longer the norm. More and more people are using their cell phones to look up information online and to dig around on websites. So, if your site isn’t already mobile-friendly, make it that way.
More on website design: Why You Need a Well Designed Website