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Web Design Trends in 2019

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As the internet continues to develop, web design practices continue to adapt and bring about new trends. A good web designer remains cognizant of these trends; knowing what’s hot and what’s quickly becoming outdated.  We are rapidly encroaching on the end of another decade and with it comes plenty of new web design trends designers will want to add to their arsenals.

Growing Trends Web Designers Should Consider

Technology is changing—there’s no stopping that, and with it comes changes in how consumers are using the internet. That means that web designers need to evolve with technology.

So, what are some growing trends that web designers should consider in projects for 2019 and beyond?

1. The Minimalistic Approach

In a day where bright and flashy have become the norm, designers enjoy creating a better user experience with a minimalistic web design and the use of technology advancements. Here’s the thing, minimalistic doesn’t have to mean black and white with little to no flash in the way of images and videos.

In fact, when we talk minimalistic for 2019, we mean making use of whitespace, clean typography, and mobile-friendly design. This also means making use of quality imagery in an effective manner, such as video, illustrations, and 3D artwork to help your material stand out without over-complicating the entire design. Thanks to a mobile-first generation (aka: those who use their mobile devices as their primary method of online searching, the use of a more minimalistic approach is more important than ever.

2. Font Varieties

It’s okay to have fun with fonts and use varying typefaces to create an intriguing web design. However, we must keep the reader in mind as well, which means using easy to read fonts.

typography in web design
© site by tennentbrown.co.nz

Using fancy scripts is fun and can suit a website’s overall design aesthetic, but using too much of those typefaces can make it harder to take in the information being presented to use. This is where having varying fonts in play becomes an effective design element. Highlight specific text that you want to stand out in more vibrant, fun fonts while using a more standard one for the meat of your text.

3. Upping Your Animation Game

That’s right; animation is all the rage! Popular GIF website, GIPHY, reported recently that about 2 million hours of GIFs are viewed daily on their site alone.

Animations have come a long way over the years, and even the simplest of animations can convey an important message to those who visit our websites. Animation can be used to guide a reader through information quickly and as a way to break up larger blocks of text to give the reader’s eyes a break.

Animation can even be used purely to entertain our readers as well, giving websites a more personable vibe instead of just a tool to move consumers through our sales funnel.

Now, animation comes in a variety of forms and can include:

  • Animated GIFs
  • Galleries/slideshows
  • Scrolling text
  • Page motion
  • Animated backgrounds

While incorporating animation into your design is an excellent idea, remember to keep it simple. The more animation you include, the higher the possibility of your page load time decreasing.

4. Adding Chat Boxes

While chat boxes may not seem like an entirely new concept, this technology is gaining traction this year. Consumers want to always reach someone from a brand, which is where chat boxes come into play. Thanks to advancements in both AI and machine learning, chat boxes are able to bring this expectation to life.

Web designers are beginning to add chat boxes to websites of all types, and in doing so, applying a lot of the trends we’ve already mentioned. This includes adding varying fonts and colors to chat boxes to help them stand out while still remaining consistent with the rest of your site branding. Web designers are also learning that chat boxes can adapt well to a minimalistic approach because that makes them simpler to use for the consumer.

5. Include Illustrations and 3D Artwork

Friends, gone are the days of the standard, overly used stock images. It’s time to welcome in illustrations and 3D artwork into your web design practices.

Okay, so stock photography isn’t going anywhere. However, we are seeing more brands choosing to go the illustration route to help set them apart from others. In fact, brands such as Slack, Mailchimp, and Dropbox have all opted to highlight illustrations as a way of catching their reader’s attention.

mailchimp newsletter campaigns

Want to stand out even more? Then we suggest considering 3D illustrations! 3D artwork helps to draw the eye in a way that 2D illustrations simply don’t.

6. Include Videos

Videos, like animations, aren’t going anywhere. With 45% of people claiming to watch more than an hour of Facebook or YouTube videos during the week, videos are a must for web designers.

Again, much like animations, videos are a great way to give your viewers a break from long walls of text. In fact, many consumers prefer short explainer videos than text in many situations simply because they are easier to digest. Not to mention videos are more effective when it comes to the human’s ever-shortening attention span.

Videos come in all shapes and sizes, including:

  • Explainers/Tutorials
  • Product reviews
  • Presentations/Webinars
  • Interviews
  • LIVE streaming
  • Testimonials

Website Design Services by a Top Austin SEO Company

As an SEO company, we know just how vital website design is to build your brand and inspire engagement. Websites are considered a brand’s first impression to the world, and that’s why we offer more than just search engine optimization services.

Our web design services are individually tailored to our customer’s needs, not our own and can include:

  • Usability/User Experience Considerations
  • Creating a Mobile & Responsive Design
  • Content Writing & Development
  • SEO Friendliness

Want to learn more about our website design services? Contact me today for more information.

Web Design FAQs

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How long will it take to get a new website up and running?

Generally speaking, a standard brochure website can take anywhere from 2 – 4 weeks to complete; but that timeline will be dependent on how much content we can gather from you before development begins. Content usually entails all photos and written (material) that corresponds with a simple site map that outlines all the navigational tabs for your website. We will work closely with you to gather as much content as possible to get the process rolling. The sooner information is provided to us, the sooner we can turnaround a website based on its estimated deliverable. Any website that entails a higher level of complexity typically associated with e-commerce solutions, and enterprise-class content management systems – can take as long as 2-3 months based on the project scope and your business requirements.

How much does a website cost?

A typical website can vary anywhere from $4,500 – $20,000 or more based on your requirements. The web is a very dynamic tool, and so many factors are considered when determining the cost of your website. Do you have a brand identity (logo)? Are you in need of a creative writer to develop your site’s content? What technological solution works best based on your business requirements? Are you looking to start a social media presence? Before a cost estimate is submitted to you, we typically request an RFP (Request for Proposal), that provides a detailed functional spec sheet of your project’s scope and business requirements. The approach we have always had with our clients, given the dynamics of the industry, is that technology should be acquired as a solution to a defined problem, based on your business goals and requirements. If an RFP isn’t provided to us, we offer the option for working with you on a discovery phase to create a functional spec sheet that documents your business objectives and goals, with all the detailed requirements needed to provide you with the best solution. Ultimately, how much a website can cost will be determined by the project scope, based on a clearly defined set of requirements or objectives.

Does my site need a redesign?

Many of our current clients have come to JS Interactive with a primary goal being to redesign their website. In today’s world where billions of people search the web for resourceful information, your company’s online presence can be a first impression for many; and as we all know, a first impression is always an important one. At JS Interactive we believe that “Good Design is Purposeful”. It’s important that your website conveys a clear message that’s consistent to your users, and that the site’s image accurately reflects your company’s brand and the services and products you provide. The design of your website should move viewers towards your goal, and not distract them from it; the content should be clean, easy to access, and easy to read for your online users. A good design goes beyond what is considered pretty … a good design should always serve a purpose – that purpose being to direct your users toward your end goal. Does the image if your website accurately reflect your business and the services and products you provide? Is your website easy to understand and to navigate through? Is your site’s content market relative, and speaking clearly to your customers? Can you update content on your own without the need for a developer? If you can answer ‘yes’ to all these questions, then you’re in good positioning to consider the next step towards effectively growing your online business; and that entails building your online presence through effective, strategic marketing and SEO. If you’ve answered ‘no’ or are uncertain, you may want to read our checklist on what are signs you need a website redesign? to help you determine whether or not your business website needs a makeover.

Will my website be Search Engine friendly?

Yes! All the necessary steps are taken to make your website search engine friendly and compliant with search engine guidelines. However, it’s important to note that “search engine friendliness” and “search engine optimization” is different. A “search engine friendly” website ensures that the website’s foundation is sound and made friendly in an organic way through good site structure, friendly URLs, optimized imagery, good HMTL markup and so forth. Search engine optimization (SEO) takes on a far more in-depth and robust approach, and involves comprehensive research/analysis, keyword researching, content writing, link building, and much more. Feel free to contact us to learn more about SEO.

Do you offer website maintenance once my website is live?

Yes. While all proposed websites offer the flexibility for you to manage your own written content and images, we typically encourage clients getting on a monthly maintenance plan with us. Essentially what that entails – is you buying so much of our time – monthly based on your company’s needs (please note* There are no time rollovers from month to month). How purchased time is utilized can vary in a number of ways…from creative (website and social media promos) to consulting, to development needs and full-time email and phone support. A maintenance plan, which is strongly encouraged, may vary in hours and costs depending on your requirements and your needs.

Can I track how many users visit my website?

Yes. Through the use of a Google Analytics account, you can track the performance of your online users, and find insights that allow us to take action to improve the site’s performance based on a series of reports. Google web analytics is a very dynamic tool that allows you to track how users find you, your number of visits to the site, from where they are coming, what browsers they are using, where they are going on your website, where they are exiting your website –and much more. You can set goals through advertising campaigns, and analyze your results through web analytic reports. Google web analytics is a powerful tool that can help to measure the performance of online behavior, and gives you an ability to take action at improving the site’s performance based on analytic reports.

Purposeful Design: Why Customizing Design to Your Audience Matters

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Purposeful design is an aesthetic driven by how it will be perceived and utilized by the user.

It’s a combination of art and psychology, recognizing that every creative element in your design serves a purpose: to help inform and guide the user toward a specific direction or action.

Your Website, promotional emails and other digital creative share this same goal. Although each may play a different role in your marketing strategy, their common purpose is to show customers how your brand will enrich their lives.

What better way to boost your marketing objectives than with a design process that aligns with your goals. Here’s how it works.

THE DESIGN PROCESS

Creativity is the ability to see connections and relationships. In marketing, the design process is actually a problem-solving exercise that helps to connect the right product with the right customer at the right time.

Response-driven design approaches this challenge by combining best marketing practices, strategic thinking and elements of art.

Purposeful design delves deeper. It takes what we know about user experience and online behavior in your market and then builds design features around this. It’s the difference between “production work” and “custom creative.”

PURPOSE DRIVES DESIGN

Consider automotive design. The proportions, shape and placement of your car’s instrument panel are not designed solely based on how they will look.

The automotive stylist must also consider the comfort and safety of the passenger in the design process. For example, by placing the radio’s volume control buttons right on the steering wheel, there’s no need to take your eyes off the road when your jam comes on. It’s considerations like this that give design value.

The same is true for your Website and promotional emails. By incorporating user experience and online behavior into the design process, you can identify and anticipate customer needs—then add design elements that react to those needs. This gives your design value. And value is key to higher conversion rates.

CHANGE IS CONSTANT

Here is one more consideration. The number of ways to access your Website continues to evolve with mobile devices and various browsers. New digital features are constantly being rolled out that impact the way your audience perceives your web presence.

Change is constant. As technology evolves, so does customer experience and online behavior. Applying the principles of purposeful design takes these evolutions into account, helping your Website, emails and other creative remain relevant.

Yes, design aesthetic matters. But ignoring the customer experience in the design process is sort of like preparing a meal simply for the sake of presentation. Let’s not forget, it also has to taste sensational.

To learn how purposeful design can improve your web presence, contact us today!

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3 Simple Web Design Tips to Turn Your Site Visitor into Actual Customers

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Converting website users to customers generally requires extensive testing and data analytic reporting. Below are a few simple web design tips that help improve engagement and accessibility, which in return helps turn site visitors into customers.

Web design to improve online conversions

  1. Provide relevant and useful content. If your business is offering a special deal or promotion, and you’d like to create an ad for it…be sure that your online content is directly related to that ad, so that when a user clicks to view it, you are left confident knowing they’re in the right place. Make sure your page has a clear eye-catching headline with descriptive text, relevant bold imagery, and videos (optional) to make the content all the more engaging. Little design details like a prominent call to action item…for example a “BUY NOW” button, makes it easy and appealing for your online customers to find what they’re looking for and make purchase.
  2. Make your website easy to navigate through. Keep it clean, easy to follow and efficient with loading time. Keep your navigation simple, and be conscious of your hierarchy with retrievable content, making what’s most important easily accessible for your users. Remember your mobile traffic, make your mobile website easy to read and easy to navigate through; be accessible to customers from all mobile devices.
  3. Offer transparency and build trust. Make it easy for customers to access you, personalize your website with friendly faces of happy customers and staff. Feature a weekly blog about trends in your industry and keep your customers connected by encouraging them to subscribe to your blog. Reassure them, that their contact info will not be shared, and be sure to showcase testimonials from satisfied customers who you’ve worked with in the past.

Getting users to your site by using online marketing may be one thing… but is your website designed to encourage people to do business with you? These simple web design tips can help build you a website that delivers results.

How is your website performing? Are your site visitors turning into real customers? View a simple checklist we’ve put together for you by clicking below…

Do I need a website redesign