Do You Need To Keep Up With Web Design Trends?
If you are a business owner and you have a website, then hopefully you will be quite content with the way it looks. Your site is like a permanent shop window for your business and the old adage that first impressions count really does apply even with here. The problem is that most business owners, no matter the size of the company, are unaware of the fact that there are actually trends when it comes to web design and it is actually quite easy for your own website to end up looking outdated without you even being aware of it.
Take 2014 for example. Industry experts talk about trends such as more creative fonts being used for the words on the pages and people moving away from simply having Times New Roman or any of the other regular fonts that you see everywhere. They also talk about having a large space at the top of the home page, referred to as the hero area, with creative graphics or something to really grab the attention of your visitor. A major improvement in the functionality of websites on mobile devices. Using videos to illustrate points in web pages rather than just a plain old image. There are so many things, so you can see how your website can start to look past its best can’t you?
What do you need to do?
We are not saying that you should change your website on a yearly basis in order to reflect these trends, but at the same time if your website has been left unattended to for a couple of years, then you are missing out in a big way. We should say that this is not only from a design point of view, but also limiting the way in which visitors can interact with your website and this will only lead to them being disappointed with what you have to offer as a company. Can you as a business afford to do that?
It is widely accepted that the best course of action for you to take is to first of all do some market research all on your own in order to identify problem areas with your website. Ask people to evaluate your site and even create a form that you can email to them in order to get some feedback on areas that they feel could be doing with being improved upon. We are all guilty of seeing things through rose tinted glasses and believing that everything is perfect, but in the business world it is important that this is avoided as much as possible.
By getting some feedback it is then easier for you to determine the changes that need to be made to your site and of course you then need to consult with a web designer to see how easy it is to implement the changes that have been suggested. It is not then simply a case of taking these suggestions and throwing them all onto your website, even if that is what you feel should be done, because there are still issues regarding how the different ideas can even just work together on a website.
From a technical point of view, never mind a design perspective, there are some things that just do not work even if you have read about different trends and want them all included. Just because something is a trend, and you feel that you need to keep up with them, does not mean that it will work for you. These web design trends tend to speak in general terms in order to cover as many different styles and types of websites as possible, so clearly you need some professional advice on how your website can be brought up to date, but in a functional way.
The difference it can make to your business.
So what does it do for your actual business if you have a website that is always relevant and provides your visitors with a wonderful experience? This in itself should be pretty self explanatory because it just means that people will have a better impression of your business and you will really be selling yourself to them. If they see a business that is providing them with all of the information that they need and does so in an easy to understand manner, then surely you can see how it then improves the chances of them then spending money with you? Your business will no longer come across as being stale and boring and that has to be a good thing.
It is a widely accepted fact that a website that has not kept up with the latest design trends and, therefore, looks tired and old will only lead to visitors clicking off that page almost immediately. By having a modern, clean design that works you will encourage people to explore your website more fully and with any website visitor retention is absolutely key. Quite simply, without it you may as well not even have a website.
The best advice to give to you is to have your current website assessed by a member of our team here at Webfoot Designs and see what modern changes should be made to it. You may be surprised at how little has to be done to then make a big impression and if that then leads to an increase in business, then surely you have nothing to lose?
