As a web designer, it's important to stay up to date on the latest web design trends in the industry to ensure that your websites are modern, user-friendly, and effective.
Of course, thanks to easy site builders like GoDaddy’s, you don’t need to be a web designer to put the ideas in this post to use.
Here are the key trends that are worth keeping an eye on this year.
The latest trends in website design
Much like fashion, website design trends come and go. Here are three to use in your own site(s) this year.
Streamlined hero sections
Hero sections, or the oversized banners at the top of a homepage, are an effective way to grab the attention of visitors and communicate key information.
This year, we can expect to see even more emphasis on streamlining these sections to create a clean and visually appealing user experience.
Bold and loud typography
Using oversized typography is a great way to add visual interest to your website and communicate key information in a unique and eye-catching way. This trend is set to continue in the new year, with more and more designers using bold and loud typography to make a statement.
Emphasizing negative space
The use of negative space, or white or blank space around design elements, has long been a popular minimalist design trend. We can expect to see an even greater emphasis on negative space as users increasingly seek out a streamlined, app-like web experience.
Design
The best and most successful websites are frequently updated. You want to give people something fresh to see, watch or read every time they visit. Here are some easy ways to do this:
- Refresh your images: Keeping your images fresh is important for all types of websites, but it's especially crucial for e-commerce sites, where product photos can make or break the sale.
Be sure to regularly refresh your photos, infographics and images to keep your website looking modern and appealing.
Need something eye-catching fast? Try GoDaddy’s free design tool.
- Update your layout: The layout of your website is crucial for creating an effective user experience.
Look for opportunities to update your layout to make it more user-friendly and visually appealing. This could include updates and optimizations that will shorten page loading time or streamlining navigation to make it easier for people to find what they’re looking for.
Regular improvements give your users the feeling that this is an active website at the front of a thriving business.
- Add a video: Adding a video to your website can be a great way to promote your products or services and add some visual interest to your site. Consider incorporating videos into your website design to capture the attention of visitors.
Related: How to make a video on a budget
Optimization
There are a number of behind-the-scenes tweaks you can make to increase the effectiveness of your websites.
- Search engine optimization (SEO): This is an essential part of any web design project. Be sure to prioritize SEO to ensure that your website is easily discoverable by search engines and users.
- Redirects: Properly implemented redirects are crucial for maintaining a good user experience and improving the SEO of your website. Nobody likes to reach a broken webpage with a 301 error, and neither does Google. So make sure to redirect any old pages that are no longer active.
- HTML structure: Proper HTML structure is important for ensuring that your website is accessible and easy to navigate for all users and search engines.
- Blog posts: Blogging is a great way to bring people to your website and improve your search engine rankings. Consider adding a blog to your website or regularly publishing new content to keep your site fresh and engaging for users.
Related: How to set up a WordPress blog
Security
Security will continue to be very important this year, especially for e-commerce sites.
- Backups: Regularly backing up your website is essential for protecting against data loss and ensuring that your site is always up and running. Regula backups can prevent any unexpected disasters that could lead to downtime or expensive repairs.
- Cache: Using cache can help improve the performance of your website by storing frequently accessed data in memory, reducing the need to retrieve it from the server. This year, consider implementing cache to improve the speed and performance of your website.
- SSL: A secure sockets layer (SSL) certificate is a security protocol that helps to protect sensitive information like passwords and credit card numbers when transmitted online. We all most likely have these already, but it is always a good thing to check if yours is active.
A site without an SSL is a huge red flag that could dissuade users from entering (not to mention the SEO hit it could take from Google for not having one). Be sure to use SSL on your website to keep it from being labeled “Not Secure.”
Related: 7 e-commerce security tips from the experts
Functionality
The feature you couldn’t find last year may well be available now. Level up!
- Update your contact form: Your contact form is an important tool for communicating with customers and collecting valuable information. Update your contact form to include features like file uploads, conditional logic, and pre-written answers to make it easier and more likely customers that will reach out.
- Share button: Adding a share button to your website allows people to easily share your content on social media platforms, increasing
the visibility of your website and potentially driving more traffic to it. Google indexing loves websites that share information amongst each other, so it is likely to also improve your SEO positioning. - Empty cart: For e-commerce websites, an empty cart feature can be a useful tool for reminding users to complete their purchases. Add an abandoned cart feature to your website to encourage users to complete their purchases and improve sales.
- Search bars: Search bars are an essential tool for helping users find the information they need on your website. Now would be a good time to add a search bar on your website to make it easier for users to find what they're looking for.
Marketing
The most beautiful and easy-to-use website design isn’t worth much if no one finds it. Here are some ways to bring people in.
- Analytics or Site Kit: Tools like Google Analytics or Site Kit can help you track the performance of your website and make informed decisions about your marketing strategy. Consider implementing one of these tools to better understand and improve your website's traffic and performance.
- Add subscriptions: Adding an email signup form to your website allows you to email your readers and customers with updates, promotions and other valuable information. Regular emails allow you to stay in touch with those who love you, keeping your business top of mind for them.
- E-commerce flash deals: Flash deals, or short-term discounts on select products, can be a great way to drive sales and encourage customers to make a purchase. Think about implementing flash deals on your e-commerce website to boost sales and increase customer loyalty.
- Create new purchase opportunities: One way to drive sales is by bundling products together. Offering product bundles on your e-commerce website encourages customers to buy more and allows you to sell off your current stock.
Web design trends wrap up
We hope you’ve found something useful among these website update ideas.
By staying in step with the latest web design trends and utilizing the tools and techniques mentioned above, you can create a website that is both:
- Visually appealing and
- Effective at driving traffic and sales
So, these are the most important things to consider when designing a website this year.
Editor’s note: Website design not your thing? Let the pros at GoDaddy create a one-of-a-kind website for you. Call us at 1-866-962-7979 or request a free consultation online.
