Professional website design is not an easy thing, despite popular beliefs. There are many different approaches you could take to modernize a website, and it is always a challenge to pick the right one.
We can all agree on one thing, though. Quality web design is among the most important decisions when it comes to a modern website. Therefore, you need to make sure you have made an informed decision, and we are about to help you do that.
Let us give you an idea of what people expect to see on your website.
Visuals vs Content
While it is very important, content is not all there is to a modern website. You can convey your message easier and quicker by using visuals instead. Optimize the website with images and videos, as well as chunks of text packed in interactive graphics to make visitors more curious. If you are not sure how to do this, check Medium’s website.
Remember, nonetheless, that the visuals are only there to attract viewers’ interest. You may want to add advanced page transitions but make sure they’re relevant. You will still need to relate them to important information, such as background videos that reveal more of what your business does. Today’s users don’t have the patience to read long case studies and success stories, so make it easier for them.
Modern Website Design – The Key Factors
The same as fashion, modern web design is constantly improved with new trends and ideas. At some point, it is bound to be less about what you want, and more about what visitors prefer or expect.
In short, this means creating an enjoyable experience for every visitor. It can be a savvy tech geek or a busy buyer on a schedule scrolling for the right information. They all need to be persuaded by the message you are sending them. It doesn’t sound easy, but there are many ways to get there.
Minimalism
While it is almost impossible to pick an approach that suits everybody, minimalism gets as close to a universal trend as possible. In web design, as in many other things, less is more. Stick to fewer key elements but make them bold and convincing.
You’ll need to retain viewers’ focus on the most important content and make navigation easy and fluid. Even more importantly, you’ll have no trouble managing a minimalist website. The performance will be better, and you’ll soon be able to see the positive impact it has on your business,
Responsiveness
Given that most people today surf on their mobile devices, you’ll need to make sure your modern website is responsive. This may be more expensive or difficult to develop but giving up on responsiveness is a luxury you can’t afford.
The perfect website can be accessed from any device, including tablets and smartphones. If you don’t take care of this, it won’t matter that your website is fully desktop-optimized and has state-of-the-art functions. Mobile users will be discouraged from checking it out.
The Right Typography
The first and most important task of any website is to expose and convey your message. At first sight, however, it won’t matter what people read, but what they see. This brings you to your next paramount decision, namely the typography you’ll be using.
Many studies indicate that a font can determine whether visitors keep reading or leave the website. The choice is tricky, as many fonts seem good enough to ‘do the job. Therefore, make sure you do lots of research before you select a font.
Fonts don’t only help you transmit a message, but they also guide visitors where they need to be. They make the experience easier and more enjoyable. If you still can’t grasp the importance of typography, check some of the popular web portals and newspapers, such as The New Yorker.
Subtle Color Palettes
Did it come to your attention that modern websites use a limited number of colors? This trend is not new, and it does not seem it will go away any time soon.
While you are not expected to know everything about color psychology, some hints can help you. By choosing a color, you are employing a tool that influences choices and emotions and makes people trust you. As a result, bold and colorful websites don’t always gain the loyalty the owner aspired for.
To do this the right way, stick to primary and secondary colors and subtle tones. Provide a visually-pleasing background and help important elements such as calls to action stand out. Last but not least, use colors that are consistent with your brand, so that visitors can recognize you.
Speed & Performance
It is wrong to assume that web design only focuses on the looks of a website. They know how will also help you optimize the speed and performance of the pages so that visitors are not discouraged from discovering more.
You have two choices here. The first one is in-depth design (which affects the loading speed and even lets users wait for minutes until a page opens). The second one is a flat design that was specifically developed to solve this problem. The latter has been adopted by some of the most popular web operators, such as Microsoft and Apple.
How can you come up with a faster website? For starters, optimize any media content you have and invest in quality hosting. Keep the HTTP requests down to a minimum, and don’t add elements you don’t need. Visitors will appreciate this.
Use Of Gradients
Remember 90’s popular duotone designs? We have missed them for quite a while, but the good news is – they are back. Gradients can serve all sorts of purposes, which is probably the reason for their grandiose comeback. Working with two well-combined tones is easy on the eye and makes it simple to distinguish chops of information.
Gradients also come with soothing fading effects and make the experience more enjoyable. As long as you choose tones that work well together, there is nothing you can do wrong. In the best-case scenario, work with colors consistent with your brand.
Product Galleries
If you are gathering information for a business website, present your products and services with quality images. This is way more attractive to potential customers than explaining what your business is all about. Put your best offerings in the spotlight by using large and zoomable imagery. The customer needs to see all the details, so get ready for more online purchases.
More importantly, quality images build trust and make sure customers will prefer you over your competitors. Visit prominent e-stores, and you will find 360-degrees images made by professional photographers. Is there a better way to ensure a good first impression?
Short And Interactive Videos
If you want to take your gallery to the next level, use short videos instead of images. A company that excels in this trick is fashion giant Asos, which presents most products with 10-second videos. Instagram used the same trick at the beginning until they changed their policies and switched to larger videos.
Visitors appreciate short videos, as these make it easy to examine a product and decide whether it is good for them or not. With this in mind, they keep coming back and checking current offers, and feel persuaded to scroll for more. Long videos, on the other hand, can cause them to lose interest.
Here is a bonus trick to consider-GIFs. However, you’ll need to make sure these don’t compromise the speed of your website.
Summary
As you were able to read, there is hardly anything you can’t do to enhance the web design. There are numerous and diverse approaches you can use, but you need to understand exactly what you are doing. You can either play it safe and stick to a practice that suits most users or make a bold experiment that will make the site popular in no time.
Whatever you decide, keep in mind that your website is an entry portal between your customers and your business. You need to ensure they get a trouble-free and enjoyable experience, regardless of whether they make a purchase or not.
