As consumer and business technologies continue to advance, the way that we navigate the internet has shifted as well. Most people currently navigate the internet on mobile devices with fast internet connections, and expect sites to accommodate this.
Combined with a higher emphasis on user experience, this means that a lot of businesses need to seriously revamp their approach to web design.
In this article, we spoke to Webheads, a London-based web design agency, to look at some web design trends that businesses should be aware of in 2022, to help you fully bring your site into the digital age.
Minimalism
The saying that less is more certainly applies to web design. People are constantly bombarded with information in the digital age, and often a simple, clean aesthetic is what will help your business stand out from the crowd. Making sure that you don’t pack too much information on a single page is imperative; make your point quickly, with links to further information should people want to learn more.
User experience
User experience (or UX) is becoming increasingly important as we fully enter the digital age. People are starting to expect more than the bare minimum from websites; they want to be able to navigate them intuitively, with quick, aesthetic links providing simple access between different pages. To provide an optimal UX, you need to understand the needs of the user. While a certain amount can be learned through Googling and market research, it may be the case that you could benefit from hiring the services of a UX designer to fully optimise your website.
Chatbots
As AI becomes increasingly capable, more and more businesses are starting to integrate chatbots into their websites.
Chatbots can answer simple questions in a relatively effective manner, giving visitors a sense of engagement that might otherwise be lacking. Where they’re unable to answer questions, they are generally able to direct visitors to other resources, often a human member of staff who they can chat to. Integrating chatbots in an effective manner can have an incredible effect on converting site visitors, while also potentially improving UX.
Fast loading speeds
Fast loading speeds have long been important for UX and SEO, and that doesn’t look like it’ll be changing any time soon. If anything, it’s become more important – as overall loading speeds get faster and faster, visitors are getting more impatient, and even a slow dip in loading speeds can result in a noticeable change to bounce rates.
Fast loading speeds are also massively important for conversion rates. If someone has to wait for each product description and picture to load, they’ll likely go elsewhere to make their purchase, even if your product is superior to that of the competition. People expect convenience, and will make sacrifices elsewhere in order to achieve it.
