The new trends for Websites in 2019
What’s new for website design in 2019? We know that technology changes quickly. Your website needs to be flexible to change with the times. You were told to move to responsive design. You did that. Then you were told to add SEO code to improve ranking. You’ve done that. But even your design needs a facelift every few years. You’re probably bored with your website and you’re probably wanting something new to look at. You can imagine that your audience feels the same way. There are certain trends that we’re seeing end and begin. So what’s out for web design in 2019 and what should you be focusing on for the new year? See these ideas and examples for inspiration to update your website in 2019!
1. A New Wow Factor
OUT: Carousels / Slideshows
More and more websites are abandoning the carousel/slideshow concept on the home page. Most users don’t stick around for slide three, four or five. And you certainly don’t want the weight of five, six, seven large pictures slowing down your website’s load time. They’re abandoning this feature for something even more dynamic.
IN: Without a slideshow how do you show a “wow factor”?
It’s exciting to see the advancement of technology by bringing video to websites in a user-friendly experience. The slideshows are being replaced with “B Roll” video – video without sound. You can see an example of this even on our homepage here at WebTegrity. Many websites are making this switch but it’s very important that the video is optimized to load quickly and be able to function across devices. Example 2 Example 3 Example 4
2. Edge to Edge Design
OUT: No More Small Websites
Just a few years back we were designing sites in a block of no more than 960 pixels across the screen. Some judge your website the moment they land on it today if it’s still at that smaller size. The content is very contained directly in the middle of the screen. With computer monitors only getting larger these days, you want your website to feel powerful and impactful. These smaller designs certainly “date” your digital presence.
IN: How big can you go? Let’s try edge to edge.
Edge to edge is where you want to be these days. With responsive design, the content will shrink or stretch to fit the size of the device viewing the content. So when you’re on a two-inch mobile screen, the content stacks edge to edge and looks very clear without needing a zoom effect. When you’re viewing the website in a conference room on a seventy-five-inch tv monitor it still looks just as impressive as the content extends full width filling the space.
3. Keep ‘Em Social On Site
OUT: More of a Distraction
Believe it or not, social media links are being replaced as well. As we monitor user experiences we’ve noticed that social icons/links appearing near the main call to action on the website run the risk of distracting the user with the thought of a Facebook feed or Twitter rampage. What you want to do is still show Google and your users that you’re social with a different solution.
IN: Deliver social even faster
An upgrade from just having icons and links is actually incorporating the social network feed directly on your website. You can display your Instagram feed dynamically on your website so that when you upload a photo or video to your feed, it dynamically displays on your website. You can showcase your Twitter feed or Facebook Galleries too. These techniques keep your users engaging on social media directly on your website. A simple pivot from just having the link on your site, and a powerful upgrade in engagement. See this example of an Instagram feed. Click here and scroll to the bottom of the page.
4. Advanced SEO
OUT: We’ve been doing the basics for years.
You’ve heard about basic Search Engine Optimization. You’ve attended workshops, and spent time and money trying to play Google’s rank game with little to no true results. What’s wrong with your website versus your competition? Why do they keep outranking you on page one? The short answer is Google is constantly changing their ranking methods. Your website has to keep up. This is never going to be a one time fix. This is never going to be a yearly fix. This ongoing effort needs to be weekly if you’re serious about visibility on page one domination.
IN: Schema
Schema isn’t cutting edge. Actually, it’s been around for a few years, but we’re hearing more and more about it. This is extra markup code that can be added to your website to help Google, or any indexing engine, crawl your website more quickly and clearly. Google needs to understand what you do and it’s a much more effective method to use their own code to give them clarity and a quick reference to the content on your website. If you have recipes, events, products for sale, reviews, videos and other items there’s code that can be added to upgrade your site’s visibility.
5. Accessibility for All
OUT: Disabled users struggle to access your website’s content
Accessibility is one of the most trending subjects in the web development world today. The same way your business storefront must be wheelchair accessible so should your website. Think about your visitors and their needs for visual or hearing limitations, perhaps they even use special computer equipment to browse the internet. Websites are moving to become more accessible to make the internet accessible for all.
IN: Accessible for all.
Working along the guidelines for WCAG compliance you’ll want your website to meet these standards so that you service all of your customers with equal opportunity. We’re seeing companies get sued for not complying. Schools and Universities, financial institutions and online retail have been very targeted for these legal actions. Please be certain moving forward that you’re working toward WCAG compliance.
6. Keep It Secure
OUT: Non Secure Website
A few years back now Google suggested that you apply an SSL to your website so that your users coming in can browse and engage on your website more securely. We may have heard that but most of us didn’t act. Well, time’s up.
IN: Shopping carts aren’t the only ones.
Even if your website is not a shopping cart or donation website, you still probably have a contact form on your site or some way of collecting your visitors email address and information. You must stay secure for your consumer. There are even free options these days so that everyone can become a more secure experience for their online visitors.
7. Scroll Down
OUT: Boring, Uninspiring Scroll
We used to be very limited with design options as you move beyond the home page. Exploring a website page after page can start to get boring very quickly the further down the rabbit hole you navigate. The conversion on inner pages lessens as we see no one engaging beyond page one.
IN: Fun transitions as you scroll.
Exciting to see more and more boring pages disappear as the use of transitions and hover effects are being applied to websites. These simple lines of code pack a punch of excitement causing users to want to scroll and experience the twists and turns, the rollovers and the slideins. Each of these simple transitions bring movement to the page creating a fun user interface. Done well, they are not a distraction but a compliment to your brand’s ability to stay up-to-date and even trendy. See this example and enjoy the scroll.
8. Clickable Call To Action
OUT: Small Phone Numbers in the Footer
Most of us know to look in the top right of a website for contact info or at the very bottom (footer) on a website. Those areas are typical for connecting with the company. If your main call to action is a phone number, be certain it’s not the same small size as everything else in the footer area. If you need folks to click a button, be certain it looks like a button.
IN: Make it easy for the user to do what you’re asking.
If you’re ready for your customers to be calling your phone ready to order, then be certain all of the phone numbers on your website are “clickable” from a cell phone – no matter IOS or Android. You need to verify this because they’re trying to call you and you need to make it easy for them. Are your forms and other engagement opportunities optimized to their maximum potential? Is your address clickable to Google Maps? Does your contact form give them a confident notification in their email inbox with a follow up promo code or sense of urgency getting them back to the website to complete that order?
9. Conversion Tracking
OUT: Marketing in the Dark
There’s nothing worse than putting together a full strategy session and marketing plan only to always wonder why it’s not working as planned. Google Analytics tracking has been our go-to tool for years tracking landing pages, traffic source and user demographics. That’s not enough these days. Time to upgrade and track things more closely.
IN: Track it all and pivot from your findings.
Tracking the user experience on your website is now possible. Heatmaps are good and helpful. Google Analytics gives you numbers, but now there’s technology to visually record the user experience on your website so that you can understand how users are struggling with your content. This is a powerful resource to improve your marketing and sales. Even the slightest changes can be impactful. Changing a button color. Changing the text or sense of urgency can create a buzz. Using A/B testing with these tools is key to conversion tracking. This is the “secret sauce” that major brands use to improve their process daily.
10. Automation
OUT: Using too many systems for your process
If you’re logging into a calendar for your internal team and then manually having to input that into your website, you’re doing it wrong. If you’re in house system manages your inventory, but your website sales are not directly impacting that number, you’re doing it wrong. If you’re having to manage several different charts or directories all over your website, you’re wasting time and need a better solution. This old method is out.
IN: Working smarter not harder.
It’s time to consolidate and minimize the time spent managing data. With API feeds and automation, your website can interact with your user providing information to them on the fly, it can update a database with any cell info, and it can dynamically pull data from anywhere in the world to display on your website. Time to automate.
11. Geo-Targeting Content
OUT: Generic or Impersonal Content
In the past we’ve written content based on our demographic and target audience as a generic shotgun blast. If we were trying to get specific and hone in on a keyword or target group, we might make a landing page or two in hopes of running a campaign. This is a limiting and very time consuming process.
IN: Dynamic User-Focused Content
Imagine being able to read a visitor’s IP address and display a local phone for your nearest location to them. Or instantly list their city / state as your service area. Imagine serving up an image of your best selling high heels when a woman is visiting the site, or your best selling mustache trimmer for a man’s browser profile. All of that is possible now with Geo-Targeting Content. Everyone knows that personalized content on a website converts higher. If a photo of a family looks like the viewer’s family – they will relate more to your product. Get your content to target each and everyone of your viewers so that they feel connected to your brand.
12. Vlog
OUT: Boring 2,000 word blog articles
You’ve asked the question before, “What’s the write length of a blog article?” and you’ve wanted to drink more heavily when you hear the answer 1,000 plus, 2,000 plus words. WOW! First of all, who has time to write an article this length? (2,415 words BTW) Very few of us. But we all know that websites need fresh content. Blogs can be boring, so how do you spice them up?
IN: Vlogs – try adding some video
We transitioned over to a vlog (video blog) when Kori decided that she had more fun making videos than trying to recall where to add a comma and how not to create massive run-on sentence catastrophes each week. Creating video content does not have to be high end professional productions. These days most of our phones have the ability to record video and there are apps available to edit directly from your phone too. The goal here is to create content quickly that is engaging, educating, and quality. Publishing consistently is key as well. It doesn’t even have to be a long video. Sometimes shorter is better. This example is less than two minutes.
BONUS: Really Change the Game
If you can honestly say that you’re doing all of these ideas listed above, then the next step is to really change up your game and include digital marketing. It’s the fuel that will drive the traffic to your incredible website. Depending upon how aggressive of a campaign you run, this can bring leads in overnight. Running ads on social and search platforms that are specifically targeted with your key audience and locations can quickly broaden you brand exposure, drive quality traffic, and gain leads.
REVIEW From the CLIENT
Immediately we have seen an 800% increase in quote requests on our new website. The website paid for itself in 3 to 4 months. Search engines have started picking us up, Bing, Yahoo, and of course Google. In just eight months we’re on page 1, 2 and 3 organic search results. I give you my highest recommendation! — Tammany
Conclusion
The new year brings some dynamic and impactful changes to the website world. If your website is two years old or older – it needs to be updated with the latest features or function that will wow your customer and drive your online sales. Give them a new year with a new look. Reach out to our team to be sure that each of these elements are implemented on your digital presence. We may even have other options in our toolbox to improve your website. Stop being envious of your competition’s cool look. Let’s takthe e time to really improve your digital marketing today.
Free Evaluations & Ideas!
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