An estimated 3.2 billion people now access the internet daily, creating a huge market for digital content providers. The curious thing about them? Their priorities when visiting any given website are the same. A recent Stanford University study, analyzed by Forbes, found 75% of internet users use appearances to make judgments on credibility. As a result, innovations and trends in web design are largely staying still and looking to create a world-class first impression. That first impression is created from a mix of design, optimization, and non-intrusive advertising.
Good looking web design
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but that doesn’t stop web design trends from forming. Honing in on these trends is the difficult part. One effective way is to look to what the market leaders are doing. In the years since Google-compatible SEO became the be all and end all, designs have moved to mirror theirs a little, as they have done with other tech giants like Apple. Google have very recently started providing new graphics and presets for their G Suite technology – looking at their design, and some adherents to that style, isn’t a bad place to start on your own transformation. 2019 will see the most successful websites mirror the most popular designs featured by manufacturers typically seen as ‘cool’ – so the likes of Apple, Samsung and Google. Generally speaking, the most successful and celebrated websites will have key features shared with the tech giants, who favor contemporary styles. In 2019 you should be considering a modern design when building your website.
Across the board optimization
Optimization is as important as ever. Jeremy Wagner, a Google developer, recently collated a number of studies to underline the importance and aid web developers form their priorities; of note was on particularly high-profile case British state-owned broadcaster the BBC found that they lost 10% of their users for every extra second of page load time. These figures are quite startling, and should put into perspective the need for seamless loading. Optimization doesn’t end with load times, however, and in 2019 it will be more important than ever to provide cross-platform and cross-technology compatibility. Perhaps the most important technology in this consideration is voice activation. Forbes contributor Gabriel Shaoolian notes that 30% of tech will be voice-activated by 2020, and search rankings are well aware. Your website should be optimized through use with voice searches, for example by deploying simple language meta tags.
Finding user-friendly advertising
Without any doubt, advertising is one of the key drivers online. Consumer mag Recode notes that internet advertising was bigger than any other one source of ads as of 2016, and has continued to grow exponentially. By 2020, companies will spend $273.82b on web advertising – that’s over $40bn more than TV alone. For any web page, it simply cannot be overlooked. When it comes to web design, finding a way to integrate adds in the least intrusive manner is critical. An overload of intrusive ads drives consumers towards ad block, removing income streams for all websites, and can drive users away entirely. According to consumer analysts Vieodesign, 63% of all consumers find the majority of ads unprofessional, and apply that to their view of the host website’s credibility. Make sure your ads are well integrated into design and non-intrusive.
Web design will keep growing through 2019 as more and more businesses go digital. Making a website truly great and attractive to potential visitors requires strengthening in three core areas. Do this, and you’ll be fit to grow for another year.