The first website was launched in December 1990. Remember 1990? Paula Abdul’s “Opposites attract” was a top-ten hit, “Home Alone” was the most popular movie in America and you might have had a pair parachute trousers like your idol MC Hammer. Styles and tastes have changed over the past quarter century. Web design trends are constantly changing, just like fashion or culture. It can be hard for small business owners to keep up with these trends. Why bother to pay attention to web design? What are the benefits of web design? You’re not wearing parachute trousers anymore, are you, then?
Wix would argue that the web design of a company’s marketing is one of its most important elements. Why? Creating an intuitive, engaging experience for customers will increase your Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV). This is the predicted net profit for the future relationship between a company and a client. A happy customer is likely to lead to increased sales and new leads.
Wix is a web design company that has been around for more than ten years. Wix, founded in 2006, has more than 96 millions users of its small business platform. We constantly search the Internet to find the latest web design trend, and bring that information to our customers. We’ve compiled a list that includes trends for website design in 2017.
Background Videos
A website with moving backgrounds –
Many people say that a picture is better than a thousand written words. A video would be worth more than a thousand photos if that is the case. When either building or updating your website, consider adding videos. Well-constructed videos deliver meaningful content quickly. According to studies, users leave a website within 10-20 second after finding it. Many new businesses have videos in the background of their sites. Doing so delivers content to potential customers, lightening-fast.
Pro tip: The more subtle the background video is, the better. Moving images can sometimes be distracting – think of strobe lights, eek! Keep your video backgrounds visually appealing and simple.
Single-Page Websites
A website that scrolls down to the bottom, and then clicks the “back to top” option, repeating this process.
A single-page website is one that contains all the information needed by a user on a simple scrollable page. If you wanted to include an “About Us”, “Contact” or similar section on your site, you could place it directly below the fold, rather than creating a separate webpage for this information. A single-scroll page has many benefits, including ease of use. Users only need to scroll down the page to view all information. Businesses that want to display only the essentials, such as their business name, address and phone number, will benefit from single-page websites.
Pro tip: Include a “back to top” button when building a one-page website. Wix offers this option. This will allow visitors to navigate the site easily.
Animations
– A mobile site that opens and closes its menu –
Animations are a great tool to help tell a story. Wix makes it easy to add animated images, menus and text. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you should. Do not add animations because they are easy. Be sure to integrate the animations with the theme of your site. If you own a coffee shop, for example, place an image of a piping hot cup of coffee in the background. Immerse your users in the experience! The more memorable and appealing your website is, the more likely it will be that users return to it again or recommend it to friends.
When adding animations to your website, keep the visuals as subdued as possible. Avoid distracting from the main purpose of your site.
These trends will give your site the appearance and feel of modern websites. Design is only one aspect of your website. Visit the Blog to learn more about the many things you should consider when creating your website. WixSBDC.com has more information on Wix’s involvement with America’s SBDC Network.