So you had your new website designed or your old one redone last year or the year before and you believe you are good for the next two years. You are not, at least according to web design statistics from 2015 and the trends being seen so far in 2016.
The fact is that digital marketing has been evolving very fast and this includes web design. This means that what worked very well not so long ago is now outdated and ineffective. An example is the fact that sliders are no longer efficient for driving clicks. To be precise, 1% of all those who visited websites clicked on a five-feature slider and 89% of this small group clicked on the first image. If you still use sliders to bring in clicks on your website, you’ll have noticed that they no longer work like they did, which means it’s definitely time for a change.
Another change is that the static content on your website is increasingly important. According to 45% of marketers, the most important content on a website is the written content. Designing a website should not be started before the static content is sorted out. When it’s done, then you can think about the photos, videos and/or animation to support written text. It was the opinion of 65% of experienced, senior marketers that videos, photos, illustrations and infographics are very important in the way a brand story is put across.
In regard to images, stock photos no longer cut it. Today, users respond to custom images which marketers project will be a big part of marketing strategy in 2016. Even as more and more stock images are uploaded, it is custom images that users will be drawn to and respond to.
Another adjustment that web designers have to make is to ensure that pages are not too heavy. A survey found that 40% of users will abandon a page that doesn’t open in three seconds or less. This is a factor that has contributed to sliders losing their appeal; they reduce the speed at which pages open. In 2016, pages that have too many scripts, sliders and other features will be a thing of the past.
Stand out
With all the developments of web design, it’s possible to create a website that is unique, attractive and very effective for communicating the story of your brand, business or your cause.
