Having a website is a great move for your business. But the online world moves so fast that you can’t just leave your website to do its thing. It will become outdated faster than you might think. Staying aware of the latest trends and requirements for websites will help to keep you in touch. So, let’s look at some of the biggest web design trends for 2020.
You want all of your audience to be able to use your website, no matter who they are or what limitations they might have. This is why accessibility is so important online. Even if you haven’t prioritised this issue before, new laws brought in recently mean that it’s time to start.
Making your website accessible might include:
Public sector websites need to be made accessible by 23rd September 2020 and mobile applications must follow suit by 23 June 2021. You can read more about accessibility guidelines on Gov.uk.
We’re more aware than ever of the dangers of eye strain from staring at screens all day, not to mention what the blue light does to our sleep patterns. That’s why web design trends are moving towards a darker visual style. More websites are being designed with backgrounds that are black or dark shades of grey and blue. Some have this as the default design while others have the option to enable dark mode for users who prefer it.
As well as being practical, this kind of design looks good, too. The high contrast can make text and other elements really stand out on the page, helping you draw the user’s eye where you want it to go.
We used to rely on typing our queries into Google when we wanted answers. But now, increasingly often, we find ourselves asking our questions out loud to Siri or Alexa. As a result, the SEO strategies of our websites need to adjust to these new consumer habits.
You should consider the way people actually speak when choosing your on-site keywords to help you match better with voice searches. So, longer phrases and questions are likely to do better than single keywords and short phrases. Voice search is also making SERPs much more competitive since a smart assistant like Alexa will simply deliver the top result rather than the user being able to scroll through their options.
It’s not just a gaming trend; augmented reality (AR) is being used to great effect in marketing, too. This technology is best suited to mobile sites and apps, but can also be used on desktop sites. Using a camera, AR takes your location and maps graphics over your real-life surroundings, whether those graphics show Pikachu in Pokémon Go or a cat’s face in Snapchat.
AR can particularly be useful for brands in the fashion and design industries. Online customers can see how an outfit will look on them before ordering it, or see how that new sofa will look in their living room. This can eliminate indecisiveness and help to improve conversion rates for these businesses.
What updates does your website need in 2020? We can help you with all your web design needs to keep your brand on track this year and up-to-date with the latest web design trends.