With 2014 now officially here, it\’s that time of the year again where we take a look at what\’s gone by in recent times and what\’s set to happen in the coming months – and today we want to do just that with web design.
As anyone who\’s involved in web design will know, things have changed almost continually over the years. At the time, it may not seem as though the changes are major or considerable, but when you compare a website from 2013 to one from just a few years previous, you begin to see just how far web design principles have come.
And the below three points are just a selection of the key components any modern day website should have.
1. Mobile responsive
There\’s no getting around the fact we\’re using mobile more and more to surf the web. As such, you need to be confident as a company that your website is displaying as best as it can do on as many mobile platforms as possible. If it\’s not, you run the risk of delivering a poor mobile experience and whilst some customers may continue shopping with you, many more will simply move to a competitor – and never look back.
2. Easy access to all content
There\’s no doubt that websites can be extensive. Look at the likes of Amazon.co.uk – there are thousands upon thousands (upon thousands!) of pages. What makes Amazon work, however, is that you don\’t feel as though there are a considerable number of pages, as you can get to the content you\’re looking for quickly and easily.
But unfortunately, it\’s this that many people overlook when it comes to web design today.
When someone lands on your website, it\’s highly likely they already have an idea of what they\’re looking for and chances are, they\’re not interested in everything you have on offer (even if you only have a handful of pages). Due to this reason, you need to ensure your website is designed in such a way that whatever your visitors are looking for, they\’re able to find it quickly and easily – and if they don\’t, once again, they could soon be shopping with a competitor.
3. User-focused
The reason the above is so important is that today, the customer experience is a vital part of all digital activity and if you\’re not satisfying your audience, you\’re not going to get return visitors and only limited conversions.
More than ever your website needs to be as user-focused as possible. It needs to be easy to use and attractive; engaging and interactive. Your visitors must not simply land on your website and go through a certain process \’because they have to\’, but because they want to. A website experience should be an enjoyable one and if it isn\’t, you\’re going to struggle to see any on-going growth.
We don\’t have to say that a website is necessary for any organisation today – there are very few people who wouldn\’t agree with this already!
But what we do have to say is that web design principles change. What was vital even just a couple of years ago may not even need to be a consideration today and simply put, in 2014, you have to feel confident that the website you publish not only looks good, but completely and utterly satisfies your visitors\’ needs.