Whether you’re planning to launch a new website in 2015 or considering if your current site needs a revamp, it’s a good idea to take a look at the current web design trends.
Web design trends surface either because of new technology or because of the superior user experience they create. You certainly don’t have to follow the crowd on everything, and truthfully you’d drive yourself nuts if you tried.
At Social Light, we help our clients select and integrate trends in a way that makes sense for them. If you’re not already working with a web design team that keeps you current, here’s a practical approach to conquering the 2015 web design trends.
Top 2015 Web Design Trends
Start out by simply taking a look around. There are countless articles out there that list the top web design trends for the year. {Shout out to Coastal Creative Reprographics for the snazzy infographic!}
Applying Web Design Trends to Your Site
If you feel overwhelmed after reviewing the trends and are wondering how your small business is supposed to compete with the tech powerhouses you see in the examples, don’t sweat it. Use these three steps to find your way to modern website.
1.Figure out the story you have to tell
The thing that most of these trends have in common is that they emphasis building an emotional connection with your audience. Whether it’s bold images, videos or interactive elements these components work together to engage your audience in a way that text alone cannot.
Though you may not think of yourself as a story teller, you certainly have a message you want to communicate. Instead of merely thinking about it from a marketing perspective, think about why someone might care. How would you tell your grandmother about your company, so that she both understands and is interested?
When you start to think about your website from a different perspective you might be surprised at how your creativity starts flowing.
2. Plan before you build
Like anything else, a website without a plan can quickly turn into a hot mess. With the current emphasis on flat design, it seems that users are clamoring for simplicity. While you may not embrace the minimal, two-dimensional images of flat design, you can still learn from it’s easy of use.
Figure out how what’s the most important thing(s) to your website visitors and then make it easy to access.
You should always, always take the time to design your website before you start building it
It probably goes without saying that I highly recommend having the support of a profession that can help bring your vision to life. However, even if you’re the DIY type, you’ll save yourself many headaches if you lay things out ahead of time, rather than building on the fly.
3. Don’t reinvent the wheel
Some bloggers are still speaking to responsive design as a trend, but most aren’t bothering because if your site isn’t mobile-friendly in 2015 your business will suffer.
The good news is having a responsive site isn’t that hard in 2015. Nor is integrating web design trends like ghost buttons, card design or micro interactions.
Though you may not be a developer, there are a lot of them out there and many are contributing to WordPress by building themes and plugins that allow you to easily integrate the latest web design trends without hours of development.
Don’t be afraid to tap into existing resources, or to integrate new elements into your site to keep your company fresh and modern!
Nicole Krug is a marketing strategy consultant specializing in digital brand management, social media, web development and email marketing. Since founding Social Light in 2009, she has helped clients hone their digital marketing strategies to bring more exposure to their brands and boost their bottom lines.
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