Out of all the websites being made throughout the year, certain trends have started appearing in the vast majority of them. These trends are reflective of the cultures and thus creating interfaces that are a little bit more real world and user friendly. Because of this, sites that follow the trends are more than likely getting more traffic and better conversion rates. As with anything, clothing, music, movies etc. You can take a quick look and almost instantly be able to tell what era that was created in. Websites are not different. Modern websites are beginning to have a certain look and feel. Older websites still have their merit, however their look and functionality is starting to become more antiquated by the day.
Below are 5 top web design trends for 2013.
Large background photos
Although large background images are not in all major or frequently visited sites, the popularity cannot be ignored. Website Designers are using large, blown out, photography for their backgrounds. If done well, this looks very nice. However, if you have a trained eye for photography you can see that most of these pictures are very strategic. These websites are designed to capture the eye before visitors bounce somewhere else. Other factors like “leading lines” or even eye catching color are used to draw attention to certain parts of the site. A cleaver move, that ultimately helps give visitors the next call to action.
Website with a large background Image
High graphic to content ratio
I don’t think it’s any secret that the youth of today read less content and gravitate towards graphics and pictures.
“I like that ad with no pictures!” … said no one ever.
There will always be those who value the benefits of well written content. However, designers and text geeks alike at some point succumb to the culture of today. This is not a bad thing necessarily. The point here is to not bombard people with dictionaries of information. This is especially when the point can be hammered down with a well-placed graphic or picture.
No unnecessary content
Web sites are starting to become very clean, they’re taking out all the junk food! When you visit a website that has too many things going on the first inclination you have is to leave. It really feels like people are starting to learn that less is more with web design. You don’t want to give people thousands of different options when they visit your site, and frankly they do not want that anyways. You will have far higher returns and visitor satisfaction with your site if you simply remember the old acronym K.I.S.S (Keep It Simple Stupid).
Minimalistic Design
With all the tidying up we are seeing online, what we would once call “basic” we are now calling “standard”. There is nothing wrong with the straight forward, “here’s who we are, here’s what we do, and talk to us.” We live in a fast paced world where people expect answers and solutions immediately. Your visitors do not want to look around to find what they are looking for, and sometimes if you scream that answer they still might not hear it.
Website with a Simple Layout
User Friendly Navigation
The final golden star goes to the websites that have very easy navigation. Navigation has to be easy to find, and even easier to use. Being able to find what you need with only 2 or 3 clicks rather than 20 clicks goes a long way with customer satisfaction. Remember over twenty percent of all visits online are now mobile. Something easy to navigate and use is a must.
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