According to a 2015 survey, almost 80% of online consumers agree that a website makes your business seem more credible.
As our world becomes more and more reliant on the internet, that figure has undoubtedly gone up since then.
With so many small businesses now having websites, creating one that stands out is key to ensuring customers stay on your site. And, of course, with more site time comes more leads.
So, how can you make sure that your small business stands out? For a small business in Yorkville, website design services may be the answer. Here are some top design trends to consider with your service provider.
Color & Accessibility
In recent years, web accessibility has taken center stage in web design. Making sure that your website is easily readable and understandable by any audience is an essential part of growing your online presence.
To keep up with current standards, here are some tips to consider to make sure your website is accessible:
- Include alternate text on all images, or mark them as decorative where appropriate
- Use headings properly to ensure that screen readers can understand your web layout
- Make sure that all content can be accessed with only the keyboard
You might be wondering: what does design have to do with this? Keeping accessibility central to your website from design through development means that you won’t need to make any modifications or sacrifice design to ensure accessibility.
Color is another crucial area where design and accessibility connect. Select the color palette for your website so that individuals with vision impairment can still appreciate the design.
To do this, make sure that there is always enough contrast between the foreground and the background. You should also check your design to ensure that it still flows when viewed by individuals with colorblindness. You can always use this simulator to test your design.
Dark Mode Compatibility
At this time, most operating systems now offer native dark mode support, and many apps are starting to follow suit. For a modern website design, consider giving site visitors the ability to switch between a light and dark version of your site.
Depending on the style of your page, you can do this in a few different ways. You might consider a toggle icon in the top corner of your site. If you are using a non-traditional navigation system, visitors might also look for a switch in the footer.
Some web browsers now include the ability to automatically switch pages to a dark version. There is still a benefit to designing a dark mode yourself: it keeps you in control.
When a browser switches to dark mode, it overrides the style of your page. It may set the background to black or a dark gray and convert all text to white. Although this works well enough, it may disrupt the design of your page.
For example, if you have a dark accent color, switching your page to a black background might result in conflicting colors and low contrast.
Animated Flairs
When you press a button on a website, you likely expect some sort of feedback to confirm that your action went through. You might also see buttons change color as you move your cursor over them. This is known as a hover state.
Many websites include additional small animations as visitors move through their site to push this trend forward. This can consist of icons appearing or hiding as users scroll or other subtle flairs.
These micro-interactions make your website feel dynamic in a way that won’t seem unprofessional or unnecessary to your visitors. They keep the page exciting without taking away from the overall design.
Although they may seem tiny, these flairs require considerable expertise to implement them well. If you’re using a WordPress site, you’ll likely need some coding on the backend.
Nexsulting is a WordPress developer in Yorkville IL, and we’re here to help with that. Schedule a consultation to see how we can make this work for your brand.
Innovative Typography
The last thing a customer wants to see on a company website is a wall of text. To find the balance between keeping customers visually engaged and sharing information, you’ll need to be creative with your text.
A great mindset would be to consider text as a last resort. Start by making a list of all the information you would like to get across to a website visitor. It can be as long as you need, but make sure you don’t miss anything.
Then, for each item, ask yourself: How can you make someone understand this without using written words? The more creative your answer is, the more freedom you have in your website design.
Consider embedding moving graphics, videos, or even sound! For items that do require text, think about exciting ways to present them. This could be anything from a carefully selected typeface to modifying the entire shape of your paragraphs.
Go Minimal
We all know the saying that less is more. In web design, brands are starting to recognize the power of minimalism and the intentional use of whitespace. To keep your web design ahead of the curve, you should too.
A minimalist website will draw attention to individual elements of your design without overwhelming a visitor. It fits in with users’ desire to get through info quickly and showcases your design skills.
To quote Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, “perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”
Work with the Best in Yorkville for Website Design
Hopefully, these ideas have left you with some inspiration for your small business’ own webpage. As you’re thinking through these ideas, we’d love to be a part of the conversation.
Nextsulting is a company of innovators in Yorkville for Website Design, and we’re excited to use WordPress to take your brand to the next level. When you’re ready to get started, let’s chat.