What does the term “web design trends” make you think about? Does it bring up pictures in your mind of short-lived and poorly planned ideas? If so, think again. While not every web design trend will work for your Indiana small business, there are many that can add to the value of your website. In fact, some of them are absolutely essential if you are going to succeed online. So, before you reject a website redesign outright, consider the following web design trends:
Responsiveness
No matter what size your business is, a responsive web design can help you succeed online. Responsive web design means a web design that adapts to the device your visitor is using. For instance, a responsive website will have a different layout, different images, and a different navigation bar when it shows up on a desktop computer than when it shows up on a smart phone. The goal is to make your website easy to use on every device.
A responsive website is just as important to your Indiana small business as to a national corporation because it affects how visible your business is in the search results. For instance, Google will place your website further down in the search results (making it less visible) if you do not have a mobile ready web design, but will make your website more visible in the search results if you do have a mobile ready site.
Plus, a responsive web design makes it much easier for people to use your site. You won't lose customers because they can't navigate your site on their smart phones. Since Indiana small businesses like yours depend on local customers (who usually use smart phones to find businesses in their area), a responsive web design will help you reach more customers.
Create a flat look.
As a local Indiana business, many of your customers are going to be people who conduct local searches on their smart phones. As a result, you should embrace design elements that make your website a snap to use on mobile devices (like smart phones and tablets). One of the best web design trends for Indiana small businesses like yours, then, is the flat design. This design minimizes shadows, textures, and 3D elements. While the look is simpler, it makes your website load much faster on mobile devices. Plus, a flat look adds to a website's responsiveness and makes it easier to read and use.
Implement long-scrolling pages.
Scrolling is a very important part of web design nowadays, because it is the easiest way to read content if you are on a mobile device. Clicking on buttons to get to another page tends to be frustrating on smaller screens, and often takes longer (because you have to zoom in to see which button to click). Now that more online searches happen through mobile devices instead of through desktop computers, it is important to create a website that is easy to use just by scrolling.
The solution is to create long-scrolling pages. These are long web pages that can be read simply by scrolling down. There are a couple of different styles you can use on a long-scrolling page, and lots of options for organizing your content. We here at Distinct Web Design would love to help you display your central Indiana small business in the best possible light using long-scrolling web pages
Use customized images
When you are walking through a store, what makes something stand out to you? Often, it is an unusual image or a bold design that catches your attention. Websites are the same way. Stock photography can make your website look like every other website out there. Instead, you want to create a look that lets people know immediately that you are different (and better) than your competition. That is why using customized images (such as illustrations) can make you more successful online: They help you to stand out, to show what makes your Indiana small business unique and worth supporting.
Tell a story.
As a small business in West Central Indiana, you have a unique story to tell. It is that story that defines your brand, that makes you who you are as a company. It is also that story that is going to make people want to visit your store and buy from you online. That is why your website should tell your story. Make your site about more than just giving people facts. Make it about capturing the beautiful, exciting, one-of-a-kind experience that is your small business.
Hamburger Menus
Have you ever used the little box in the right hand corner of your screen to see more navigation options on a website? That icon is called a hamburger menu. It started out as an addition to mobile websites, but now it appears on almost every website, on every type of device. The reason? It is a great way to make the different pages on your website easy to find without cluttering up your navigation bar. Use it to make your website easier to access with the click of a button.
Card Layouts
One of the biggest web design trends is the card layout. This trend began on Pinterest and is now used on many websites to make lots of information easy to see at once. As a small Indiana business, you may not have a huge number of pages on your website, but you may want to highlight lots of your products and services. Plus, you may want people to be able to see what you have to offer without having to navigate through a lot of pages, particularly if you want to reach local customers who will most likely be entering your website through mobile devices. The best way to do so might be to use a card layout that quickly highlights your most important information on a single page.
Bold Fonts
Finally, bold fonts are becoming more and more common in web design. The reason is that these fonts help to make your business stand out from the competition. Big, bright, beautiful writing on your website can complement customized images to create a look that is unmatched anywhere else on the Internet. And that is the look you want, because your small business is also one of a kind.
Small businesses can benefit from web design trends just as much as large, or even national, companies can. Trends like long-scrolling pages, customized images, bold fonts, and card layouts can help you make your website look as unique as your business. Here at Distinct Consulting, we want to help small Indiana businesses like yours to develop an effective online presence. Contact us today about how we can use some of these web design trends to help your small business thrive.
