Although 2017 seems to have flown by, you can’t afford to waste any time wondering how 2018 is already just around the corner. Instead, now is the perfect time to look ahead and consider how you might incorporate some of the hottest emerging trends into your online presence to boost your engagement and ensure your year gets off to the best possible start.
It’s All About Mobile
Mobile browsing has been consistently increasing for several years, and this growth isn’t going to slow down any time soon. With Google set to roll out its brand new Mobile First Index at the beginning of 2018, if you want to be seen in search engine results pages, it is now more important than ever to make sure that your website is mobile-friendly.
You might also want to consider whether Accelerated Mobile Pages will provide your website with the boost it needs going into the new year. If delivering a premium mobile experience is at the top of your list for the coming 12 months, it is likely to be worth consulting your design team to ensure you are outperforming your competitors in this key area.
Authenticity and Personalisation
Audiences are turning to the internet to escape many of the traditional approaches mainstream and print media have chosen to take. When browsing websites, audiences are looking for authenticity and a way to connect in a meaningful way with the information being presented to them.
Authenticity is not something you should have to try hard to achieve. In fact, it is something that will come naturally through working with a professional design team such as, for example, a web design agency in East London who will spend time understanding the core values of your company before beginning the design process. Experienced teams will always value the importance and power of personalised design, choosing unique design features and imagery over generic alternatives that won’t ever be able to accurately reflect your brand in an authentic way.
Seamless Video Integration
An inherently engaging medium, well-produced and relevant video content can have a hugely positive effect on a variety of key metrics. Seamless integration of video content into homepage design is often tricky to perfect, but the rewards more than outweigh the effort involved. You only have a few seconds to capture the attention of every visitor to your website, and video can be the ideal tool to set your business apart for all the right reasons.
Colour and Shape
Minimalism has featured strongly in modern web design for several years, and although a penchant for plenty of white space certainly isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, we are beginning to see a surge towards experimenting with colour, shape and bespoke fonts.
Fonts, shapes and colours can be as engaging as imagery, with the added benefit that they are quick to load and will contribute positively to the overall performance of your website. 2018 is shaping up to be the year of utilising colour to provide your audience with an enjoyable user experience that will ensure the memorability of your business.