One of the standout positives of last year amongst the turbulence that was 2020, was the success of eCommerce and online business sectors. As most of us sat at home, twiddling our thumbs and asking ourselves what we could buy next. The businesses who had invested in their online presence and web design found their rewards.
Taking online success into account, let’s talk about what web trends we expect to see in 2021. If you are looking at building a new website, freshening up your existing one, or preparing yourself for what the web has in store, this blog is for you!
Better User Experience (UX)
Think back only a few years, we would frequently come across businesses who had no online presence whatsoever. To think of it now, it seems like madness. Post-2020, not only owning a website but also actively focusing its use on the user is going to be a given. In 2021 we expect to see fewer data-heavy, text-based sites and more immersive web design. The kind where you don’t even have to think about where something is, it’s easy.
2020 was the fuel on the fire of the digital takeover. 2021 should be something businesses are relatively prepared for. If you’re reading this and you think you’re not, it’s time to get up to speed.
Physical retail dropped by over 50% last year whilst online retail grew by 20%. So prepare for battle with every other company you compete with. To do so, your website should be incredibly user friendly, it should have built-in enhancements that make the customer feel like they are a part of something special. Most of all, make sure it’s fast! Slow loading times lead to a momentous drop off of customers. Think fast, load fast and sell fast.
Calming web design
If we called 2020 the year of external stressors most would instantly agree. As the world recovers, it’s the time for calming and efficient web design. We fully expect websites to be far more simplistic in 2021. With calming blues, greens and a whole palette of neutrals. The same goes for the imagery used, it will be earthy, honest and invigorating. Now is not the time for over-complicated web design, it’s just not what the world needs.
Consider the severity of the last year and the knock-on effect it will have on the coming years. The stress of 2020 will be felt for some time, so while we can, let’s give our customers the opportunity to breathe. Emptiness, vast white spaces across websites will be encouraged and this trend will roll on for quite some time we think.
Data visualisation
If your business operates in a data-driven sector, the trends of 2021 might be for you. With the vast amount of scientific data we were spoon-fed in 2020, it’s become something we’re familiar with. Familiarity feels safe, so prepare your data visualisation team, and feature the information on your website, not just your monthly analysis.
Tailor your data to be happiness driven, including the number of people who have contributed to your project, or the number of donations to charity via purchases of your product. Twinning sector-specific data visualisation with positive information and calming colour schemes is a massive tick in the 2021 trend box.
Enhanced product aesthetic
The big problem with online retail. As fans of the high street, we know when we head into Homesense, that we can not only see the exact colour of the cushions we want to buy, but we can also hold and feel them, which in many cases leads us to purchase. Online retail falls down when it comes to appreciating the full aesthetic of a product. If we don’t know what the t-shirt we have been wanting feels and looks like on, are we going to buy it? Honestly, it’s likely we will, because we love new t-shirts, however, that chance is massively increased when the product is tangible.
To solve this issue in 2021 we expect vast amounts of effort to be placed into product photography. Websites will begin to integrate 360-degree views of their products in a 3D format. Meaning that each potential customer can fully immerse themselves in the product. This type of photography also adds to the user experience of a website, so it’s on-trend too!
As innovative and thought-provoking designers we always aim to find a way of putting our client’s businesses in front of as many people as possible, driving sales and creating success stories along the way.
If anything you have read above interests you and you want to see what we could do for your business. Send a message, we can’t wait to hear from you. Have a brilliant Christmas and let’s get excited for 2021.
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