7 Web design trends and predictions for 2019

Staying updated about web design trends is very crucial. The latest norm today may change tomorrow with shifting algorithms, captivating visuals and introduction of best practices. Remaining on top by frequently reforming your website is thus quintessential to avoid looking like a reminiscent of an outdated website.

2019 will be all about engaging website designs focusing on flat designs, captivating structures & layouts, speed, mobile performance and so on.

Here are 7 web design predictions which we think will be trending in 2019

#1 Website speed

You would have come across this pivotal aspect of web design. It is strongly recommended for the loading time of websites to be necessarily less than three seconds to have a lasting impact on visitors. Having your visitors waiting for more than this duration would result in a high bounce rate.

Based on a survey by Aberdeen Group, 5% of organizations found that website visitors abandoned their website in a second of delay.

Enthralling website design with overloaded data slowing your page speed could eat up on your revenue in a huge way. Google Speed updates which came into effect from July 2018 emphasize the need to focus on the page loading time. Moreover, Google prioritizes and ranks faster loading websites.

Though the need for videos and images still exists in web design, the need in 2019 will be to reduce the page loading time without compromising on the look of the website.

#2 Mobile first phenomenon

With user preferences inclined greatly towards mobile devices, the need for the “mobile first” web design has become the need of the hour. This is not only to rank higher on SERP but also to boost the quality of customer experiences on the device. Websites need to be exclusively designed for mobile devices in the first place. The mobile first web design is a completely focused conceptualization of the website on mobile taking into consideration parameters like a responsive and user-friendly design. Again, 2019 will need more of optimization inclined towards voice search. Users are impatient to get hold of information in the fastest way possible. Voice search on mobile will include:

• Focusing on long tail keywords, conversational and natural spoken language.
• Appropriate usage of schema metadata
• Emphasize on semantics
• Optimization based on local listing

This is yet another unmissable trend of 2019.

#3 Flat designs

Clutter-free, focused websites have always been in demand. Flat design is all about minimalism and improved usability. This kind of design helps to focus on the important parts of the website using bright colors, clean-edged designs and a lot of free space.

There are two reasons for website owners to opt for flat designs in 2019. They contain lesser components which are data-light, and are fast- loading, improving the website speed and optimization quotient. Also, it enhances customer experience with a quick loading website on both the mobile and desktop versions. So by adapting to flat designs, websites can stay back longer on user favorite lists, in turn, churning out elevated conversion rates.

#4 Micro-animations

Micro animations may seem like minute features on a webpage but they do add great value. A color change when you click the submit button conveys that the action has been performed. An enlarged list when you point the mouse on a particular product makes your presence felt. Such animations communicate to the user about actions accomplished. Again, visuals are always captivating, be it a background video or a micro animation. Such micro animations do impact by creating a visual hierarchy and compelling users towards conversion points. So micro animations are definitely here to stay back in 2019.

#5 Chatbots

Chatbots have become much more common as they help bridge communication gaps. This is because these chatbots have emerged smarter with improved Artificial Intelligence and machine learning techniques. They can improve response time, personalize communication and automate repetitive tasks. Chatbots understand our data based on previous chat history, predict what we might be looking for and give us auto recommendations about products. Chatbots can sense our interest and provide us with personalized ad content thereby enhancing customer satisfaction.

Chatbots serve as crucial touch points. They can intelligently handle customer service while collecting sensitive customer data for the sales team. This way you can analyze your customer base even before initiating a first cut discussion with them. 2019 will be a year which will see many more such interactions being incorporated in websites.

#6 Single page designs

Simple, clutter-free and single page design is going to be a buzzword of 2019. When we say single page design it literally means a single page without extra links leading to blogs or detailed services. The next question would be about SEO optimization based on keywords and content. To begin with, a single page designed websites have a neatly siloed hierarchy. As they do not have aspects that slow down your website, they are easily compatible across devices. The page-less design has minimal HTML and JavaScript which improves customer experience, in turn, helping to earn a higher keyword ranking on SEO.

Also, with way lesser elements on the page, they can be managed easily. Frequent updates and changes based on customer expectations and trends can be done at regular intervals adding greater value to the website. This is yet another aspect to watch in 2019.

#7 Shapes incorporated

Incorporating simple geometric shapes on your website could do wonders with its appearance. They are easily loadable and are also engaging. Shapes are similar to colors which throw an impact on the mood of the visitors. Rectangles showcase stability, circles represent unity and triangles are supposed to reflect dynamism. Using shapes based on your aesthetic sense either sparingly or liberally can definitely catch the attention of your visitors. You could place them in areas you want to seek attention and create a visual hierarchy. Implementing geometric shapes on your website will drive traffic and affect your potential sales in a huge way.

Staying on top of the competition is all about presenting fresh ideas without compromising on the quality of services and user experience. Emerge as a pacesetter on par with upcoming trends and differentiate your services in the current milieu to reap maximum benefits.

Author Bio

Swetha S. is adept at creating customer-centered marketing strategies focused on augmenting brand presence. She is currently the Digital Marketing Manager for eGrove Systems and Elite Site optimizer, contributing towards the success of the organization.