Small Business Website Design Trends
Having a professional, well-manicured website is important for all businesses both small and large. Even small businesses can find many benefits from having a working website that is not reserved for the big players! As a small business, having your own website will help improve your professionalism and credibility, will increase your customer reach and provides cost-effective marketing, especially when your website utilizes blogs. To have an effective website, there are a variety of different elements to take into account, which is why today, we are going to look at the top 5 small business website design trends for 2021!
Mobile Friendly
In our modern environment, almost everybody has a smartphone and are always connected. Gone are the days of sitting in front of a desktop computer, the world and all of it’s known information is available at your fingertips! This is important for small businesses to remember, as many customers will be accessing your website through a mobile device! When building your website, it is important to take this into account as you will want to provide an enjoyable experience for your users on multiple devices. The shrunk downsize of a smartphone can reek havoc on your website’s design and functionality. Research shows that for most businesses, approximately 90% of website traffic comes from mobile devices! With their small screens and touch-based navigation, your website design must be mobile friendly! Having a mobile-friendly design will also ensure that loading times and functionality stays at an optimal level which will also improve your Google ranking, which is important for ensuring your website stays on the first page of Google search results.
Gradient Colour Schemes
It is normally best practice to avoid using gradients when doing logo design, but when it comes to website design the same can not be said! More and more we are seeing businesses use gradient colour schemes throughout their website to add additional visual appeal and texture. Most designs using simple colour gradients can become dull and uninteresting, but by simply using a colour gradient, you can easily add life and character to your design. We are seeing this trend not only in website design, but also in print and digital advertising as well. Colours like orange and yellow or red and blue create highly detailed gradients while still looking clean and professional. Using gradient colour schemes adds visual value to the user experience while capturing their attention more easily.
Parallax Scroll Animations
Parallax scroll animations sounds like a confusing, and hard to achieve design, but the reality is most developer programs can add this special effect with the simple click of a checkbox. While you may have never heard the name of this effect, it is likely you have experienced it as this trend is becoming extremely popular due to its attractiveness and ability to enhance the experience on your site. Parallax scroll animations is the effect added to photos and animations so that when you scroll over them, the photo or animation moves to further reveal the rest of itself or its movements. This special effect adds depth and movement to your design that captures the viewers attention and adds a level of visual interest. When using parallax animations, it is important to not let the animation distract users from important information or makes it difficult for them to complete a task. This website for a video game called Firewatch is an extremely attractive and creative way of using parallax scroll animation on their homepage, while this is a more complicated version, the effect can be made much simpler than this!
Video Banners
When you first open any website, what is normally the first thing you see? That is right, the banner. Most websites use static images for their opening banner, sometimes using a level of parallax scroll animation. A trend that is becoming more popular now is using videos in the initial banner instead of photos. Videos do a better job at capturing the viewers attention as it adds life and character to the website. For many businesses, such as landscaping, property management and golf courses, using professional drone fly-over footage is becoming popular to showcase their work and scenery. Such videos showcase the businesses capabilities and offerings better then photographs which leave more room for interpretation. Most often, videos are better at storytelling then images which adds an additional level of appeal and personality to your business.
Custom Illustrations
Using custom illustrations and graphics often requires a graphic designer, however the results can be fantastic compared to using stock graphics that can potentially be found on many other sites. Using custom illustrations and graphics allows you to create the exact design you want for your website without being limited by stock graphic availability. Many times, we have seen people have to change the structure of their website because they were unable to find that perfect illustration or graphic, and having these custom made completely solves this potential problem! Having well-designed graphic elements will reinforce your brand and showcase you and your work in a stylish and professional way. These custom graphics help to unify your brand image throughout your website and keeps your audience engaged!
Your Business Is Worth It!
Every business both big and small deserves a professional and attractive website! From reaching customers to acting as a 24/7 marketing platform, a website is a critical part of every business’s foundation and identity but is often overlooked by smaller businesses. New Heritage is here to help you set your business apart and give your business the amazing marketing it deserves! Contact us today to explore your business’s marketing potential!
