The start of a new year is a time for reflection and self-improvement — and not just in your personal life! When it comes to your business, few things can be more important than your website. As such, the start of the new year is a good time to reassess whether your website could benefit from a facelift that makes it more appealing to potential customers.
With that in mind, here’s a closer look at some of the web design trends that are poised to shape 2023.
1. Accessibility
Inclusivity and accessibility in web design have become more important than ever. In 2023, your website should be usable for everyone who wants to access it, even if they have visual impairments or other disabilities.
WordPress offers several accessibility plugins, such as WP Accessibility and accessiBe, that can help you make needed changes so your site is accessible for all. Smaller businesses may even be able to qualify for tax credits to cover the costs of making their website more accessible.
2. Bold Typography
From a visual perspective, bold typography paired with a minimalist design has become the go-to style for many websites. Bold, custom fonts can be just as eye-catching as unique imagery, helping to draw attention to the most important features of your web page. Using these stylish fonts as “headlines,” so to speak, should still be done sparingly to keep the page from feeling too cluttered.
It is also worth noting that serif fonts are becoming more popular in web design thanks to higher-resolution devices (and larger phone screens) making them easier to read. Though these are starting to make a comeback, you should still stick with relatively simple serif fonts or sans-serif fonts to ensure your content is fully legible.
3. Blur Effects
Blur effects are another way to emphasize the “most important” content on your website, while still creating a visually interesting design. Essentially, the idea is that “background” imagery is slightly blurred, allowing the primary area of focus to be “highlighted.” Blur effects are usually done for images and color gradients — not text. Blur can add a greater sense of depth to your web page, though overusing this effect could become a distraction if you’re not careful.
4. Chatbot Integration
No matter how you feel about artificial intelligence tools, it is clear they are here to stay. As chatbots have become more advanced, they are also increasingly being incorporated into small business websites to provide 24/7 support that also frees up your own customer service team for more complex interactions. A variety of WordPress chatbots are available to handle basic customer questions and requests.
Chatbots should have a simple, unobtrusive design, particularly for when a visitor doesn’t need to use one. Making the chatbot easy to minimize — though still easy to find if a visitor needs to use it later — will ensure that this tool doesn’t become a visual eyesore.
What Will You Use?
Some of these web design trends are more functional; others primarily focus on how your website looks to visitors. Regardless, paying attention to the trends that are affecting how people use the web is essential if you want to make the most of your website. By incorporating these and other useful updates to your website, you can make it more appealing for 2023 and beyond.
