It’s pretty common to see articles highlighting the latest web design trends to consider for your website — and we’ve even talked about these trends a few times!
But while following current design best practices can be helpful, it isn’t always going to be the best idea for your own online presence. Just like in fashion, music, and so many other parts of life, web design trends are subject to change over time. If you get too wrapped up in constantly following trends, you could ultimately create a lot more work for yourself.
Are You Focusing on Flashy Design or the User Experience?
While an updated design can be exciting, all too often, website owners focus on aesthetics rather than the user experience. In the past, this has resulted in a wide variety of features that actually hurt the user experience, such as distracting animations or overly complicated layouts.
For example, auto-playing videos and other pop-ups may seem like a great way to get a message front and center, but pop-ups are overwhelmingly disliked and viewed as an undesirable interruption. Other design features, like parallax scrolling, can slow down your website and make it harder to use.
Before implementing any trending design feature, carefully consider how it will affect the end user experience. If it makes your website harder to use or navigate, it will probably do more harm than good.
Does the Design Reflect Your Brand Identity?
Your website should always serve as a reflection of your brand identity. A brand that prides itself on a fun and festive identity with bright colors is probably not going to be well suited for a minimalist web design with natural color tones. Such a design choice might be easy to navigate, but with such a different look, customers might think they’ve gone to the wrong website by mistake.
When adopting or considering new trends, consider how they align with your core brand identity and image. Your website should be aesthetically pleasing as well as easy to navigate, but those aesthetics should match the rest of your brand identity to create a seamless and consistent experience for your customers.
Does Your Website Look Live Everyone Else’s?
When a website design trend becomes pervasive, you may see a new problem arise: countless websites in the same industry that look more or less the same. Once a trend becomes overused, it can end up backfiring because your customers won’t be able to differentiate you from your competitors.
Because of this, it’s a good idea to look at multiple competitors in your niche when planning a design update. Identify what works well — and what doesn’t. Be mindful of trends that seem overused so you can find ways to stand out in a positive manner.
Keeping Up With the Right Trends
Keeping up with web design trends can be helpful for knowing what current audiences prefer. And many brands can revitalize their digital presence when they give their website a facelift!
However, you should always consider your brand identity, the user experience, and what your competitors are doing when deciding which trends to follow. By keeping these important elements in mind, you can ensure that your updated design stands the test of time, and that you won’t find yourself constantly trying to refresh your look.
