We’ve seen a big uptick in interest in web design recently. With the recent lockdowns in New Zealand and a transition to doing business online, so many businesses have seen the need to expand their digital presence and improve their online marketing game.
With this in mind, what will 2021 and beyond hold for website design? We look at a few key trends and offer some tips for how to ensure your website is ahead of the curve.
Inclusive, accessible design will be the norm
One of the positive developments to come out of 2020 (and let’s face it, there weren’t many!) was a greater awareness of addressing inclusivity and accessibility. You may have noticed New Zealand Sign Language interpreters front and centre at Jacinda Ardern’s and Ashley Bloomfield’s daily 1pm briefings.
With the shift to a more digital landscape, it’s now crucial that businesses and organisations factor everyone into their website design, including those with disabilities that prevent them from accessing digital content in the usual way. We’re already seeing a lot of companies getting on board with this, and in 2021 you can expect to see:
- Clearer, simpler layouts that make websites easy to navigate.
- More contrast between text and background to make copy easier to read.
- Better organisation of content on a page, including bullet lists.
- More captions and transcripts for video content.
These things were already important, but in 2021 good web design agencies will be incorporating these things as core elements rather than just making them optional add-ons.
Responsive design will be more important than ever
Designing for mobile has been becoming ever more important as Kiwis turn to their smartphones as their device of choice for accessing the internet. While data from Stats NZ indicates that smartphone usage has been on the rise for years, the coronavirus has dramatically ramped this up, following global trends as more people work from home and access information throughout the day using their phones. This means that responsive design – ensuring your website provides a great user experiences on all devices – will no longer be a “nice to have” but a “must-have”. If your website looks great on desktop but still has some issues when viewed on mobile, it’s time to make some changes, because a large portion of your customers are going to be impacted, which could hurt your sales.
A rise in online payment integrations
Covid has sped up the shift to digital for many small businesses. As a result, many have been forced to get their websites in order so they can cater to more customers who want to be able to purchase and engage with them in the digital sphere. A lot of this was done quickly under a lot of pressure, but by now a lot of businesses have caught up and ironed out the kinks, really honing in on what makes a good online experience for customers purchasing products and services from their website.
Your site needs to be set up to cater for the number of visitors coming to it, and ensure it provides them with the experience they’re wanting. That might mean ensuring that your eCommerce components are set up properly and online payment integrations are working securely. It could mean switching to a new CMS platform that better caters for eCommerce web design needs – by changing from WooCommerce to Shopify, for example.
How can you prepare?
2020 left many people and business owners feeling unprepared and stressed, but it’s also been a huge learning curve and an opportunity for businesses to take steps to future-proof themselves. Getting on top of your web design now will mean you’ll be ready for an influx of visitors and be better able to meet their needs.
For help getting your website up to speed to meet the changing digital landscape, get in touch with our expert team.
