Five 2023 website trends: PLMR Genesis predictions 

Like most things in the digital landscape, web design tends to change. So, what will the web look like in 2023? No one can say for sure, but we can make some educated guesses.

As users land on your site, you don’t want them to bounce off immediately due to poor loading speeds, a difficult to navigate website and content that does not serve the customer’s intent. 

Fortunately, our web design service keeps up with all the latest website design trends to ensure that your website is always performing at its best, no matter what time consumers land on your site. Speak to our team today to discuss your requirements.  

 

Custom illustrations  

While we would  always advise using your own illustrations, graphics, and photos for brand consistency – it is now becoming more of a necessity to use your site visuals to set your brand apart in a busy online space. 

Distinct visual assets make a connection that’s stronger and more memorable than stock imagery. That is why we are seeing more custom illustrations which can really help users get a feel for your brand’s personality.  

 

Micro-interactions  

While micro-interactions might seem like minor details of a website, they are an important component of the user journey. Micro-interactions are animations that make everything on a site appear more natural and more alive. It’s more satisfying for a user to visit a dynamic digital environment, rather than a static interface. But don’t go over-board or you risk overcomplicating the user journey.  

A common example of a micro-interaction is seeing a link, or a button change colour when a user hovers over it, or a gradient slowly transitioning as you scroll further down a page.  

 

Thumb-friendly navigation 

While it is always key to have a responsive website design, it is now just as important to have a user-friendly journey on all devices including desktop, smartphone, and tablets.  

Many people opt to access your site on their phones with just a few clicks of the fingers. This is where the term ‘thumb-friendly navigation’ comes from. So, what exactly does it mean? Many of us use our phones with our fingers wrapped around the back supporting it and our thumb doing all the pressing and scrolling.  

Putting the navigation, menu, and call to actions in the space your thumb can reach (usually the centre of the screen) makes your site more comfortable to use and improves the user experience. 

Top tip! Ensure your website is using heat maps. They help you understand how your customers are interacting with your website, giving insight into where they’re looking, how far they’re scrolling, and which pages they enter, go to next and exit. This will help you to optimise your website according to your customers behaviour.  

 

Continuing the move away from busy websites 

It’s highly likely we will see the continuation of minimalist designs with clean lines and simple typography. In recent years, there has been more of a move away from busy, cluttered web designs towards a minimalistic style with a simple user journey. This switch shows the changing needs of consumers; in a fast-paced digital world, people are looking for ease of use and that means designs that are clean and easy to navigate.  

Frosted glass effects 

The frosted glass effect is used on websites already, typically seen in the background to give a soft wash of colour – it’s all about visual appeal. The trick to making this work is to blur out the background image or colours so much that the user doesn’t try to identify what the image is and instead provides a gets a pleasing background and readable text or another object layered over the top.    

 

From first impressions to delivering results, our web design, build, and management service ensures your website tells your businesses’ story whilst keeping your website users engaged and converted. Discover more on our website service offering today 

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