2022 is just behind the corner and one thing’s clear: more entrepreneurs will set up websites for their businesses. How do we know? Just watch the news. The economy reopened to a new era of business where commerce finally realized the Internet isn’t such a bad place to be.
The events of 2020 showed that if your business doesn’t have an online presence, it will become vulnerable to unforeseen, unprecedented events that seem unlikely to happen but still did.
The pandemic also shook the employment landscape.
While the unemployment rate in the U.S has improved, fewer Americans don’t want to return to work citing preferences for job security, more time with family, and their own work schedule as factors driving “The Great Resignation”.
More Americans discovered the possibility and viability of running an online business. Whether they are operating an eCommerce business or working as freelancers, having a website greatly improves their chances of success.
At Mountaintop, we’ve been getting more inquiries about personal websites, business websites, and eCommerce sites. Likewise, several of our clients have expressed interest in a redesign to accommodate changes in consumer behavior heading into 2022.
It was our interactions with clients and prospects that led us to write this article on web designs in 2022 that will help your business succeed.
Before the year ends, have a quick read-through of the 15 trends that we believe will influence website performance in 2022. Take note that the first 2 items on the list have to do with site functionality.
1. Speed, Speed, and More Speed
Web design isn’t just about its aesthetic appeal. Site functionality is an important component of web design because it influences User Experience. If your website looks good but doesn’t “feel good” to its user, he will click out.
40% of website visitors will abandon their search if it takes more than 4 seconds for the web page to load. In fact, nearly 50% of marketers would gladly remove videos, animation features, and high-resolution images if it would improve page loading time.
One of the most important rules of web design is to design for its user. People will have different perceptions of beauty and aesthetics but everyone wants a fast-loading website.
2. Better Website Security
As more people go online, the risk of being a victim of cyber-crime increases because there are more opportunities for these criminals to make money. Trust us when we say that consumers are wary of exploring websites that don’t have SSL certificates.
In fact, when it comes to ensuring the security of your website, the first place to look into is your web hosting provider.
The web host manages the servers that connect your website to the Internet. All of your assets will be stored on these servers. You have to be 100% confident that the web host provider you choose takes security seriously. Inadequate security protocols could open up your assets to the risk of being hacked and stolen by cybercriminals.
A study by Cybercrime Ventures revealed that cybercrime will grow by an average of 15% annually and will cost global businesses US$10.5 trillion in 2025. It doesn’t cost much to install and/or upgrade your website’s security protocols. To make life easier for you, have the experts manage site security for you while you sleep.
Many of our clients have signed up for our Extreme WordPress Care Plans. Our packages include regular backup of your site’s assets; 24/7 monitoring, auditing, and updating of installed programs and plugins, and conducting repairs and maintenance whenever the need arises.
Signing up for an Extreme WordPress Care plan is a small investment that pays out huge dividends for your business. Losing valuable assets to cyber-criminals including your customers’ personal information can shut down your business for good.
3. Greater Use of Elements That Express Fun, Positive Vibes, and Optimism
After the challenges and difficulties imposed by the pandemic, more people want to experience more positivity and optimism in the world – and that includes the Internet.
In business, you don’t have to wear a suit, tie, pressed slacks, and wingtips all the time. There are occasions when customers and clients actively engage more when you’re wearing a simple dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, casual pants, and loafers.
The same can be said about a website. A homepage that looks too formal or serious can be perceived as “unwelcome”, “dark”, and “boring”. Given the uncertainty of the times, it would be a good idea to perk up your website with the use of elements that express fun, positive vibes, and optimism.
And it’s not hard to do!
- Greet your site visitors with an image of a smiling face.
- Add funky-looking, offbeat shapes or accent the design with sassy, unconventional colors.
- Embed animation that can be seen as charming, winsome, and adorable.
Loosen up a bit and use design elements that make your website visitors feel good and happy.
4. Black and White Themes
The use of Black and White themes is almost the default on every annual article about website design trends. Black and white themes are simple, yet convey elegance and a sense of sophistication.
As web designers, our creative sensibilities are challenged and pushed to the boundaries because we cannot rely on color as an aesthetic element. We have to create designs that greatly contrast light and darkness – and the end result is always awesome!
Black and white themes also effectively define space, boundaries, and add substance to the design. There’s a lot of beauty in simplicity. You can’t go wrong with black and white themes.
5. Interactive Features
An interactive design keeps visitors more engaged on your website. The better the level of engagement the lower the bounce rate. In line with the preference for designs that express more fun and positivity, web designers have added features intended to charm and delight the audience.
A good example would be the use of interactive fonts. For sure, many of our readers have come across interactive fonts where the letters move whenever they hover the mouse over them.
The great thing about interactive fonts is that this feature can be created with a no-code platform. This means that the application software can be developed without the need for traditional programming. A simple graphical user interface and configuration will do.
6. Offset Elements
An offset element is a technique in web design where one component partially goes to the next section and overlaps. For web designers, incorporating offset elements allows us to expand the boundaries of creativity and explore the possibilities.
Parallax drawing which will be discussed later is a variation of using offset elements. Another offset element technique is called Variable Shadow Depths.
With the use of Variable Shadow Depths, the web designer manipulates certain components of light in order to add more substance and intensity to the image. Offset elements is another approach to giving web design a 3D feel.
7. Writing Inclusive Copy For An Inclusive Website
Publishing optimized content is great but this isn’t enough for your audience. Using programs that find the best keywords and test the quality of links is a smart idea but adding an intuitive element will take your content to the next level.
Writing inclusive copy means creating content that doesn’t leave anyone out. To do this requires the content writers to go beyond the usual practice of identifying demographics for the Audience Profile.
They have to study and develop a keen understanding of culture, identity, educational attainment, and most importantly, the needs of people with disabilities.
Making your website accessible to people with disabilities is important for 2022 in view of the provisions of the American Disabilities Act of 2010. If your website isn’t accessible to disabled people, you could face lawsuits and penalties.
You can read up more on how to make your website ADA compliant in our article “4 Ways To Check Website Accessibility”.
8. Simplified, One-Page Websites
One-page websites are becoming more popular because it makes exploration simpler, easier, and faster.
Visitors who land on one-page websites don’t have to worry about finding the menu bar. All they have to do is to scroll down and they’ll find all of the information they need.
Keep in mind that one-page websites work best when the purpose of the site isn’t complex. For example, a one-page website would be ideal for a personal blog but not for a business website with an e-commerce portal.
9. The Return of Art Deco
Art Deco is a form of art that was popular in the 1920s. The style is defined as an approach that combines the elements of the natural world with the innovations of the industrial age.
Think of the fashion, sense of style, and the prevailing decorations featured in “ The Great Gatsby” – the use of grey, black, white colors; emphasis on symmetry and balance, and simplicity.
You can see a good number of home page designs that showcase an image seemingly embossed with repetitive patterns that are symmetrical with each other.
Art Deco has become vogue once again because it presents a design that’s simple yet, elegant and sophisticated at the same time.
10. The Use of Larger and More Daring Font Styles
The use of larger and more daring font styles will be one of the most popular trends in web design in 2022 and beyond. Why?
First, they grab attention. While the font style will matter, the web designer can be more creative and step out of his comfort zone by experimenting with unconventional and daring font styles such as serifs.
Second, a larger and more daring font style can complement or augment web design. Your web copy becomes more than just information. It contributes to the aesthetic appeal of the website.
Third, the right font style and size can get your message across immediately. Your copy will be set up nicely even on small screen sizes such as for smartphones. The visitor will not have a hard time reading your content and will have a better experience on your website.
11. Parallax Drawing
Parallax drawing is a web design technique whereby the background moves slower than the foreground and produces a 3D-like impression. Some have described Parallax as a web design approach that creates an optical illusion.
The idea behind Parallax is based on the observation that the naked eye views objects closer to us as larger while those in the background appear to be active or moving.
Web designers use Parallax in order to add depth and dynamism to the website. The result is a more enthralling browsing experience that greatly increases audience engagement.
11. Gender-neutral Design
Web designers who are women and create websites for products catered to women such as beauty products tend to use elements that are associated with femininity.
Similarly, web designers who are men and create websites for products catered to men such as power tools tend to use elements that are associated with masculinity.
The reality is men spend money on skincare and hair products. Women buy power tools and don’t mind doing home repair work. The times haven’t really changed. It’s just that we’ve been brainwashed to think that preferences are limited by gender.
Pink is no longer associated by consumers with feminine products as images of fire and wolves are not just for products that are targeted at men. It comes down to which colors and images can deliver the message or the Unique Selling Proposition (USP) accurately.
While marketers still refer to the Color Wheel, notions about which color or image appeals more to which gender is no longer practiced. In 2022, design won’t be limited to gender-associated elements. The approach would be to design the website as gender-neutral.
13. Imageless Homepages
It used to be the norm that the homepage must contain an image. This is because the homepage is the primary landing page. If someone clicks on your URL, he will be redirected to the homepage.
Given that images elicit a reaction faster than text, it was almost a default decision to have an image embedded in the homepage.
Not anymore.
Creativity doesn’t want to be contained. There aren’t any hard rules on how a homepage should look to be effective.
As we mentioned in #5, interactive features can greatly enhance User Experience. Likewise in #10, the use of larger and more daring font styles can be equally effective. Instead of the usual high-resolution images, we can use colorful graphics, especially artwork that’s been customized for your website.
14. Split-Screen Design
Websites are incorporating split-screen designs to create more contrast between the elements. It’s a great way to break up design patterns and make them look more exciting and dynamic.
If you want the visitor to focus on a specific element of the design – such as an image, a color, or text – using the split-screen technique will do the trick. It’s an effective way of isolating a component of the design to create more interest.
15. Incorporating Large Footers
A footer is a design element that functions as a navigation tool for website visitors. They’ll show you where to fill out contact forms, find new products and services, or special offers.
Web designers also view a footer as a safety net – a last-second attempt to get the visitor interested in case he wasn’t enticed by the contents of the previous sections.
Thus, incorporating large footers in design can improve optimization and User Experience by making it easier for visitors to find what they are looking for. Also, it can give your search rankings a boost by encouraging visitors to stay longer on your website.
Conclusion
The last few years have been hard on everyone including business owners. It’s no surprise that trends in website design for 2022 have shifted toward embracing elements that highlight fun, optimism, and excitement.
The shift in design preferences reflects the mindset of consumers who desire brighter and better days ahead after a tumultuous 2020 and an unpredictable 2021.
Don’t get complacent about your current website design. It may not resonate with the generation of consumers who are getting ready for 2022. Give us a call and we’ll give you a free audit on your site.
And if you found this article helpful, feel free to share it with someone who’s planning to put up his/her own website.
