9 Web Design Trends To Expect in 2014

If you have been considering a new website for your online business then now is the time. With all of the new technologies and trends that 2014 is bringing your websites will be transformed into a cutting edge design. Even though you may think that all web design companies will be educated on the new trends and new designs it is not true. So before you go out and select a web design company to complete your new and updated design you should first know exactly how you want your new website to look. That way when you interview web design companies you can make sure they are familiar with the type of technology that it is going to take to build your new website. Let’s take a look at some of the new cutting-edge trends in the web design world.

1. Non Boring Typography – A new trend in web design is that designers are beginning to use fonts that stand out on their own. The old way of thinking is that you should use common font types such as Sarif or Helvetica. Most web sites are still using this type of typography but it is changing. More and more websites are using unique typography that really makes their text areas stand out.
2. Hero Areas Taking Over Sliders – You may not have heard of a Hero Area before. It is simply an image that is on the top of a page usually where the slider would normally be located. This is a trend that is making websites look less busy and is not going away any time soon.
3. Even More Focus on Mobile – As I said before internet users that use mobile devices to surf the web will only continue to increase. As more and more websites begin using a responsive design so that their websites will render properly on mobile devices. You will begin to see web developers using new technology to create even better websites for us mobile users. Eventually, it will get to a point where surfing the web from our smart phone and tablets is not only easier but also renders just as good as our desktops and laptops. That is why there are many predictions out there saying that mobile users will dominate desktop and laptop users. If you own an online business and still have not updated your website to a responsive design then it is extremely urgent that you do so immediately.
4. More Videos – Most internet users that come to your website are likely to just scan your content. There will be very few people that will actually take the time to read the content on your website. The fact is most people surfing the web are in a hurry and will skim content to find exactly what it is that they are looking for. This is becoming even more true with the increase in mobile users. That is why more and more websites will begin to use videos in place of text. The fact is most websites place content on their website that they deem to be important for users to read however, most users don’t read the content. More people are more likely to watch a short video that displays your information than they are to read text on your website in detail.
5. Long Scrolling Websites – This may sound like a blast from the past for some of you. I know long scrolling websites were popular in the past and it is now old technology. Well guess what, long scrolling websites are back but they are not like they were before. Long Scrolling websites used to be jam packed with content and looked really bad. However, with the updated technologies and the use of more white space long scrolling websites are back but the content is more organized. These websites are the way of the future and they look very good when done correctly.
6. Simple Color Schemes – Simple color schemes are much more pleasing on the eye. Website owners are beginning to move away from the crazy color schemes. Websites look much cleaner and are much more appealing to potential visitors when they use a simple color scheme than when they try to get creative with their color schemes. This is something that you will want to have figured out prior the design process.
7. Simplified But Better Content – In 2013 many search engine professionals made content king. Because content is King they started writing content for websites that were only meant for the search engines in order to gain rankings. This was great and worked for a lot of online businesses however, 2014 is going to bring in a new way websites distribute content on their websites. Google is attempting to do away with keyword optimization and is beginning to use semantic search engine optimization. They are also using something called in depth search results. This is going to allow Google to place more importance on great content and get away from content stuffed with keywords that were written for the search engines. So website owners will begin to write content that is quality and not quantity.
8. Blog Sites Dropping Side Bars – Sites that offer a lot of content such as newspaper and blog sites are beginning to experiment with dropping the side bar. Imagine being able to read content with out all those annoying ads and videos on the right or left side while you are trying to read. Between the side bars and pop ups it is enough to make most visitors leave the site.
9. Manipulated Imagery – More and more online businesses will begin to use manipulated imagery. Manipulated imagery is where designers update the images used on your website to change them into something different. For example lets say you have a great image but want it to have a more rustic look. A designer may manipulate the image to give the image an older rustic look even though the image may have been a high def new image.

Web design is something that is constantly evolving and getting better. These are 9 ways that web design is going get better in 2014. This is not only going to benefit online business owners but it will also benefit the end user as well. Whether you are using a laptop/desktop or a mobile device you are going to be pleasantly surprised at some of the great websites you are going to see.