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Four Core Website Development Trends for 2024
If you can, cast your mind all the way back to the 1990s, and picture the first website you ever for. Chances are, it was a bit like the iconic abomination cooked up by Homer Simpson – an ostentatious eyesore that made little to no sense.
Three decades down the line, the world’s approach to web design has gone through countless seismic shifts. All based on the preferences and expectations of those using them, which have likewise come a long way, and continue to evolve.
But here’s the good news - the most prevalent web design trends for 2024 (and presumably the next couple of years at least) aren’t really anything new. They’re more continuations and refinements of what we’ve been seeing for some time now, again based on what the average person really wants from a website.
Whether you’re planning a new build or a strategic overhaul in the near future, here’s what genuinely attractive website design means right now:
Logical Layouts
Contemporary web design is all about logic. Your job is (and has always been) to make it as quick and easy as possible for site visitors to find exactly what they need. Not to mention, simplify the crawling process for the major search engines, translating to the best possible SEO clout.
Which is where simplicity comes into play. It’s as straightforward as viewing the complete journey from the perspective of the customer, optimising the entire thing with logic and ease in mind. No unnecessary distractions, no complications, nothing that doesn’t need to be there.
Softer Colours
Hit up the websites of any of the world’s biggest brands and you’ll notice they’ve all migrated to increasingly soft colour palettes over the years. Not only are the colours themselves being toned down, but sticking to as few colours as possible is also the preferred approach.
As for why, it’s simply a case of careful, understated usage of colours being associated with an air of professionalism and prestige. Brands that naturally emanate sophistication don’t have to scream in the faces of their customers with the excessive use of colours.
Virtual Assistants
Yes, most people prefer talking to real human beings, when they’ve questions and queries to address. When it comes to solving the most basic issues and pointing them in the right direction, most people also respond positively to (decent) 24/7 virtual assistants.
The point is that a chatbot should never be seen as a replacement to real, old-school customer support. But brought into the experience as something of a gap-bridger, it can improve the whole thing for customers, while at the same time lightening the load for your reps.
Modest Movement
Finally, getting carried away with the animations can result in a website which (once again) harks back to Homer Simpson’s. But at the same time, sites that are totally static in their appearance can also come across as rigid and less-than dynamic.
Sensible moderation is key here, perhaps in the form of simple page transitions, background animations limited to your homepage, or the inclusion of views clips, reviews and UGC. A site that moves is attractive, but a site that moves too much can be messy and off-putting.