The ravaging COVID-19 pandemic affected the operations of every business globally. While most businesses are undergoing a tough time, one area or industry that has seen a boost is eCommerce and web traffic. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, most businesses have reported a surge in web traffic. However, businesses should know how to maximize this and take advantage of web designs.
Web design saw a significant increase in demand during the pandemic, especially as the population remained stuck at home. Most businesses took this opportunity to create new websites and redesign their existing web presence. This explains why young adults are taking online coding classes to learn web design languages. Even though the future of this pandemic cannot be predicted, below are ways that COVID affected web design.
1. Ecommerce Web Design
With the pandemic pumping up internet use by more than 70%, online shopping slowly became the norm. Apart from ordering basic groceries and home supplies, people also sought other products and services online. The use of communication and collaboration tools offered for businesses and schools, such as zoom and other video conferencing tools, skyrocketed since lockdown and other restriction measures were put in place.
All this increased demand for online services led to a resultant increase in the need for skilled web designers. Web designers with cybersecurity and coding experience are in high demand, as businesses focus on improving their website’s user interface. Just to mention, managing customer support is valuable for the growth of online businesses.
2. Minimalism
A recent analysis shows that approximately 75% of online shoppers start by evaluating a businesses’ website design before shopping. Additionally, 94% of negative feedback to businesses are related to various design elements. Therefore, having a business website that ticks all good design boxes, including functionality and aesthetics, attracts more customers and yields a high ROI. Minimalism in website design is a trend that helps businesses benefit from fully functional websites that provide a satisfactory user experience.
Google is currently considering including minimalism in its ranking algorithms. With a minimalistic design, websites can communicate their main message directly without unnecessary distractions. These design elements include simple and clean design elements, small paragraphs, proper use of white space, and other best website design practices. Websites should also leverage outstanding video demos and high-quality photos.
Unlike other website designs, minimalistic websites keep site visitors focused on your brand, products, services, and offers instead of several unnecessary elements. This significantly reduces loading time, improves user experience, boosts readability, and makes it easy to digest information. Achieving this requires the input of highly experienced web designers.
3. UI/UX Web Design
An increase in internet use and online shopping not only increased the demand for eCommerce web designers but also increased demand for user interface and customer experience designers. Interestingly, the economy had begun changing even before the onset of the pandemic. The new age of add-to-cart was already choking brick and mortar businesses, and the pandemic possibly acted as a catalyst.
During quarantine, a few products and conveniences became essential as other majority struggling services were taken off. While this reflects the devastating effects of the pandemic on most businesses, it was a wake-up call for businesses on the importance of transitioning from physical offices to online solutions. This transition presents the need for innovative and user-friendly UI/IX.
4. Responsive Website Design
As of now, desktop internet users have been surpassed by mobile users (Our World Data). This means that web designers should focus on making business platforms mobile-friendly. This perhaps explains why responsive mobile design is among the biggest web design trends. A responsive website enhances user experience and an important Google ranking factor.
5. Media and Entertainment
Lockdown measures had everybody stuck indoors, presenting a perfect time for binge-watching. So to say, there was a massive surge in media and entertainment use online during the first weeks of quarantine, with COVID-19 dominating worldwide discussions. That said, web design plays a significant role in how media and entertainment are delivered. As such, design responsibilities related to online media and streaming services also experienced increased demand.
Advertising is another changing landscape due to the effects of the pandemic. Most high-impact advertising, such as large events and professional sports, experienced a drop in its ROI. Even as marketers cut on marketing expenditures, advertisement remains a crucial part and contributor of business growth. Therefore, for businesses to remain afloat during this period, they should innovate their advertisements, a task that requires assistance from web design companies.
Predicting the Future of Web Design
Predicting the future of web design is probably the biggest challenge. However, regardless of what happens in the future, what is clear is that the internet will continue playing a major role in all industries. As such, the new scope and demand for web applications and provision of online services will likely continue rising.