2020 website design trends built on behavior and not WOW factors.
In 2020, we are forecasting a stronger focus on behavior. More emphasis will be put on the functional and simplistic requirements of a website and less on the big branded imagery. For example, we have learned that image sliders are great at getting your content front and center however research shows that holistically, nobody really watches all of them. This isn’t implying that no one cares about your content, but rather the vehicle used to display it wasn’t engaging for them.
Another example is the use of social media feeds. Recently, we’ve seen an uptick in requests to put social media feeds “all over the website.” Not only do these feeds slow down your website, but they provide a clear exit path away from it. Now your potential member has left your website and more than likely won’t return to it during that session.
Along with our forecast of a more behaviorally driven approach to website design in 2020, here are four trends that we currently see and hope to see more of moving forward.
Trend #1 – Let’s start with Mark Walhberg.
Mark Walhberg said “A lot of people tend to chew up the scenery. I’m a firm believer in less is more, especially on the big screen.” This quote must be early in Mark’s career, because if you’ve ever seen “Transformers” … there is a lot happening on the screen at one time. However, the take away here is that associations and nonprofits need to approve website designs that are less cluttered and more straight to the point.
Here are ways to deliver “less is more”:
- Avoid big image sliders and heavy animations that can bog down the user experience for the sake of trying to be unique or different. Be smart.
- Google penalizes sites that take a long time to load so keep it simple.
- Try and get a healthy mix of your most significant content mixed in with promotional.
- Track how your users are engaging with your content.
- If you’re just using Google Analytics, frankly, it is not enough.
- Use Google Tag Manager to track things such as file downloads, scroll depths, and outbound link clicks.
- Utilize tools like HotJar to record how people are using your website.
- If you’re just using Google Analytics, frankly, it is not enough.
Trend #2 – Steve Winwood found a higher love…for typography.
Steve Winwood, in his 1986 hit “Higher Love”, wrote “…we walk blind and we try to see, falling behind in what could be….bring me a higher love.” While Steve wasn’t singing about typography exactly, most brands we start working with are just starting to explore unique typography options for their websites. While we’ve been using Google Fonts and Typekit fonts for our existing clients, associations and nonprofits are missing out on how typography can enhance their brand to help make it more unique and personable.
Typography has the power to make your brand modern and sophisticated, but can also transcend different age groups and geographic locations. Selecting a typeface for your website can be an emotional experience so make sure that what you select feels emotionally like your brand.
Trend #3 – Ben Pines is making a difference.
Ben Pines, CEO behind the wildly popular page builder Elementor, writes on his company’s website that with a page builder you can “create any website that you can imagine.” That’s a bold statement, but if you follow web design podcasts and design blogs frequently you should be hearing how more and more agencies are training association and nonprofit staff to create dynamic web pages without touching the code and without having to file lengthy support tickets.
It has radically improved our methods internally and has given our association and nonprofit clients staff more confidence to create whatever they want.
Trend #4 – Elton John knows about the Circle of Life.
Elton John sang the song “Circle of Life” for the 1994 Disney animated movie The Lion King. The song is about the lifecycle of life itself and how it’s an endless wheel. When it comes to associations and nonprofit marketing, a “circle of life” can also speak to the technology used to build and manage your website.
We find most of our association and nonprofit clients are in overpriced and feature-limited content management platforms. It’s not until they connect with DJG that a much broader view of offerings is showcased alongside a clear and strategic planning process. Reach out to us if you’re seeing your association or nonprofit heading in this direction.
Let’s wrap it up!
Above we have discussed the top four trends we see for 2020, including ”less is more”, exploring a higher level of love… for typography, the year of the page builder, and proactively enhancing the lifecycle of your website. Taking these 2020 website design trends into account will not only help you make key decisions in 2020 regarding your branding and website experience but also help you be aware of what we’re seeing and what others like your organization are doing.
None of the people mentioned in this blog post offered their opinion or support the David James Group. All images used in the featured image (at the top) are from Wikipedia and/or the official companies website.
