How Web Design Will Impact Your Marketing Strategy in 2022
Website and digital web assets have been the backbone of marketing since the Web 2.0 days. Much has changed since then, and the way websites are built is forever changing with the flow of shifting search engine algorithms, user experience (UX) considerations, and consumer preferences. That said, here are some of the ways that web design will change in 2022, and how implementing these changes now can help supercharge your marketing strategy this year!
Top 5 Web Design Trends Emerging in 2022
The Need for Speed
This was on our list of web design trends last year, and it’s safe to say that it will continue to top the list of importance for the foreseeable future. Speed will continue to be an integral part of web design considerations — especially as long as mobile is the most-used device for internet browsing. According to a 2018 study of U.S. web traffic, 58% of website visits were driven by mobile devices, and mobile devices accounted for 42.3% of total time spent online. This is happening despite the fact that mobile web experiences are often more frustrating for users when compared to desktop site load rates.
Load time delays aren’t just a nuisance for users; they can have a devastating impact on a business’ bottom line. For example, an e-commerce site making $100,000 per day could lose $2.5 million annually just because of a one-second page delay. As you can see, finding ways to make sites more lightweight and responsive is going to be what separates the best website designs from the rest.
Site speed isn’t just important for UX purposes: If you want your site to rank higher on the search engine results pages (SERPs), improving your site speed is critical. You can test your site speed on both desktop and mobile devices using Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool for free. This tool will even provide you with helpful suggestions for how to improve your load times.
No More Large Imagery
With speed being such a key concern for web designers in 2022, many websites are moving away from large, expansive images. The days of large image heroes being the focal point and greeting of every website known to man are over. This year, expect to see a shift in focus on text and typography as a way to entice visitors through the sales funnel. Playing with different textures, colors, and shapes will also become key as web designers do away with the practice of filling up pages with high-res photos and images.
While nixing large imagery from your pages will help improve site speed, that isn’t to say that these images need to be eliminated altogether. After all, the consumer journey is largely driven my visual stimuli. It simply means that web designers need to be more strategic in their image placement, size, and format in order to strike the right balance between compelling content and superfast site speed.
Illustrations Instead of Images
One way web designers will compensate for removing larger images from sites is by including illustrations instead. Replacing the lack of images with graphics, shapes, and accents will help keep your audience interested enough to keep scrolling while also enjoying a responsive, speedy site experience.
Not only will illustrations help improve responsiveness and site speed, but these elements can be completely customized to tell a brand’s unique story. Custom graphics allow brands more freedom when it comes to finding creative ways to guide visitors through their website. It also helps make your brand more easily recognizable, separating it from your competition.
Unique & Off-set Layouts
Branded illustrations are a great differentiator, but web designers will also need to consider other ways to bring unexpected creativity to websites left barer due to fewer images. To complement the custom graphics they create, web designers will move towards the unconventional, featuring clean, curvy lines and offset layouts rather than the standard site designs to which we’ve become accustomed.
Big Frames & White Space
Surprisingly (and for many creatives, unfortunately), sites will be using full-page layouts that almost resemble PowerPoint presentations — not very “sexy” when it comes to visual appeal. This is where the best website designers and copywriters must work together as they overcome the underwhelming layouts by including large, interesting fonts and well-structured content to encourage scrolling and keep users on the page as long as possible. These sites will be particularly great at telling stories and striking the right balance between thoughtful design, faster site speeds, and improved mobile UX.
How Will Web Design Trends Affect Your Marketing Strategy?
By now, you understand that speed, quality content, and minimalist design are at the heart of web design trends for 2022. As you plan your marketing strategy for the upcoming year, it’s important to think about how these trends will impact your creative decisions. From building out campaign landing pages to redesigning your entire site, these changes will act as your North Star for staying on-track for business success.
Since many of these web design trends are focused on increasing site speed and mobile UX, businesses stand to gain a lot by making even the smallest improvements to their load times and site layouts. Based on a 0.1-second natural mobile site speed improvement, businesses saw:
- 8.4% increase in retail conversions
- 9.2% increase in average order value
- 8.6% increase in luxury brand page views per session
*Source: Deloitte
If you’re looking to create a winning website that will earn you results like these in 2022, Signature W Studio can help. Our web designers and marketing strategists work hand-in-hand to develop the most impactful consumer journey for your target audience. Allow our team the opportunity to tell your brand’s story through a visually stunning website by getting started with an online quote today.
