Will Covid-19 Change the World of Web Design?
The coronavirus pandemic has had a seismic impact on almost every aspect of your lives, from our everyday movements to the way in which we browse and shop for products.
The latter has seen a particularly interesting shift, with the coronavirus thought to have added £5.3 billion to UK ecommerce through 2020. In addition to boosting ecommerce fortunes, this has also created significant opportunities in associated digital areas, with web design offering a relevant case in point.
In this post, we’ll explore this trend further, while asking precisely how the coronavirus has changed the world of web design?
The Demand for Quality Websites is at an All-time High
Given the surge in ecommerce across various sectors (from groceries and fashion to tech products and educational courses), it stands to reason that the demand for high quality websites should have reached an all-time high through 2020.
What’s more, mobile penetration rates are increasing throughout the developed and developing world, with this particularly evident in economies such as South Africa.
However, the emphasis here is on the words ‘high quality’, as people increasingly eschew do-it-yourself web design platforms in favour of professional platforms that can deliver an integrated service.
The push for integrated and superior web design in Stockport and similar regions is also being driven by increased competition across an array of marketplaces, with this trend also reflected by rising demand for bespoke SEO services.
Easy of Use and Navigability
As a growing number of consumers change their habits and shop online, they also become increasingly discerning about the content of your site and the way in which it functions in real-time.
More specifically, users now demand enhanced functionality when browsing a website, from rapid URL loading times (ideally in under two seconds) to efficient navigation and an optimised layout.
To meet these challenges, contemporary web designs are responsive and seamlessly accessible across multiple devices in real-time, while they’re also created with an understanding of the typical customer journey online.
Similarly, you should minimise graphic and video elements as a way of reducing load times (you can instead host relevant videos on sites like YouTube and link to them directly) while utilising white space to guide the reader’s eye and highlight crucial information.
The Age of Sensitive Messaging
For many, the coronavirus remains a dangerous pandemic that poses a threat to society and particularly its oldest and most vulnerable members.
This means that customers will want to know about your firm’s approach to the pandemic and creating a Covid-safe environment, either in brick-and-mortar stores or for the staff members that they employ.
It’s therefore important to factor this in as a way of creating more sensitive messaging, while also applying this strategy across your entire website and wider marketing campaigns.
Make no mistake; this enables you to create a warm and empathetic brand that speaks directly to your customers about their pandemic-related anxieties and offers reassurance going forward.
The key here is to write with a sensitive and empathetic tone, while creating slightly less concise copy that’s much warmer and more conversational.
