5 Reasons to Keep Up With the Latest Digital Trends in Web Design & Development
Like all things connected with maintaining an online presence, the process of website design in Toronto is constantly evolving. In order to maintain a viable presence, you must stay up to date on the latest digital trends related to design and website development. If you need a few specific reasons to motivate your efforts, consider these five examples.
Like all things connected with maintaining an online presence, the process of website design in Toronto is constantly evolving. In order to maintain a viable presence, you must stay up to date on the latest digital trends related to design and website development. If you are using Wordpress you can stay on top of technology trends by running through this optimization checklist, 10 Things Every Business Owner Should Do After Launching a WordPress Website that we found from digital marketing agency SEOBANK. If you need a few specific reasons to motivate your efforts, consider these five examples.
The Ongoing Shift to Mobile Searches
It's no secret that more people are conducting online searches using mobile devices. According to the website Statistica, 43.6% of all website traffic throughout the world during 2016 was generated using mobile phones. That was up from 35.1% in 2015. You can bet that this trend is continuing, although figures for 2017 from various sources vary somewhat.
The thing is that anyone engaged in web development in Toronto will want to consider how to ensure your site displays nicely on a smaller screen. This is particularly important since Google is rolling out what is called a Mobile First Index. Regarding SEO, "79% of keywords overall and 47% of keywords in positions 1- 20 rank differently in search on mobile and desktop SERPs. More importantly, changes in ranking positions will be reflected in mobile searches first, followed by desktop", per study from Regex SEO. Simply put, the pages that are part of your mobile website design in Toronto will display in search engine results before the pages on the main version of your site. According to SEO expert Igor Kholkin, "Google's move to mobile-first index has made great user experience on mobile devices a must-have for any website that wants to rank well organically." Making sure the mobile Toronto web design is clean and easy to read is essential if you want to remain at the top of those results.
Fast and Easy Loading is Essential
According to Dizzain.com CEO Alex Krasner, "Users today have zero tolerance for slow performing websites and so have the search engines. Website owners should take active steps towards measuring and improving performance which include minimizing HTTP requests, reducing server response time, and enabling in-browser caching. Compression of media files and usage of CDN can also drastically improve page load times."
Pages that load easily and don't require a lot of time have always been important. What you may not realize is that this factor is more essential than ever before. In the early days of widespread Internet use, people were more willing to wait a few more seconds for a page to finish loading. That's not the case today. Factor in the fact they are increasingly using mobile phones to search the Internet and it's easy to see why your Toronto web development process must pay attention to speed.
Fortunately, contemporary web designers understand this and know how to construct pages so the grids load quickly on any type of device. That includes using what is known as accelerated mobile pages or AMP technology to make sure your mobile site loads with ease. By taking less time to load, there is less of a chance for users to abandon your page and go off in search of one that loads faster.
Including Micro-Interactions in Your Page Designs
Micro-interactions are already key to the major social networks. They also need to be key to your Toronto web design process. Incorporate quick and easy ways to readers to connect with you or leave feedback. They should not have to reload pages to leave a review or to comment on one of your blog articles. Web developers know how to include micro-interactions on each page and increase engagement. Rest assured this element of web development in Toronto will go a long way to entice people to come back to your pages again and again.
The Wisdom of Adding Bottom Sticky Elements
Traditionally, your Toronto web development process focused on adding menus and elements at the top of the page. Think about how people scroll when using mobile devices. They use navigation tools found at the base of the screen. What if your revised Toronto web design employed bottom instead of top sticky elements? That makes the experience more user-friendly and convenient. Doing so gives readers one more reason to visit your site instead of the site operated by your chief competition.
Designed for Quick Response on Multiple Devices
A lot of emphasis is on Toronto web design for mobile devices. That doesn't mean you get to neglect users who rely more on desktops, laptops, or even tablets. They are still a considerable source of traffic. Make sure your web designers are up to date on all trends that make the process of Toronto web development for all these other devices fresh and effective. You may even get some inspiration from those efforts that enhance the design for your mobile website.
You have an online presence because you want to reach existing and potential clients with ease. It's not enough to put together an attractive website and call it a day. Talk with web developers who understand what is happening now, and discuss how to enhance your Toronto web development to take advantage of the latest trends. In the long run, the input from a web designer who understands how to make use of those trends will help you increase traffic and ultimately your revenue stream.