Web Trends for Websites in 2011

We’re so used to beautiful website designs for the past decade that we almost forgot why websites were developed in the first place. We now expect more! These days, people are seeking into more functionality which means greater value than just looks. Just almost 5 years ago, the transition started when Social Media websites has already arrived. If you are a web designer and looking to impress your clients on just your creative design, you might want to brush yourself up with some development skill. Please keep in mind that “Design” and “Development” are 2 different things when we are approaching a new era.

There are many elements come into play when having a website. Of course the main goal is to be most compatible to all of the devices being used today. Now, there’s mobile, netbooks, tablets & even more platforms you can even image.

Below are some of the trends you will be seeing in 2011:

• Compact Designs, but still can fill up your “Wide” screen.
  This allows thumbnail previewing in search engines such as Google & Bing.
  
  
• Eye-Easy Color Scheme
  The colors are light and easy to view on any monitors or devices. Gradient shades are very popular.
  
  
• More Function Development
  This means more CSS3 and HTML 5! HTML 5 is on the rising!
  
  
• Touch Screen Friendly
  You can NOT use drop down menus or even have your link lights up when hovering. These shall not sit well with touch screens.
  
  
• Design Depth
  As 3-D movies are becoming more popular, so should your website. Need to create some sort of gradient depth perception so in part, it looks 3-D.
  
  
• Secured Websites
  If you are selling, make sure to display your SSL certificate where it’s visible. This gives the consumer a safe comfort feeling of shopping on your website.
  
  
• Background Image
  Yep, this was popular in the 90’s. Although, there’s no background looping! Just a simple but elegant background photo would be sufficed.
  
  
• Social Media Connections
  Show visitors how popular or evolving your website is. Display social media widgets such as Facebook, Twitter and among other popular social websites.

Hope these tips help you in the process of re-designing/developing your website for the year 2011.

Andrew
DotTrend, Inc.