Web Design Trends 2022: Elements of the Best Business Website Designs
March 7, 2022 1:14 pm | Published by Next HorizonRecently updated on March 15th, 2023
Is it time for a website redesign? If your website is stale and sluggish, read this article for a burst of UX design inspiration! Let’s check out the latest and greatest web design trends of 2022 for a fresh look. We’ll also dissect the best business website design elements and what makes them so undeniably awesome.
2022 Web Design Trends
Glassmorphism
Glassmorphism is one of the most popular website design trends of 2022. It’s a multi-layered, transparent yet blurred effect that’s best used for floating objects or to give the appearance of – you guessed it – glass. A background blur is layered with semi-transparent shapes that deliver an ultra-modern, frosted glass design.
Scrollytelling
When someone arrives on your site, you want them to look around, you want them to scroll, and you want them to read your content – obviously. What’s not obvious, is how to get people to actually do it. But clever website designers have discovered a way to make just scrolling through a website – actually feel fun!
Scrollytelling is a functional design choice that makes users actually want to read!
Scrollytelling is a combination of storytelling and scrolling. It’s activated when a user scrolls down a web page. As the user scrolls down the page, the narrative appears on-screen for the user to read. If they scroll back up, it will return previous text or images.
This is particularly effective when text is used alongside bright colors, gradients, and other design elements. It’s a way to captivate the user, all the way down the page!
Aurora Backgrounds & Gradients in Web Design
This isn’t necessarily a new trend, but it’s a go-to choice for designers that want to add subtle pops of color to a web page. A color gradient is the gradual blending from one color or hue to another. Soft splashes of color add depth and minimalist intrigue to any web page. An Aurora background can be used as a focal piece or to complement another web design elements such as text or an image.
Typography in Website Design
Big font is in! One of the most stunning business website design trends of 2022 is that text is being used in bigger and bolder ways. Having a massive heading paired with light, minimalist typography is a great way to deliver your message in a modern way.
It’s not just the size of the text – it’s the styling. Typography is being used as an eye-catching design element and to help differentiate branding. As subtle as it may seem, choosing Serif or Sans Serif fonts can make a massive impact on your brand’s perception and the overall website design.
Retro is the Way to Go
Don’t fret: not all of the website design trends of the future are quite so… futuristic. Another popular business website design trend is the comeback of ovals and arches. While ovals and arches alone may not spark 60’s or 70’s vibes, pair those groovy jukebox curves with muted earth tones and chalky pastels.
Best Business Website Design Elements
While the coolest web design features may grab a few users’ attention, none of that matters if your target audience can’t navigate your site, or worse – if you don’t include important information about your company. Let’s dive into the necessary elements that make up the best small business website designs.
UX/UI
User experience (UX) and user interface (UI) are design methods that focus on creating a fluid and fun customer journey. This type of design focuses on the user at all times. If your website doesn’t deliver clear direction, flow, or information, then your users are likely to leave your site feeling lost and frustrated.
After experiencing a bad website UX, 88% of users are less likely to return to that website. Judgments on website credibility are 75% based on a website’s overall aesthetics. First impressions are 94% design-related. Source: Toptal
Mobile Responsive
A major part of providing a positive user experience is making your website design seamless across all platforms. A responsive website design adapts to fit the screen – regardless of how big or small the device is. Your chosen website design company should design a mobile-friendly site that will look and act the same across all platforms, browsers, and operating systems.
Calls to Action
When directing users around your website, your website design company should provide action items where you want customers to stop. If you have a service-based business that offers consultations, be sure to feature a Call-to-Action, or “CTA” so users don’t get buried in endless information. Something along the lines of “Schedule a Service,” or, “Get a Free Consultation” should do the trick.
Clear Offerings
When hiring a website design company, or even when doing it yourself, you need to be upfront with your service offerings and capabilities. Forcing users to sift through content to find out exactly what it is that you do or what services you provide, is the fastest way to dull user interest.
Make sure your content is written so users immediately know who you are, and how you can help solve their problems with your goods or services!
Social Proofing
And finally, when you access a new website, you don’t immediately trust this new brand nor take their word as bond. You need some proof that they are who they say they are – and they can actually deliver what they say they can. That said, you need to provide customer testimonials and access to your social media presence.
Experience and engagement build trust. People want to see that you are in business and are actively receiving reviews, comments, likes, shares, etc. If possible, create a gallery page that showcases your projects or a case study page that dissects a project from start to finish. Feel a little awkward asking your clients for a review? We’ve all been there. Learn five easy ways to get 5-star reviews for your business!
Final Word: Website Design Trends of 2022
With the rise of the Metaverse and as new methods of reaching customers become more mainstream, these current business website design trends will evolve. But for now, there are plenty of new design trends, nuanced functionalities, and website optimizations that can make a major impact on your brand. If you need help with anything from building an e-commerce platform or setting up analytics tracking, to coding a small business website or tackling a website redesign, the web developers at Next Horizon are poised and ready to help.
