The expectation that virtual and augmented reality web design was to take over this year hasn’t realized yet. Instead we see more experimentation with color, shapes, fonts and storytelling style. Along with that, minimalism is refusing to fade away.

Web design is not an exact science. What worked 10 years ago may not work today. It’s hard to predict where it will go, but for us at Speedflow Bulgaria, it is fun to trail the latest developments and trends and keep on top of things.

The other thing is that web design can have two contradictory concepts trending at the same time. And while this can be confusing, we shouldn’t forget that both can be used to the same degree of success to achieve different things.

In line with our article 7 web design trends that rock 2017, we thought it was time for an update. Here are the 7 most widespread web design trends for the first quarter of 2019 (a note must be made here that this is not an exhaustive list of the web design trends of 2019. We have selected the best 7, according to us). Enjoy:

 

1. Organic shapes

Example: Mawla

The folks at Mawla, for example, use a blend of organic shapes and bright colours to create a pretty appealing website.

 

Paper cups, biodegradable bags, reusable sandwich bags, shower timers and wooden coffee-stirring sticks: you get the point. Society is headed towards a more nature-integrated existence. And web designers are following suit. In fact, web design seems to be becoming more socially conscious by the day.

For 2019, we see a huge rise in the use of organic shape elements. Rounded, leaf-, tree- and wave-like shapes are everywhere, inspiring a more natural look and feel.

 

2. 2 x Video

Example: Oand3

Oand3 have boldly placed a loop of nature scenery Above the Fold on their homepage—to pleasing results, we must say.

Video is multiplying. It’s not hard to see why. Through video, users can ingest information without expending too much energy, and perhaps this partly explains why video is so popular. As of 2019, web designers are experimenting with video placement to varying degrees of success. More and more websites are using full-screen video in the Above the Fold section – where they can leave an impression and show first-hand what their product is all about.

Along with the video marketing becoming more and more popular, big brands are now using auto-play videos as a background to their home page.

 

3. Micro-Interactions

Example: Micro-interaction on Dribble

Micro-interactions are wide spread to the degree that you can stumble on one in most modern websites you visit. Here is an example of what they look like.

Have you watched Lie to Me? For those of you who haven’t: it’s about a character who is brilliant at reading facial micro-expressions and body language. Whether we are aware enough to detect such minute interactions or not, it doesn’t matter. They affect us nonetheless.

In 2019, web designers have embraced methods of micro-interaction, including subtle animations, creative picture content and others.

Here are a few digital elements used to create micro-interactions:

• Scrollbar
• Button
• User-triggered animation
• Swipe animation

 

4. The Color Rebel: Black and white is making a return

Example: Councl

Here, Councl demonstrate an effective use of black and white elements. The result is an uncluttered, elegant website.

 

Web designers have been riding the wave of minimalism for a couple of years now. Along this line, black and white pictures are making a return. And they fit quite well. This could be because black and white compositions impress on us a sense of timelessness and depth that is not immediately visible to the eyes.

This stands in contrast to another design trend: the increasing use of bright colors. Moving onto…

 

5. Bright colors and gradients

Example: Atlassian

In contrast to the previous point, Atlassian demonstrate the effective use of bright colours to achieve an interesting website without compromise to simplicity.

Color is web designers’ AK47. And in the past year and in the beginning of 2019, some of them are shooting it like crazy. Bright colors and strong gradient have become widespread. For example, placing a brightly colored element in a less impressive background can make it stand out and improve CTR – basic psychology of colors.

 

6. Broken Grid – Asymmetry

Example: ClinicaBenessere

Scroll down to see what the broken-grid method means. It is an interesting approach which keeps the ‘surprise’ element alive.

The first three months of 2019 are a natural continuation to a design trend that has taken hold of web design since 2017 – the broken grid method.

Asymmetrical placements of elements designed to anticipate the gaze of the internet reader rather than draw it in are becoming popular. Time will have the last word on this approach.

 

7. Serif Takeover

Example: The Guardian

Perhaps, The Guardian can afford to experiment with fonts. They are big and have a loyal following. But they are not the only ones we see using serif.

 

The general consensus is that serif is only suitable for print. You see, sans serif is easier to read, which can be important in today’s age of mobile devices. But the first quarter of 2019 has seen a return of the serif font. Because of its link to the past, serif exudes a certain dignified air and, for this reason, it is a good fit for some brands, while for others – not so much.

 

These are just 7 of many, many web design trends that are happening right now. We expect to see VR web design hitting soon but its price might be putting off website owners at this point in time. Another interesting concept we’d like to see more of is creative, engaging scroll storytelling.

If you need professional web design and web development services that create unique user experience, talk to us at info@speedflow.bg to get a quote.

Or, if you have a different vision about the future of web design, please let us know in the comment section. We’d be intrigued to hear it.

The term Inbound Marketing was introduced by HubSpot for the first time in 2006 as “an approach focused on attracting customers through content and interactions that are helpful and relevant.” This is a multi-component strategy that includes search engine optimization (SEO), blogging, creating text, visual and video content, email marketing, social network marketing (SMM).

 

Inbound Marketing

Inbound marketing is not an invasive way to attract consumers to a brand. It is not intended to interrupt users constantly without their permission as we know Outbound marketing does (billboards, ads, press releases, etc.). Inbound messages are not intrusive at all. On the contrary, they attract those who are looking for answers. By using Inbound Marketing tools, you help your potential customers find you more easily online. Provide them with enough information about your product or services and they will be able to make an informative decision about purchasing what you are offering.

 

 

Nowadays, it would be very unusual if a company does not use Inbound Marketing as part of their overall marketing strategy. To find out where you should put your efforts in 2018, do not stop reading. Here are four Inbound marketing trends that will help your business become even more successful in 2018.

 

Chatbot

We hope that you are still not tired of listening about artificial intelligence (AI) and the benefits it has on business. Chatbots are a type of AI technology that is becoming a powerful tool for Inbound Marketing. Why?

Over the last few years, people have begun using messaging applications more than social networks to keep in touch with one another.  What is interesting is that they use them more and more as a way to communicate with brands too. A chatbot is a computer program that makes it possible for brands to provide 24/7 customer service on the biggest messaging platforms like Facebook Messenger, Viber, Skype, and more. These virtual assistants answer user questions via automated messages. At the same time, they collect valuable information and statistics about their preferences. Companies can then use the gathered data to improve and update their marketing strategies.

 

Guest blogging

Everybody knows that having a blog where you publish articles regularly is an extremely successful method for generating organic traffic to your site. Millions of articles are published online every day. Blogging has grown into an actual industry. It evolves continuously and competition is becoming fierce. A good way to spice things up while attracting new customers is through guest blogging. This means that your article will be published on another website or blog. Although this is not a new practice at all, 2018 has set big expectations about it.

NOTA BENNE! Publishing an informative and quality article on a website that has less than 1000 visits per month and users who do not share its content would be totally meaningless. When you blog on popular websites with good rating and of relevance to your business, you will bring quality traffic and adequate potential customers back to your page. And this is directly related to the number of sales if the page offers some kind of product or service, such as “eCommerce website development” for example.

 

Podcast

A podcast is an audio show that is broadcasted over the Internet. More and more companies are incorporating such type of content creation in their brand awareness strategies. Consumers can listen to podcasts anywhere, even in the shower! Although this is a relatively new tool for Inbound Marketing, 11% of marketers are planning to include it in their marketing strategy in 2018.

Podcasts provide informative content in a very convenient way. They are extremely user-friendly. It’s nice to listen to something interesting without the need to constantly stare at the computer screen, phone or tablet. Podcasts are the favorite blogs of people with limited spare time.

Creating a podcast does not require any investment. The best part is that after broadcasting it, you can transcribe the dialogue and publish it as a blog post with a link to further increase the traffic to your website. Eric Siu, co-host of Marketing School along with Neil Patel, says that once they began making podcasts, their website traffic increased by up to 25-30%!

 

Live video

When we talk about trends in Inbound Marketing, we cannot miss mentioning live videos which will still keep a top position in 2018. People like live streaming and statistics show it clearly:

• 82% of users prefer watching a live video to reading a blog post;
• Live videos are viewed three times more than regular videos on Facebook;
• The most viewed live videos are about breaking news and conferences (56%) followed by concerts (43%);
• 67% are more likely to buy a ticket for a concert or conference after watching a live video about.

That’s why your brand should start live streaming interesting brand happenings. Share about an event you are attending or an interview with an expert someone, show people behind the scenes stories, anything that matters to you and your target audience.

 

What other Inbound marketing trends you think will rule in 2018? Share with us in the comment section below.

Just a few years ago you would probably be reading this article on your desktop PC, behind your massive monitor, while the coolers gently break the silence around you. And now you are probably on your laptop, mobile phone, or even your smartwatch. Enjoying this piece on a rock, in a pool or by the seashore…

 

Our point is that the digital environment changes in great leaps, new communication opportunities pop up every day and our imagination is the only thing that can limit us. Speaking of imagination it’s good to mention the increasingly creative ways marketers are employing in other to impress us enough to buy their products. So today we will be talking about video marketing!

 

Video Marketing in numbers

 

The simple facts show that in 2017 visual media will continue to hold a key spot in the sales strategies of commercial and non-commercial organizations alike. Let’s leave the numbers talking:

 

-> video promotions increase the click-through rate (CTR) with 200-300%
-> video ads are responsible for about 35% of all ad spending online

-> video clips increase the landing page conversions with about 80%

-> around 90% of online users have their buying decisions influenced by video materials

-> mobile phone video consumption is increasing with 100% every year

 

Impressive, right?

 

What’s more impressive is the ton of benefits you can gain when using video marketing for your corporate goals. Not only you are representing your brand in a more interesting in an engaging way, but you are also leaving a permanent mark in the minds of your viewers. People are increasingly turning to visual media to save time and to process the influx of daily information they encounter more easily. Connecting text to visuals is a way to more clearly convey the message of your brand.

 

What about our favorite topic – SEO optimization? For starters, videos are a wonderful source of content. Content that Google and the other search engines are constantly striving to receive. So optimize your videos just like you would optimize any other content piece – relevant tags, titles, and descriptions, call-to-action, images. After that results are just a matter of time.

 

Of course, we should not go and blindly produce video content just for the sake of it. Not only it has to have a clear purpose and end goal, but a good video will also follow a few rules of thumb.

 

Don’t sell – tell a story!

 

We know how tempting it is to go directly for sales, but don’t let your videos focus on that. Instead, try to find added value for the end client. Of course, it’s always recommended you have a clear call-to-action but it has to be just part of your story, not its core. Relevance, value, emotional engagement – good practices are valid for all content types.

 

Educate the viewer!

 

People appreciate it when a video is not just amusing, but also useful, capable of solving a problem they might have. Take advantage of your specific industry insights and educate your users. Over 65% of people nowadays prefer to learn from video guides compared to more traditional articles and books. Webinars, client testimonials, case studies, and in-depth analysis – you have numerous opportunities to demand attention.

 

Start with a bang!

 

20% of online viewers close the videos in the initial 10 seconds. If you miss your chance to wow them in those 10 seconds then you might as well count them gone. So don’t get wrapped up in complicated introductions while gradually getting to the point. Simply make sure that you have an explosive start that will glue the user to the screen from the first moment.

 

Don’t be boring!

 

This might be self-explanatory but let us specify what we mean exactly. If you are creating a video with a purely marketing purpose you risk to lose the viewer’s attention and make your piece non-shareable. This is especially true in B2B where clients and decision-makers are a little more specific. But just because there is a serious businessman on the other side doesn’t mean that they are lacking any sense of humor. Hubspot is one good example of how you can impress your B2B audience while avoiding the dry and boring presentation of info.

 

Optimize away!

 

How do videos work? You shoot/create it, edit, montage and upload it online, right? Wrong! Long before we should think about the public distribution of our video, we should make sure we have taken care of its optimization. As we mentioned earlier, the important elements are the same as with other content pieces – make sure to put proper titles and descriptions, add relevant tags and add your video in a sitemap. You have to be ready for the search engine robots long before they first crawl your new content.

 

Well, do you feel more confident in using video content already? Bursting with ideas for your next video marketing campaign? Or you simply feel you need a refresh of your brand identity? Regardless of the case, we will be happy to learn more about your projects and ensure their success.

Every year web designers from all over the world come up with creative and innovative ways to take care of our perfect online image. And it’s nothing unusual as there are so many processes affecting the way our website looks – SEO factors, load speed, code optimization, technological development. It is an evolution on all levels and, even though a lot of the good practices are still evergreen, new and interesting web design trends are constantly emerging to help us WOW our online audience.

Today we will introduce you to some of the most fashionable and ingenious ways to freshen up your website.