Design trends come and go. Barring a few, there is probably no such design trend that would command the same appeal forever. It’s because the world of design is largely influenced by user preferences which keep on changing time and again. Smart designers must keep themselves updated about changing expectations and trends, and make sure to let go of outdated designs.
The post below offers a brief about a set of design trends that were once extremely popular but now have become outdated, so much so, that it’s time to bid them adieu.
Shift the limelight from hero sliders
Hero sliders are past their prime. Yes, they were an innovative bunch initially and almost every other website was inclined to sport them- they were attractive, great space savers, and did a great job in displaying promotional materials.
However, over time, it came to light that hero sliders tend to sloth down web page speed. Another con is these sliders kind of distract website visitors from crucial stuff by attracting them to specific ads. It prevents them from exploring the entire website and this way, some of the pages remain unseen to them.
It’s about time you get rid of these outdated hero sliders. The wiser thing would be to use it specifically when you want the visitors to check out a particular promo.
Unconventional scrolling has become commonplace
The idea of non-traditional scrolling – sideways scroll like that of mobile apps- received instant brownie points when it was introduced for the first time for websites. But cut to 2021 December, it has been used so frequently that it has lost its uniqueness. In fact, sideway scrolling on a website is a tad more difficult than typical down-and-up scrolling.
To streamline things for your website visitors, it’s better to let go of the sideway scroll on the website as of now. Rather, switch to good old down-and-up scrolling for the peace of mind of the visitors.
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No need to create pop-ups for offers on display on the website say on the slider, banner, sidebar, etc.
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Be polite; don’t ever accuse users of not accepting the offer on pop-ups.
Shoot out bad pop-ups
Pop-ups are annoying. Period. But wait, not all pop-ups are bad. There are some pop-ups that your website visitors might not find irritating. In fact, some smart webmasters know how to push up handy pop-ups that could be a tad easy for your audience.
However, we want to warn you about “bad” pop-ups here. Put simply, you have to do away with them lest you might risk your visitors leaving your page in a jiffy. Below are the pointers to help you out-
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Your site pop-ups must not show up immediately when a visitor lands on your webpage. Let them get acquainted with the web page first- don’t just bombard them with the pops.
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The pop-ups must not show up multiple times when one is browsing through your site. You know well, it’s damn annoying.
Autoplay…oh, Phew!
Audio or/video playing up the moment a visitor enters a site could be annoying for your site visitors. So, please do away with them. If you have got video and audio on your site – that’s great. But you also have to understand that your visitors might not be in the mood to play them the moment they enter your site.
It doesn’t mean you will rip your site completely out of those fancy audio and video features. Just make the “play” part optional. Set mute as the default option. This way, your visitors will have the option to play or not play them as per their preference or convenience. Put simply, never force the site visitors to watch or listen to your videos or audio.
Limiting external links to the same tab should be “No-No”
Link building is a crucial part of SEO and is key to climbing up to a higher ranking on the SERPs. Internal links generally open up in the same tab in place of the page a website visitor is on at that moment. However, on second thought, don’t you think it would have been better had the link opened on some separate page? Put yourself in the shoes of your website visitor and you will realize the latter option assures a more convenient browsing experience. In fact, it will even spike up page views for the landing pages of these links.
The “separate tab” part is even more important for external links. Alas, a lot of websites still follow the other way around, causing serious browsing inconveniences for site visitors. You certainly don’t want that for the visitors to your website.
Tacky Stock photos are a killjoy
It’s true that a website looks somewhat barren without some kind of visual media, say photos. But, you need to be careful about the photos you upload as much as you are mindful about the text part you put on your site. So, just as you hire professionals to do the text content, the best thing is to hire a professional photographer to ensure high-quality photos for your site.
Now, you might ask why shell out money for a professional photographer when you can get stock photos for free. Well, the #1 reason here is that these stock photos are usually very generic and when you use them, the setup might look artificial. No need to say it aloud that your visitors won’t be able to connect with those photos. It’s better to do away with them.
However, some small businesses might find it a tad expensive to hire professional photographers for the visual content of the website. In that case, you have to do a little more research for the photos and find out those stock captures that manage to look realistic and complement your website and brand. But those will be few far few- so, if you use stock photos, try to limit their numbers on your site.
Still, have Adobe Flash?!? Please, you can do better
Adobe Flash is way past its prime. Alas, some websites still have that. Is yours one of them? Please don’t let it be.
Did you know Adobe has recently announced cutting support for the Flash? Yes, it’s true, and if Adobe is lifting up the support, then Flash won’t be a legit option anymore.
So, you have got the drift by now- if Adobe doesn’t want to support Flash, you too should look elsewhere.
The good part is, there is no lack of alternative options. Browse through your competitors’ websites to check out the options. Please don’t get it wrong here- it’s not about following the trends blindly- rather it’s about choosing a modernized option that can assure more efficiency.
Sloth websites are pure bore
We can’t put the blame on just desktop websites only, mobile-based websites too have been charged guilty of being a sloth. Historically, the mobile versions used to be more challenging to optimize in comparison to the desktop counterparts. However, if you can manage to get hold of a skilled programmer now, s/he can help you with a smart website boasting a fast loading speed.
Some industry experts are of the opinion that a PWA could be more responsive, regardless of the strength of the Wi-Fi connection. We all know Wi-Fi connectivity won’t be really great all the time, no matter wherever you stay in this big broad world. Thus, you need to make sure your site is able to load faster despite poor Wi-Fi connectivity.
Debunk the 3-click rule
Traditional logic was that a website visitor must make 3 clicks maximum to reach a certain bit of information. However, recent findings have debunked this rule and you should too.
The wisest thing to do here is to take into account all peculiarities of the series of clicks your visitor might get through for reaching the desired page on your website. If there is actually a need to make his/her from one point to another (across your site) longer, do it. But if not, don’t stretch it keep it short.
Don’t forget, user convenience is the ultimate maxim here and in every design you create, and every step you take should follow that very maxim to the T.
Keyword meta – do you really need it?
Web designers have long been stuffing up websites with unnecessary elements. One of them is a meta tag for keywords. Please refrain from using it today because the leading search engines do not approve of it.
We would like to nudge you to browse your website one more time to check out the unnecessary stuff still lying across your site. You might come across some long-forgotten plugins that you don’t use anymore. Worse, some of these might make the site more vulnerable to evil hackers. So, don’t just deactivate them, simply delete them.
Final words
The web design world is a fast-evolving space. One trend that was novel and edgy 5 years back might not offer the same vibes right now. So, you need to keep on updating your website design after certain intervals to ensure a cutting-edge and seamless browsing experience for your visitors.
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