August 2014: Zen and the Art of Website Design

The five most rev-worthy trends in website design

With fall just around the corner, it’s time to shift gears. Fall is a time of renewal, a time to spruce things up. As the hub of your online marketing, what could be more worthy of a makeover than your website?

Even if you don’t live on the Internet, you have probably noticed that website design trends have undergone a drastic change in the last year, and it’s more than possible that yours is in need of restoration.

Why is this important? Because consumers equate the quality of your website with the quality of your practice. It may be unfair, but if your website is outdated or behind the times, potential patients generally assume the same is true of you.

Here are five of the hottest new trends you can take advantage of to enhance your site and your image.

1. “Flat Design”

With Apple’s launch of iOS7, the design world was introduced to “flat design,” a realm void of standard design elements such as gradients, shadows and just about any other design element you can imagine. As Apple goes, so goes the world — and thus it should come as no surprise that flat design is now all the rage. We expect this trend to continue.

2. Large “Hero” Areas

Hero area? That’s right, this is the name of a portion of your homepage — specifically, the intro portion at the top, which often consists of an image with a small amount of text. Large hero areas may just be the top trend in website design. We don’t see this ending any time soon, because they allow for more creativity and, more importantly, are a highly effective method of capturing visitors’ attention.

3. Focus on Mobile

With so many mobile devices now able to access the Internet, more and more people are using these devices (in lieu of their computers) to browse online. According to PEW research, 91 percent of American adults have cell phones and over 50 percent have tablets or e-readers (or both). Designers have responded to this important trend with creative strategies to make websites adaptable to a variety of devices. The two most effective mobile design options you should consider are 1) a responsive design for your main website and/or 2) a dedicated mobile site. Both of these options facilitate the browsing experience and ensure that your practice website is seen by the exponentially increasing number of potential patients who use mobile devices to search online.

4. Long, Scrolling Sites

For a number of reasons, such as the ease of scrolling on mobile devices, long, scrolling sites are becoming more and more popular. These are not the tedious long-scrolling sites you might remember from years past, but rather a new breed of site characterized by less content that is more organized. New methods of Web design make it possible to design a long-scrolling site that is highly appealing to users.

5. Manipulated Imagery

In the age of one-touch cell phone filters, in which a photo isn’t a photo without a filter, it was only a matter of time before websites began to adopt this effect. Enter the burgeoning trend of manipulated imagery; where color overlays, blurred images and other manipulations are now being used to quickly create a mood or deliver a message. Taking advantage of this trend is an easy way to steer your website in the right direction.

Contact Ceatus to find out how you can cruise into the new season with a sleek and high-performing new website.

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