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Website Design Trends

Share the goods.

Teal background with red hearts and a "Log In" website button and a text overlay, "Website design trends we love."

Do you even exist if you don’t have a website? The answer is no, which is why we are writing another blog on website trends and user experience. We tapped our resident experts on the team, and their exact response was, “this is great, I love talking about web design!” We hope we can match their enthusiasm in this blog.

Trends

When looking at design, these are the current trends we’re really digging.

  • Micro-interactions: This is using small amounts of animation to really bring a site to life. These can range from button-hover animations, to having the background move with the mouse as it crosses the screen. They can add huge amounts of dynamism to any website, even if the content is a little dry. Be careful to not overdo it as animations can slow down a page, especially on mobile. 
  • Hero images: These are front-page images that tend to cover the entire screen. On mobile, they often feature a clear CTA for the interaction a user should take. Integrating these with micro-animations boosts the engagement on a website significantly.
  • Video hero: Videos can be great as heroes, especially if a site can’t handle animations. However, be sure to embed the video from elsewhere instead of uploading it directly to the site. Big files like that can slow download times. It’s also a great idea to include a play/pause button on mobile and/or provide an image to load instead on devices or connections that might not be able to support a video.

User Experience

Two words—mobile friendly. Google only cares about how your site performs on mobile. That means it can be beautiful on a desktop, but if it loads slowly or offers a poor user experience on mobile, you’ll get penalized. That could even mean the difference between the first and second page of search results. 

Here are other things to consider when it comes to UI design.

  • Navigation: Understanding what a client will WANT to do on any given page is imperative.  For example, we recently checked out a portfolio website that began as a gallery, where each image was clickable. Once they clicked into an image, they got a case study. When the viewer reaches the end of the case study, rather than having a button to click back to the gallery, they simply have the gallery layout again. It becomes a seamless experience that keeps users engaged longer.
  • User testing: People often think about websites as a series of pages, but they’re really more of a journey. That’s why user testing is a great practice. Get someone to visit a site, and see where they go. Notice if they have to keep clicking back to a specific page or drop down to access the information they need. Is there a better way to present this information? What about a button or an accordion? It may even be as simple as an auto-redirect to the main page, like in the example above.
  • Just click it: Clickable elements are great on a desktop site; users can simply click on something to open it up. However, on mobile, if that item takes up the full screen, it’s likely that your user is going to have to swipe up to get past it, and that’s just a recipe for clicking on something accidentally. Be kind to your mobile users. Offer a hamburger menu and maybe even a button that will jump them to the bottom or top of your page.
  • Foot(er): People often overlook their footers. Footers are the chunk of information at the bottom of the design that appears on every or nearly every page of the site. A sleek footer on desktop could translate to multiple screens worth of information on a phone. 

Users should have a clear set of actions to take on your website. If they reach a page with information but no call to action or links, it’s not clear where to go next. Visualize the journey you want your visitors to take.

One last tip. Say you just installed a bunch of awesome animations, but you’re afraid your site might be slow. Easy. Pop your URL in here. This will show you how quickly your site loads on mobile and desktop, and even offer you tips on how to improve your score.

Here’s the deal, we’re the experts so just reach out, and we’ll make sure your website is bold, responsive, mobile-friendly and user friendly.

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FUN FACT FRIDAY: It’s only fitting for us to own a building where a trailblazing female operated her businesses in 1906. The Phillips family represented one of the longest-running retail tenures in Grand Rapids history; L.E. Phillips Jewelry in the 1365 Plainfield Ave. building from 1906 until 1973.
Dr. Eva Phillips, a certified and licensed optometrist ran her practice out of the jewelry store’s secondary parlor and was an equal partner in the jewelry store.

Together, they offered a unique one-stop shot which expanded to include appliances, record players, and more. The couple operated the shop through two World Wars and the Great Depression, acting as the neighborhood matriarch and patriarch.

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FUN FACT FRIDAY: It’s only fitting for us to own a building where a trailblazing female operated her businesses in 1906. The Phillips family represented one of the longest-running retail tenures in Grand Rapids history; L.E. Phillips Jewelry in the 1365 Plainfield Ave. building from 1906 until 1973. Dr. Eva Phillips, a certified and licensed optometrist ran her practice out of the jewelry store’s secondary parlor and was an equal partner in the jewelry store. Together, they offered a unique one-stop shot which expanded to include appliances, record players, and more. The couple operated the shop through two World Wars and the Great Depression, acting as the neighborhood matriarch and patriarch. @crestongr @crestoncorridor @crestongrandrapids @citygrandrapids @grandrapidspubliclibrary

Have you tuned into The Happy Hour Hustle Podcast yet?
If not, a) you’re missing out and b) you need to follow immediately. Hosted by @bodespeaks, episodes drop every other week, and feature some pretty bada$$ guests if we do say so ourselves.

This week, Kim sits down with @kelsey_orchard , VP of Marketing and Communications at @fifthwheelfreight to chat building a personal brand, Gen Z entering the workforce, misconceptions about logistics, spotting fake LinkedIn profiles – oh and why your GPA doesn’t matter anymore.

Grab a watermelon margarita, sit back and enjoy for lots of laughs and real talk.

Listen now at the link in bio.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18112263326023209
Have you tuned into The Happy Hour Hustle Podcast yet? If not, a) you’re missing out and b) you need to follow immediately. Hosted by @bodespeaks, episodes drop every other week, and feature some pretty bada$$ guests if we do say so ourselves. This week, Kim sits down with @kelsey_orchard , VP of Marketing and Communications at @fifthwheelfreight to chat building a personal brand, Gen Z entering the workforce, misconceptions about logistics, spotting fake LinkedIn profiles – oh and why your GPA doesn’t matter anymore. Grab a watermelon margarita, sit back and enjoy for lots of laughs and real talk. Listen now at the link in bio.

National Perimenopause Month starts today. We have a LOT to say, and we’re not going to be quiet about it, especially this month, so buckle up.

We were not prepared for perimenopause, much like our periods, sex, or anything else to do with our bodies. God forbid we talk about it openly.

We were taught to be ashamed, keep quiet, and to accept that it is just part of being a woman. We reject that narrative. In fact, like @bodespeaks, we want to bring it up in every conversation.

When we normalize perimenopause and the conversation around it, we stop isolating, and we’re all more prepared.
Join us for Uncomfortable Conversations: The Pause on September 24th — a powerful conversation hosted alongside the @smallbusinessassocofmichigan
Women’s Business Council, featuring some kicka$$ experts who will give you the real talk on perimenopause (more to come on them later).

Register at the link in bio.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18132641716644887
National Perimenopause Month starts today. We have a LOT to say, and we’re not going to be quiet about it, especially this month, so buckle up. We were not prepared for perimenopause, much like our periods, sex, or anything else to do with our bodies. God forbid we talk about it openly. We were taught to be ashamed, keep quiet, and to accept that it is just part of being a woman. We reject that narrative. In fact, like @bodespeaks, we want to bring it up in every conversation. When we normalize perimenopause and the conversation around it, we stop isolating, and we’re all more prepared. Join us for Uncomfortable Conversations: The Pause on September 24th — a powerful conversation hosted alongside the @smallbusinessassocofmichigan Women’s Business Council, featuring some kicka$$ experts who will give you the real talk on perimenopause (more to come on them later). Register at the link in bio.

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Introducing the Women`s Owners Network - a new program built for what comes first, joining our proven Fellowship model to support Michigan women at every stage of business ownership.

Whether you`ve got a team of 10 or it`s just you and your laptop, you deserve a room full of women who get it.

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You`ll have your own board of directors in your corner, including @bodespeaks plus a group of mentors, instructors, and coaches who`ve been exactly where you are.

Applications due October 1. Apply now at the link in bio.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18089775152664042
You asked, we delivered. Introducing the Women's Owners Network - a new program built for what comes first, joining our proven Fellowship model to support Michigan women at every stage of business ownership. Whether you've got a team of 10 or it's just you and your laptop, you deserve a room full of women who get it. Six months of leadership, finance, operations, capital access, paired with real support for the isolation, emotional volatility, and decision fatigue that come with owning your own business. You'll have your own board of directors in your corner, including @bodespeaks plus a group of mentors, instructors, and coaches who've been exactly where you are. Applications due October 1. Apply now at the link in bio.
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