5 top design tips for start-ups

5 top design tips for start-ups

It only takes a few seconds to form an opinion about a company website and decide whether to stick with it or leave it. To keep visitors on your site for more than a minute, the design, interaction, and content must be interesting. That way, they can find out how your service or product can provide them with the solutions they need. Did you know that the design of a website decisively determines the credibility of a company? In fact, 75% of the credibility is based on the design of the website.

To be successful, a startup must create an online presence, which is impossible without an appealing website. But what makes people want to visit them? A website must look fantastic and offer excellent usability to achieve engagement and higher conversions. In the end, the design of a page has a direct impact on the company. That's why we're taking a look at the 5 hottest design tips for startups.

1. Keep things clear and simple for the ultimate user experience

The simple design of your website plays a crucial role in getting customers to buy the product you offer. A minimalistic approach increases your startup's professionalism and requires a good first impression, through legible text, easy navigation and an attractive look. Did you know that 88% of online users of a website stop returning if they had a bad experience? To provide users with a smooth and engaging experience, you need to provide a positive user interface that encourages potential customers to make decisions and deliver information pleasantly and without pressure. So remember this important tip to help you retain happy customers and increase your return on investment.

2. Your brand ID

Do you have any idea what it means to have a strong brand identity? Do you know how important it is for your business to survive? Almost a third of people will stop engaging with a website if its branding isn't appealing. It's imperative that you address your brand's unique qualities, characteristics, and solutions to create a unique identity and promote it to a world of competing companies.

The visual representation of your brand identity on your website is an expression of your company. Your logo and message should harmonize and reflect each other, and be unique to fully represent the essence of your company. Research some of the best logo designs before you or a web design agency start designing. Branding enables your visitors to get to know your company through associations and increases brand quality and brand trust. Using brand identity consistently across platforms and channels can increase your website conversions.

3. Ready, set, call-to-action (CTA)

It's surprising that 70% of small business websites don't have a call to action (CTA) on their homepage or on their entire website. When you're designing a new website, it's important to direct your users to a specific product or service, and you can do that with an appropriate CTA button. Some examples include “Free Trial,” “Submit,” “Click to Save,” “Buy Now,” or “Get Access Now.” That CTA must be easy to find and accessible to give your website visitors a sense of urgency and then convince them why they should buy your product or service.

It is appalling that 73% of websites do not have a call-to-action (CTA). In doing so, they not only miss out on valuable data, but also on sales. However, if your website comes with a CTA, you have a clear advantage over your competitors who don't have a CTA. To successfully implement this, your CTAs should be formulated clearly and powerfully. Support them with other design elements such as white space, colors and contrasts, as well as the content of your page to guide your users to the desired action.

4. Content control

It is of great importance to present high-quality content on your website as it plays a crucial role. The quality of your web texts and content significantly influences your ability to attract visitors and arouse their interest in your offers. It's been proven that 41% of people leave a website when the content is overbearing and boring. The usefulness of the content for the visitor and design elements such as readability are decisive for how easy it is for the user to understand your product or service. When your website's text readability is high, your visitors can thoroughly search your website content and easily absorb information about your company's products and services.

The well-being of the customer is the focus when it comes to smooth navigation and eye-friendly design. The aim is to create an all-round positive experience. An experienced web design team not only guarantees optimal implementation, but also ensures that visitors stay relaxed and satisfied on your site. In short, your website is being perfected.

5. Visual design trends to get to the heart of your startup

Did you know that almost half of all consumers make their purchase decisions based on the visual appeal and aesthetics of a website? Studies have shown that visual design is almost as important as its functionality when designing a website. An aesthetically appealing user experience can help convert visitors into customers. Modern website designers are true artists in making websites functional and clear without sacrificing creativity.

- Using AI and machine learning for web design

Responsibility for current website design trends can now be attributed to machines, whether you love them or hate them. Thanks to artificial intelligence and machine learning, algorithms can now make decisions that used to be exclusively in human hands. While this might sound like a recipe for disaster at first, it could actually lead to amazing results, as machines won't get distracted or tired and can process huge amounts of data faster than humans. In the area of website design, AI and machine learning are becoming the secret ingredients that take us to the next level by finding solutions we wouldn't normally think of.

- Minimalist design with clean lines and simple typography

The development of digitization is having an impact on design trends. The popularity of minimalism has meant that busy, cluttered styles have been replaced by simpler ones. This change is also due to the changing needs of consumers, who are looking for designs that are easy to control. Technological advancements (such as AI) have also influenced this trend. As monitors become more sophisticated, web designers can experiment with simpler layouts and surprising typography, resulting in more eye-catching and intuitive design solutions.

- More color, more gradients, and duotones

By adding color, you can improve the look of a monotonous product and give it a sense of vibrancy and energy that monochrome designs lack. Both color gradients and duotones, when used cleverly, can add a deeper level of richness to an otherwise flat design. In 2023, these visual design trends will be everywhere as companies invest in web redesign to stay on top of design trends and attract more users.

- The rise of interactive elements: animations and video backgrounds

No one wants to look at an entertaining site. Animated and video elements are a great way to keep users' attention, as they give them movement and depth, highlight important information, and give them something fun. They can bring a page to life and really improve the user experience. If you want to upgrade your website, you should therefore make use of animations and videos.

- VR virtual reality & AR augmented reality for site design

Although virtual reality (VR) is still primarily used for entertainment and gaming purposes, augmented reality (AR) is now also being used for web design applications. With AR, interactive 3D models can be created that can be displayed on a website. For example, users can see what a new car or piece of furniture in a room would look like. In addition, virtual tours through websites can be created to help future customers get an idea of the website. Thanks to virtual and augmented reality, users can enjoy an immersive and interactive website design.

- Advances in responsive design, including any screen size

Nowadays, more and more people spend their time online and companies are increasingly switching to the Internet to do business. For this reason, responsive design is more important for websites than ever before. It ensures that the website is easy to navigate and use regardless of device or screen size. In addition, it ensures that the website loads quickly and efficiently, which is particularly important as many people access the Internet with their mobile phones these days. Mobile optimization is therefore essential. In summary, responsive design is no longer just an option, but a necessity.

conclusion

The year 2023 brings an exciting phase in web design. We will continue to work on design aspects such as UX, brand identity and content, but we will also see a turnaround. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are increasingly being used to create sophisticated designs. Minimalistic designs with simple typography and clear lines will reflect the needs of users in everyday life and thus have an impact. Users are also encouraged to actively interact on websites.

The year 2023 will be characterized by a wealth of colors and their fascinating nuances. Gradients and duotones will play an important role in web design in particular. Interactive elements that rely on animations and video backgrounds are also becoming increasingly popular. Finally, virtual reality and augmented reality are making their way into the exciting world of website design. Use these exciting trends to present your startup company and inspire your users.