{"id":42216,"date":"2023-10-20T15:19:35","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:19:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/startupsmart.test\/2023\/10\/20\/five-web-design-trends-that-every-start-up-should-heed-startupsmart\/"},"modified":"2023-10-20T15:19:35","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:19:35","slug":"five-web-design-trends-that-every-start-up-should-heed-startupsmart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/uncategorized\/five-web-design-trends-that-every-start-up-should-heed-startupsmart\/","title":{"rendered":"Five web design trends that every start-up should heed – StartupSmart"},"content":{"rendered":"
When Melbourne-based web business RedBubble decided it was time for a revamp of its site, the process wasn\u2019t a quick and easy one.<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The business, which acts as an online marketplace for artistic creations, spent 18 months rethinking its strategy from top to bottom before deciding upon a new look.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n RedBubble\u2019s approach may seem time consuming, but it\u2019s indicative of a trend that no start-up can ignore, even if doesn\u2019t consider the internet to be its primary channel.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The days of being able to simply slap your brand online and hope for the sales to start flowing in are long gone. Small businesses not only have to get themselves online \u2013 which is still a struggle for many Australian SMEs \u2013 but closely follow what consumers are reacting well to, or get left behind.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBusinesses tend to think about functionality first, but beyond that you need to have some sort of emotional connection with your customers,\u201d says Martin Hosking, CEO of RedBubble. \u201cThat\u2019s been the case since the first automobiles came along and is the case now.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFacebook is a functional, but people connect to it, so goes Groupon \u2013 it\u2019s very clear what it is, how people can get value from it. They focus on making the experience good.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So how do you get this kind of engagement with customers? Adam Franklin, head of digital agency BlueWire Media, says that the best sites are moving towards a simplicity in look and feel that start-ups would do well to ape.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAround 75% of people look for information when they go to sites, so sites that have a simple path towards the information they need do well, as do sites with blogs,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIf customers can make a purchase decision on the first visit, that\u2019s great, but usually they need education. Therefore, the best sites do that first step of education very well \u2013 they are clear as to what they are and who they are for, they have resources such as eBooks, market reports and other downloads. They don\u2019t bombard people with options.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We asked Hosking and Franklin to pick out the key trends currently taking hold in the web design industry. Here are their essential lessons.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n1. Clutter is going<\/h2>\n