10 web design and UX trends to boost conversions in 2017

Today's guest post and infographic are from Wes McDowell, Head of Web Strategy at The Deep End. Enjoy!

With the new year just around the corner, web designers and UX experts are looking toward 2017. Every year brings new design trends. But while it’s nice to see what’s happening design-wise, are any of these trends actually useful? It turns out that some things we can expect to see in 2017 have some serious potential to increase conversions on almost any website.

That’s the topic of this infographic from the team at The Deep End, revealing 10 trends for 2017 that will ensure success.

2017 Web Design & UX Trends to Boost Conversions  – an infographic by The Deep End Web Consulting

Trend 1: Age-responsive design

Why it converts: It figures that different age groups will have a distinct response to images and other aesthetics. With rich metadata, you can nail conversions by doing a better job of reaching your target audience by adjusting content to different age groups.

Trend 2: Skeleton screens

Why they convert: Skeleton screens are useful because they enhance the perception of speed as a site is loading. Web visitors are more likely to convert when they feel like they got the information they were seeking more quickly.

Trend 3: Engagement bots

Why they convert: One of the advantages of chatbots is that they’re on the job 24/7. No matter when your customer might make it to your site, your trusty little bot is ready to engage. Whether you’re making a direct sale or trying to develop leads, a bot can provide answers to questions and consumer confidence leads to conversions.

Trend 4: Shopping cart marketing

Why it converts: An average of 10 to 30% of e-commerce revenue comes from upsells and cross-sales, so it makes sense to make offers during checkout to get customers to make an add-on purchase.

Trend 5: Animated CTA buttons

Why they convert: The CTA button should be the hero of any web page. By using simple animation, you can call attention to it quite effectively. But resist the urge to go overboard — a subtle movement every few seconds has been shown to get attention without being annoying.

Trend 6: Cinemagraph hero images

Why they convert: Part video, part photo, cinemagraphs are eye-catching and still unusual enough to catch people’s attention. And getting a prospect’s attention is the first step to conversion. Team up a cinemagraph with a powerful CTA and grow your conversions!

Trend 7: Persuader videos

Why they convert: Forget explaining—that ship has sailed. Instead, use real people in videos that make a sincere effort to persuade by demonstrating the use of your product along with a testimonial. That’s just one of many ways you can use video to overcome objections and get prospects to click your CTA button.

Trend 8: Value based exit overlays

Why they convert: Admit it—when you’re getting ready to leave a site, and something pops up, it can be annoying. Unless you’re really interested, you probably won’t fill out a form and leave your email address. But what if it's an unexpected bonus? A discount, free shipping, or other gifts will get your attention, especially when it’s not bugging you to sign up for future marketing. Such offers get attention and increase conversions.

Trend 9: Death of the homepage

Why it converts: Of course you need a homepage. But you’ll make far more conversions if you direct your marketing efforts to several landing pages, each carefully crafted to reach a specific audience with an offer they can’t resist. This approach is almost magic!

Trend 10: Scrolling trumps navigation

Why it converts: Forget everything you thought you knew about placing important elements “above the fold.” Instead, put everything your prospect will need to make a decision on one page and entice visitors to continue scrolling as you direct them towards conversion.