As we move into a new year it’s only natural that as a company designing websites for financial advisors that we take a long, hard look at the upcoming trends in web design. Long gone are the days of only gaining leads for your advisor business off of referrals. Most advisors now know that in order to compete in this day and age, they need to create a website that draws in potential clients and excites them. That’s why it is so important to keep up with the latest happenings in web design.
It seems that the themes change every year when it comes to what we can expect in web design, and 2019 is no different! We are excited to share with you today what seems to be a great mix of both technology and aesthetics. So, read on for the top 10 trends to look out for in 2019 in order to take your financial advisor website to the next level!
1. Serif Fonts 🔤
Sans has usually been the “go-to” font when it comes to your website. It is clear, crisp and easy to read, so when there are large chunks of copy on your webpage, that is still the font of choice. However, brands are turning towards bold serifs in other parts of their pages, such as in headers and callouts. By nature, serifs are seen as more decorative, so that is a great reason to use them in order to draw attention to a certain aspect on your page!
2. Black-and-White Palettes 🔲
Generally, color is one of the most important parts of a website. It captures the reader’s attention and can set the tone and mood for how a visitor feels about the website. When there is an absence of color, this can be seen as bold and daring and set the tone even more.
White by itself is clean and crisp, and black is a bold choice. When you combine these two, it really makes for an impressive statement for your advisor site. You are already setting yourself apart from other companies with this simple lack of color!
If you decide to go the route of black-and-white images, then when you do add a pop of color, it can serve as a great way to call attention to something, so be sure to do it on something, such as a call-to-action (CTA) button or something that requires action from your visitors.
3. Natural, Organic Shapes 🌱
In the past, we have seen the use of geometric shapes and strong corners and lines. In 2019, the trend tends to be going for smoother, natural and more organic shapes. This creates a sense of comfort and ease when clicking through pages, making the reader feel more at home almost immediately when checking out your website.
These types of shapes are naturally rounded and asymmetrical, so like the pops of color in a black-and-white palette, as mentioned above, they are meant to make certain parts of your website stand out. Many of the designs appear as though they could be “made in nature,” and the goal here is for your web design to feel “human” through the movement of the images.
4. Glitch Art 🎨
What exactly is glitch art you might ask? Well, it’s the practice of using digital or analog errors for aesthetic purposes by either messing up digital data manipulating electronic devices.
With technology, computers and mobile devices being such a HUGE part of our society, these days, we pretty much can’t live without them, however, we constantly feel as though they could shut down on us at any moment. Therefore, this breakdown of technology can make it intriguing, as it can be seen as art and draws our eye towards it, as we know it’s something is bound to be a part of the design at some point.
5. Micro-Interactions 👍
Micro-interactions are events to surprise the user by creating an event that humanizes the brand. It’s as simple as taking a small action, and because of it, there is a small response on your website. It can be as simple as refreshing the page and then hearing a small beep when you do this. They have been relatively low-key, but in 2019 you can expect a little bit more, such as animations, chimes and more!
Overall, this is a way to get your audience involved and show them the actions and usage of the visitor on the site.
6. Rise in Bots 🤖
It seems that every day, the business world is moving faster and faster. People want their questions answered, and they want it NOW. Towards the end of 2018, chatbots and live chat systems were a trend we started to see integrated into more and more advisor websites, but in 2019 they are really going to shine through!
The new chatbots will be showing up more and more on web pages with higher levels of customization and ways to make your advisor site much more efficient. Chatbots basically serve as a “personal assistant” for your website by humanizing it and allowing questions to get answered much quicker.
7. MORE Video Content 📹
Integrating video onto your website is nothing new, but it is a strong design aspect that can set you apart from your competitors. Are you looking for unique ways to reach out to prospects? Using this can help you gain trust in your network while sharing important financial information. Not only does it diversify the page but caters to the type of audience that doesn’t want to read through a lot of long, wordy text.
If you haven’t already, it’s time to start prioritizing video production in order to make yourself easily searchable and to offer the most content in the most efficient, shareable way.
8. Minimalism is 🔑
Minimalism is one of the most classic go-to trends on a website. When there are too many flashy pieces and moving parts to a website, that can be distracting. A visitor may go in with an idea of what they want to do, but with too many links to click and buttons to push, they may quickly forget what they came for! If a website is designed in the right way, it will show the user exactly what they are looking for.
Animations and effects that make scrolling more engaging will give web pages the ability to space out their content which will result in more white space, ultimately allowing for fewer distractions and a more clear point of what needs to be done.
9. Mobile-Friendly📱
If you’ve been following our blog this trend is one that we’ve shared multiple times and it isn’t going anywhere: be sure your site is mobile friendly. We can’t say it enough, it’s so necessary!
In 2018, 52.2% of all worldwide online traffic was generated through mobile phones.
-statista
So what does this mean for you as a financial advisor? If you want to interact fully with prospective clients, your website HAS to be mobile-friendly. If you don’t already have a mobile-friendly website, then this is the year to make that change! Since people rely on their phones for so much these days, everything from emails to marketing to planning must be optimized for mobile.
Not only is it important to be mobile friendly but it’s equally as important to have a site that is fully responsive. In other words, your website should change to fit the screen it’s displayed on, no matter if you’re viewing on desktop, tablet, mobile, etc. That way, users will be able to access your website and content properly on the go.
At Twenty Over Ten, we are dedicated to creating websites that are beautiful and created with a mobile-first approach. You will find that all of our frameworks are mobile responsive and offer your site visitors a seamless experience regardless of the device a user views your website on.
10. Keep it Diverse 🌍
The internet connects billions of people all around the world from different cultures, abilities, ages and genders.
Something as small as the inclusiveness of emojis on iPhones does a good job of making more people feel included rather than just one blanket skin tone. In 2019, you should see web designers make even more a step towards inclusiveness, from improved accessibility to diverse imagery. There is still a long way to go, but this year, web designers are looking to make it more of a change!
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