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Are your website conversions in decline? Or are you considering a UX design refresh before there’s a problem? Many web development trends in 2017 are focusing on this results-centric issue. And there are some fun new trends that will boost your conversions and sales out there. Here are seven of our current favorite options.
1. The Long Scroll
As web usage shifts more and more from desktop to mobile, so does web development. With almost 70% of the country using smartphones to access the web, it’s no surprise users have gotten very comfortable with scrolling through web content.
This has made “above the fold” website real estate slightly less valuable. Instead, focus has shifted to telling a compelling story — overcoming objections, showing social proof, etc. — as the user scrolls down the webpage. Can you solicit a conversion in a single page? Some are saying yes.
2. Skeleton Screens
Another UX design trend picking up steam in 2017 is skeleton screens. Designer Luke Wroblewski came up with this subtle feature nearly four years ago, but it has really taken off this year. If you’ve recently used LinkedIn’s mobile app, you’ve seen this feature in action.
Basically, a skeleton screen is a content page that loads in stages. So, an image or text content box may load a grey block or circle first moments before the actual website content appears. Psychologically this makes page loads feel faster for your customers, potentially lowering your bounce rate and consequently boosting conversions.
3. Chatbots
Chatbots have been around since Clippy the Microsoft Word paperclip ages ago. But today, they’re more sophisticated and more engaging. Bots can be used for customer service, lead generation, sales, and more. Check out our recent post all about this cool new tool.
4. Shopping Cart Marketing
A number of new features are in the ecommerce niche, like shopping cart marketing tools. As any business owner knows, it’s more work to sell to a new customer than an existing customer. Shopping cart widgets can offer upsells, cross-sells, and bundled offers right on your checkout webpage. The resulting ROI can be a 10-30% boost in sales.
5. Exit Overlay Offers
Similarly, a lot of sites are reinventing the exit intent overlays — those “annoying” popup messages that appear as you go to close out an ecommerce tab. These tools are getting a makeover primarily because users find them annoying, even though they often lead to more conversions.
The change for 2017 is to offer something of value in such messages without visible strings — such as an offer for free shipping, a free trial, or a coupon code. If your customer takes the bait, you can always ask for their email at checkout.
6. Animated CTA Buttons
Speaking of popups, motion is gaining a lot of traction in the UX design world right now. Before you offer a last-chance deal with an exit overlay, consider getting your visitor’s attention with an animated call-to-action button. Now go easy here with the animation — there’s always some guy who overdoes it — a slight shimmy or color shift every few seconds is all it takes to get eyes on the most important button on your webpage.
7. Cinemagraph Hero Images
Lastly, another unique moving UX trend to watch out for is the cinemagraph. As the name implies, a cinemagraph is part movie, part photograph. Here’s a nice YouTube compilation to get you up to speed.
As a hero image, cinemagraphs amplify the effect of large, immersive photos that catch a website visitor’s attention. Add a CTA button on top for maximum conversions.