Small businesses form an integral part of our economy; we can’t run away from this fact. Such businesses provide services and products that meet the local needs. Promoting small businesses and getting their messages to the targeted audience is one of the most challenging aspects of running these businesses. Given the limited resources available, many business people find it difficult to promote their small enterprises.

Today, many small businesses seeking to expand their online presence have embraced the use of websites. Unlike other websites, however, sites for small businesses should be designed differently in order to have a competitive edge over their bigger rivals. The evolution of small enterprises web design has ushered in its own trends. Which are the most dominant ones? Let’s walk through them.

• Limited use of custom code

Initially, web design involved hiring of tech gurus and design firms. Consequently, many people found it expensive to design and difficult to maintain. Today, the trend of drag and drop web design is picking up fast. Non-tech savvy businesspeople have now embraced do-it-yourself web design, a trend that is threatening the existence of major web design firms. For any business that is able to accomplish front-end design with limited custom codes, the future couldn’t be any brighter.

• Embracing Internet of things

We must agree that the internet of things has catapulted web design to a completely new level. A recent survey by Technavio suggests that IoT will have grown by nearly 32% percent by 2019 due to the fact that the use of smart devices has improved significantly. Linking several smart objects to the internet allows a seamless exchange of data, something that wasn’t guaranteed before. With the number of internet-enabled devices increasing by the day, it is only realistic to say that web developers will come with upgraded solutions to ease communication and control of such equipment. Ideally, web design trends for small businesses in the near future will closely follow the rapid growth of IoT.

• Time for B2B Takeover

Over the past few years, a greater part of e-commerce advancement has taken place in the consumer market. Many brands have taken advantage of this to create a wonderful buying experience for their customers. According to Foox, the next couple of years will see tremendous growth happen in B2B marketing. Many small businesses are now taking advantage of modern technology to create websites that customers find easy to navigate. Consequently, customers will be able to buy as much goods from such B2B websites as it would have been the case for larger B2C e-commerce sites such as Amazon.

• Enhanced Responsiveness

Responsive web design has become a popular trend in the last few years. The continuous growth of mobile phone usage has created new markets for small businesses. For many small businesses, making their website more mobile-friendly is a top priority. With such trends, users now find it easy to do local searches and navigate several websites using their mobile devices. For any small entity that wants to make it in the highly competitive business arena, embracing responsive web design is something you must do. You can engage a competent Web Design Company to serve you.

• Full screen forms

You must have seen this severally. Instead of having separate pages for online forms, many businesses now prefer having pop-up screens. This trend has made such forms more legible and easier to interact with. It also reduces cluttering, giving the user a better interaction interface with such forms. Small businesses have taken advantage of pop-up forms to collect essential information more easily than ever before. For those who are able to manipulate the presentation of such forms through effective web design, the future of their businesses is promising.

• Infographics

Many small businesses have come to realize the essence of incorporating infographics on their websites. According to a research by 3M Corporation, 90% of information conveyed to the brain is visual. Businesspeople that are able to take advantage of that simple fact have everything to gain. That explains why small businesses’ websites that have invested in infographics enjoy 12% higher profits than those that don’t.

In small businesses, there is no better way of displaying statistics and raising awareness than using infographics. You can always take advantage of that to ensure the right message gets to the right audience in the most desirable way.

Conclusion

Websites are here to stay. In the next couple of years, they will continue to grow. For small enterprises that are able to embrace new web design trends, the future is promising. At times, all you need to do to get your business to the next level is to keep your website up to date with the latest web design trends. Does your site conform to the latest web design trends? Maybe it is time you found out!