What 2021 B2B web design trends will see the most traction?
To find out, we asked more than 10 B2B marketing professionals what they think.
According to these experts, some of the biggest web design trends for 2021 include dark mode and chatbots.
Lucas Robinson, Crediful
Some companies are starting to offer dark mode versions of their website, and I believe that this website design trend will continue to grow in 2021.
Dark mode, night shift, and other low light user interface options provide users with a low-contrast site or app that is easier to view in low light environments. Here are some of the main reasons that designers love dark mode:
- It looks super-modern. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Apple are just a few big brand names that offer alternative themes in their platforms.
- It highlights and enables other design elements to pop.
- It can even save device battery power!
- It reduces eye strain in low-light conditions. Think about how many of us scroll through our phones at night when we’re meant to be sleeping.
Many platforms provide users with the ability to choose when to switch to dark mode. Apple users can even schedule times to change their device to dark mode automatically.
Hew Blair, Justerini & Brooks Ltd.
One of 2021’s most leading web design trends will be the use of bold colors and unusual color combinations that perfectly blend with each other to catch users’ eyes.
Bright, saturated colors also support your brand to stand out from the minimalist designs of previous years.
To succeed in fulfilling this trend, you shouldn’t be afraid to try new things. intense colors, glowing shades, and unusual color pairings will surely stick in the memory of your website visitors.
Blake Bobit, Solution Scout
In May 2021, Google will update its search algorithm to use page experience signals. When all other factors are equal, page experience will become much more important to rank in search. Google will continue to try to rank the pages with the best information.
You should still create great content, but you need to make sure your page experience is on point. Mobile user experience needs to be prioritized.
This update favors B2B marketers and designers on the leading edge: Those that use responsive design, AMP pages, HTTPS, CDNs, and robust hosting environments.
Nina Jensen, 8×8, Inc.
One of the hottest web design trends we are anticipating for 2021 is dark mode. More companies will be switching their websites and apps to include a dark theme for their users. Not only is it a striking way to make your website or blog instantly stand out from others, but it is generally easier on people’s eyes than the standard light theme.
Users also tend to appreciate the ability to choose between light or dark mode because they often greatly prefer one mode more than the other. Dark mode can improve battery life on many devices.
Lastly, it looks very stylish and futuristic.
Ottomatis Peura, Speechly
Continued trends in web design for 2021 are clarity, consistency, simplicity, and speed. One of the most revolutionary trends in 2021, however, is speech recognition APIs like the one we design to navigate websites and applications.
Kate Diaz, Swanky Den
I think that a compelling statement through web design will be one of the trends for B2B in 2021. We’ll see more and more B2B brands going bold and straight to the point. The reason for this is because they want to find new ways on how to stand out from their competitors, especially once this pandemic is over.
Additionally, B2B brands will be more open to experimentation in 2021 since we’ve already seen them accommodating the hamburger menu for both desktop and mobile browsing experiences. There are even companies trying other unique menu designs, including full-screen pop-ups.
Kelsey Chen, CocoSign
A well-designed website is essential to enhance the brand image and leave a good impression on visitors. Personally speaking, the most important web design trends coming the way in 2020 can be boiled down to the following:
- The untypical design style is always an eyebrow-raiser: dark mode + bold color combinations + asymmetrical layout can make people remember your website and brand immediately. This also triggers curiosity for them to explore more.
- A mixture of content pieces: written texts, visualizations, infographics, and videos. This is based on the consideration that people absorb information in different ways with varying content preferences.
- Personalization. With data analysis as the foundation, websites that give their viewers a personalized experience usually garner much bigger success than those who don’t. This approach can make visitors feel understood by the brand, thus increasing user engagement.
- Inclusion of a chatbox. Anytime users have inquiries about the product and services, they can easily access help by utilizing the chatbox. This not only enhances conversion rates but also establishes a good brand image of being dedicated to customer services.
Sharon Van Donkelaar, Expandi
2021 is coming and the website is still one of the key elements of what a business needs to have to thrive. You can be present and have large followings on other platforms, but a dedicated website is needed to be authoritative and legitimate. That said, important trends in web design for B2B sites include:
- AI & chatbots as an integrated customer service into your website.
- Personalized navigation through the website using your interests and relevant credentials.
- Animations and illustrations delivering more and more information rather than walls of text.
- Voice searching throughout the entire e-commerce store, website, or catalog for customers to go through.
All these trends point towards engaging site visitors and potential clients with your website and making it easier for them to navigate and use the site for their own interests.
Francesca Nicasio, Payment Depot
KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid. With so many people embracing digital culture and commerce (whether by choice or not) I think the keys to successful web design for the near future are simplicity and attractiveness.
There are a lot of less experienced users floating around these days and if you’re lucky enough to lure some of them to your site, you don’t want them leaving because it’s ugly or hard to use. Smart design is going to cater to this new dynamic and profit by understanding their needs, wants, and limitations.
Todd Ramlin, Cable Compare
People want instant engagement and you want to give it to them. Since you can’t be available 24/7/365 the next best thing is automated responses, also known as chatbots.
Bots are somewhat limited right now but the technology is improving and getting closer to providing a human-like experience thanks to AI and machine learning. As technology becomes more sophisticated, chatbots should become the norm for simple customer service and other requests.
Robert Katai, Bannersnack
One web design trend that has evolved in 2020 and most definitely will dominate design in social media are carousel posts, especially on Instagram and LinkedIn. Why? Because it’s a long message which is visually appealing. Marketers can communicate more in a way that people enjoy. Content length is always a struggle for marketers since people don’t normally read long copy.
Another design trend that’s going to be strong in 2021 is text-heavy videos. Why? People will likely continue to work from home for the next half part of the year at least. Shooting professional videos will be hard, so companies will rely more on text inside videos to communicate to their audience.
My last opinion is that B2B companies will experiment more with their website layout. As work has moved even more into digital, standing out of the crowded space with a website that’s different from the others will be something on the marketing team’s radar.
