Article provided by Web Design Express.

Online, first impressions matter as much as they do in the real world. In fact, it might matter even more. According to a recent study, visitors make judgments about the credibility of a website in as little as 50ms. 20% of those visitors will leave your website, and never return. We can avoid a negative judgment by staying current with modern web design trends.

Web design is more than the look of the website. In the recent past, designers have gone overboard with images, color, and clutter. Modern web design is as much about functionality as it is about pleasing visuals. Every element of the website should exist for a purpose.

Show credibility and competency by displaying numbers and stats on screen. A company with 60 clients will appear more credible than one that does not highlight that fact. Even if the numbers do not mean anything, be specific and precise.

Another trend is to base the website on existing frameworks and themes. Popular frameworks and themes have development direction based on user feedback. The continuous iteration of existing themes and frameworks lead to the fast adoption of new standards and features.

A popular trend is the use of flat colors and elements across a website while showing some form of depth. The rise in popularity of the flat color scheme is thanks to Google’s introduction of Material Design in 2014. It is about going back to basics and placing the focus on function over form.