Who would have predicted in the early dot com era that a website would be an essential factor in driving leads, generating traffic, and contributing directly to the bottom line of a business?

In today’s competitive market, a great website not only distinguishes you from competitors, it has the potential to grow your market, increase brand awareness, drive sales, and build a relationship with consumers.

Websites serve many functions as a portal between the consumer and the company. It is where potential and current customers go to for questions, information, news, purchases, and more.

To remain relevant in an ever-changing world, websites must be up to date.

Here are six keys to successful website design to keep an eye out for this year.

1. Mobile, Mobile, Mobile

According to a recent study by mobileinsurance.com, the average person spends around 90 minutes a day on their phone, amounting to 23 days a year and 3.9 years over a lifetime looking at a phone screen. This is important for every company as they grow their online presence: mobile is key, which means your website needs to be mobile friendly. Time is a zero-sum game, so it is important to keep in mind that as mobile usage increases, desktop usage decreases.

2. Website Speed

Studies show that websites that load faster are better at attracting and retaining visitors, making them more likely to elicit purchase behavior. Visitors tend to abandon a website if it takes too long to load, leading them to competitor sites with faster speeds. It only takes a few seconds to lose a visitor – make sure your website loads as quickly as possible.

3. Visuals and Video are Taking Over

90% of the information transmitted to the brain is visual. As such, graphical input is processed 60,000 times faster in the brain than text. Consumers tend to look more at pictures and video and less at the text. Key takeaway: your website needs more images and less text.

4. Big Data Will Be Key

According to AnsonAlex, the use of infographics can increase traffic by an average of 12%. Big data analytics translated into infographics are easier to understand, more user-friendly, and visually appealing. Rather than sharing data in a chart or plot, consider using infographics next time. Users will be more drawn to your visual offering than to a simple graph.

5. Tell A Story

More and more websites are incorporating interactive storytelling. Interactive storytelling dynamically narrates your story, providing knowledge quickly and effectively to visitors. Graphics and even short videos can be created to capture your audience’s attention and guide them through a connected flow of information, conveying your story in a way that’s uniquely useful to the individual. Consider websites such as Spotify, General Electric, and Qualcomm that display effective examples of interactive storytelling.

6. Less Is More

Another key to successful website design is to create hidden menus on the page. Hidden menus only appear on the passing of the mouse. A regular menu option can be replaced with a slide out menu hidden behind a small square placed in the upper left corner. Hidden menus are an ideal solution that unobtrusively shifts emphasis from navigation to complex background and back again. This allows for maximum use of space, keeping websites clean and uncluttered while still fully functional.

Many businesses run solely off their company website. What were once brick-and-mortar stores are now shifting into online-only entities. It is essential to ensure your website is user-friendly and up-to-date on the latest trends, designs, and styles. Over time we will see web design evolving towards a richer, more dynamic and personalized digital experience. Following these tips today will help keep your site ready for whatever the next step is.