See More: 5 Latest Trends of Websites in Dubai

Here are 5 Impacts of the touch screen devices on web design:

1. Web Design’s Layout and Presentation

The web design behaves differently on different touch screen sizes, we usually called refer to this phenomenon as “responsive web design”. Responsive web designs are programmed in a way that they can sense the screen size and device from which they are being accessed. Then the responsive web design automatically renders their design elements and information in a fashion which is most appropriate for that particular screen size. This all is to ensure the finest user experience and all this happens within a fraction of a second and a human being cannot even notice this all. The overall web design layout is made up of different design elements, for example, the images, photos, text, headings, boxes, buttons, navigation and such things, which present the information in a useful manner for the users.

When a responsive web design is opened at different screen sizes it behaves differently, the objective here is to maintain an almost similar user experience on different screen sizes, for example, if you are accessing a website from a 14 Inch laptop screen you know the purchase button is located on the lower right corner of the product description. So when you are opening this website from your mobile phone which has a 5.5-inch screen you will surely go to expect that button just below the description, this is how the human brain works. And this is what a responsive design should do. Although the overall presentation of the information is changed still are able to meet the expectations of your visitor, this is how the responsive web designs are programmed.

See More: Importance of Web Design in 2021 in Dubai, UAE

2. Web Design Navigation Structure

The navigation structure is very important for any web design. The navigation structure is all the information are presented and provided on the website. Most of the time all the important things are placed in different places, for example in the first landing screen is the first visual interaction of a user, it mainly consists of an image slider with multiple important products or services along with appealing sales pitches. The second landing screen is when a user scrolls down and view the next section of the web design, it mostly contains more products/services or sales pitches or a short introduction of the business. Then there are more until the bottom or footer of the web design. On top of the web design, there is always a menu, which provides links to the internal pages and more information. This is how a full navigational structure of a web design is built.

When we open a website on a smartphone or smaller device, the menu cannot be displayed in its entirety as we can display it on the desktop or laptop computer screens that are bigger. So, in order to provide the menu most of the responsive designs display a button or icon of the menu, when a user tap on that menu the menu appears in vertical or nested or tree shape to let the user navigate through all of the information from the internal pages. This is how the navigation is reshaped for the touch screens. Now the most important thing here to consider is that the user might be touching the screen with a finger or thumb, so the size of the buttons and the size of the menu items should be enough to compensate for the effect of tapping with a large thumb of a finger. If the buttons are too small or the menu items are too many and have to be small to be displayed in a single screen view, then the user might accidentally tap on the wrong item/button. This will be very annoying and the user might not consider going any further if they are unable to easily tap the item/button they wanted to.

See More: 5 Facts of Productive Web Designs – Dubai, UAE

3. Hover Effects, Touch Sensitivity and Invisible Content

One of the biggest disadvantages of touchscreens is that they do not support hover effects. So, if your web design is heavily relying on hover effects and the information especially the navigations and menus are designed for the hovering effect, then immediately fix them. This could lead to a lot of problems when a user is viewing your website from a smartphone or any other touch device. Another problem with the touch devices is that there is a latency in some touchscreens, mostly it is 300ms which although doesn’t look much but when special effects are used on your web designs this factor could cause issues in the touch screen user experience. There are certain devices that support 3D Touch or a multi-dimensional touch which basically work differently on different levels of pressure, but these devices are very rare and the website development technologies don’t have enough support for these too. Such features are usually designed for smartphone applications rather than web browsers.

A huge concern related to user experience is the invisible content, like smartphones and most of the other touch screen devices are smaller than the usual computers and laptops this is why the web designs are programmed to hide certain aspects of the designs, graphic elements, and sometimes information too. Which could ruin your user experience. Most of the times the web designers program a responsive web design to hide the sidebars or widgets in the side column of the web design which is very bad for the user experience. The users and customers always expect the same navigations, structure, behaviour and information of a website on the smartphone and tablets as well as they are on the desktop and laptops. So, all the content and information available on a normal desktop or laptop version of the web design should also be provided in the smartphone or touch screen version too.

See More: Limitations in web designs for E-Commerce websites

4. Compatibility and Load Time

Compatibility and load time are very important not only for the users but for digital marketing too especially for search engine optimization (SEO). These days the modern web designs heavily rely on design elements, rich graphics and multimedia content rather than textual content so the compatibility and load time could be a nightmare for the web designer and web developers. Nowadays, touch screens are not only smartphones and tablets, but laptops are also adopting the technology and smart screens are dominating the TV industry. You don’t know if your user is coming from a smartphone, tablet, smart TV or smart media box (almost all smart media box/player support web browsing). All those touch screens enabled devices are built on different technologies, with different application priorities and also with different computing powers.

This rise the importance of compatibility and load time. Smartphones and smart devices are comparatively weak in computing power compared to a regular desktop or laptop computer. Which could cause a longer load time on such devices. Sometimes the load time of modern web designs could be so long that a user quit on it and skip the website. This could be disastrous. Another important thing to consider is the compatibility as all touch screen enabled devices are built on different hardware and software technologies, their compatibility and behaviour towards different web design technologies are different. For example, the iPhones and iPads are running on iOS and most iOS users prefer the Safari web browser. Similarly, the Android Smartphone and Tablets are running on Android OS and most Android users prefer Google Chrome and Firefox browsers.

See More: 5 Different Phases of Web Design and Development Project

All the browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari and Others are built of different technologies and all the platforms or operating systems such as Android, iOS, Windows, Linux and others are also built on different technologies. For example, the Safari browser may behave differently on Windows than on iOS or MAC. The same applies to all other browsers. This causes a huge difference when it comes to user experience and how your web design, its content and its response will be on different browsers and on different platforms. So, a web design must have to be able to deal with all those technological differences to ensure the maximum user experience.

5. User Interaction with Mobile First and Desktop First Web Design

The user interaction with Desktop First or Mobile Fist web design is a very long debate among the web designing community. Most of the time the web designers carefully analyze the audience and estimate the web traffic source either it will be the desktop or laptop devices or smartphones and then make a decision. Which was somehow correct in the past but not anymore. Nowadays, the preferences of the people are changed. People are spending more time on mobiles than on computers. Still taking a decision between desktop-first web design approach and mobile-first web design approach could be tricky. As per my experience in the industry nowadays the mobile-first web designs are performing better than the desktop first web designs. As most of the users are spending more time browsing and surfing on smartphone devices so they are more familiar with the smartphone versions of websites and smartphone applications that carry a certain theme and design style. If your website is mobile friendly and is designed with the preference of mobile devices and touch screens in mind then the chances are they will also perform well on the desktop and laptop as well.

However, there is a huge difference between the desktop first web design approach and the mobile-first web design approach. The desktop websites are designed on a pre-defined structure which is 2 column or 3 columns or 4 column design. Whereas the mobile-first web designs are built on a modular structure, mostly box type design. The design is made up of different sizes of boxes, sometimes the boxes are visible and distinguishable and sometimes they are not. These boxes will allow the web designer to easily program them to fit and align according to the mobile touch screens, the buttons are also designed bigger to support touch screens and the key functions are placed on certain places which are easy to tap from the smartphones. The page scrolling can also be configured to enhance the mobile user experience. Most of the graphics and effects are achieved through CSS/programming to ensure quick load time on mobile devices. This is the major difference between the desktop first web design approach and the mobile-first web design approach.

See More: What kind of Web Design Compels Customers to Click Call to Action?

Conclusion

The touch screens are heavily impacting the web design trends and the user’s expectations. It is very crucial for the success of a web design that it maintains a similar user experience in any version of the website whether it is accessed from a desktop/laptop or smartphone or tablet the users should be able to easily identify and reach the important information and navigation. The load time and other programming limitations that are present in the touch screen enabled devices should also be considered and accounted for while designing a website. As we know that in general people are spending more time searching and surfing the internet from touch screen enabled devices so our web design must have to design to provide the ultimate user experience there. When we are designing the information and navigational structure of a web page for the touch screens, we can easily map it on the non-touch devices such as laptop and desktops, but if our design approach is desktop first, it could get harder to maintain a similar user experience on the touch screen enabled devices.

At RSI Concepts we have vast experience in web designing and development, our clientele expands from small local business websites to huge corporate sites and everything in between. If you need a business website, or corporate website or eCommerce or an online marketplace, feel free to reach us out using the below comment box or contact us through our Contact Us page.

Check out this: 6 Step guide to choose a web design firm in UAE

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1. Dynamic Websites VS Static Websites

There are two major types of websites, static websites and dynamic websites. A few years back there was a third type which was the mobile site or a completely separate mobile version of the website, this trend is now being replaced with responsive websites. The two major classifications of the websites are as follow:

Static Website

A static website is developed on a basic front-end design. The major difference is in order to update the website content or data a professional website developer is required. As it can only be done by changing the source code of the web pages. In the light of modern trends and the website’s function in marketing and communication, the businesses will have to update their websites and some web pages on regular basis. Each time when an update is required a professional website programmer is acquired to do so. As the website is built using HTML and CSS components, which both are purely source codes, so only a professional website programmer can update the website content and data. In that case, the businesses will have to hire a full-time website programmer or a service provider to maintain the website content updates and changes such as blogs, news, press releases, etc.

Dynamic Website

A dynamic website is developed in two major section one is a frontend which is almost a static website and the other section is a control panel or content management system. The main difference between a dynamic and static website is that the businesses don’t require a full-time professional website developer to do the updates on the website. The CMS or the content management system is a powerful software tool with an interactive admin control panel dashboard that allows ordinary people to do the updates on the website and also enable them to create new pages such as news, blogs, press releases, product pages and services pages. The frontend of the website is also made using HTML and CSS however the backend or the admin control panel is made using PHP, ASP, and Database tools.

What is a Content Management System or CMS?

A content management system or CMS as clear from its name allows managing the content of the corresponding application/frontend of a website. Although it is used for various other applications too the major application is websites. There are tons of content management system available in the market, some are open-source, some are propriety tools, some are general purpose and some are for specific applications. The businesses will have to choose the content management system or CMS wisely which could fulfil their needs.

2. Responsive Websites

The responsive website trend has gained huge popularity not only in Dubai but all over the world. These days, almost 99% of the enquiries are coming for a responsive website. As the name itself is self-explanatory, the responsive websites are those who respond to the screen size, operating system, web browser and the device from where the website is opened. The main objective of a responsive website is to maintain a similar user experience and user journey on all devices and platforms regardless of any dependency on the screen size, browser, or platform. This is achieved through the latest website programming techniques and tools. A responsive website can automatically sense the device and other details in just a fraction of a second and render its design elements, content, fonts, photos, videos and everything else as per the screen size and the platform it is being opened from. This provides a great advantage to maintain the brand identity, user experience and user journey which resultantly contributes to more sales and online leads.

3. Multimedia Content

These days another popular trend is using multimedia and graphic-rich content on the website. As in Dubai, everyone has access to broadband, 4G and even 5G also, in fact, Dubai was one of the earliest adopters of the 5G technology. So, using multimedia content is not an issue at all. These days most websites are using very attractive videos, micro animations, rich graphics elements and multimedia content to provide a good user experience. Here are a few examples of trendy multimedia elements:

Full-Screen Video

Using a full-screen video could increase customer interest in your products and services. It is human nature that our brand responds more to a moving object and moving picture than a static picture. So, the video will automatically increase the customer engagement level. You can include a lot many things in a few seconds of video which if described in words could take up to 500 words. So having an attractive video could really make a difference in your online conversion rates.

Full-Screen Image Sliders

Full-screen image sliders are also gaining popularity, you can use multiple images in an automatically rotating slider. Like I said moving objects tend to interest the human brain more than a simple static image. Another advantage of the image slider will be to be able to present multiple sales pitches in one screen area. You can further improve the user interest by adding taglines and slogans or a short description or maybe a sub-heading. Whatever you use, a full-screen image slider is far better than a small tiny image slider or image at the landing screen.

Micro Animations

Micro Animations are also gaining popularity, you can use micro animations in your image slider, in different widgets and areas of your website. The micro animations are also used to increase customer engagement. You can also utilize a single area or space to accommodate two or three taglines or sales pitches.

The multimedia content really helps to improve the user experience and use journey on your website and also help to improve your online conversions. There are so many possibilities of using the above-mentioned multimedia content or any other content on the website to increase customer engagements on the website.

4. Interactive Websites

Interactive websites are a slightly new phenomenon in Dubai, and it getting excellent response from the users. Interactive web designs are the designs that interact with the users, respond to their movements and provide a great user experience. There are several ways to improve the user experience, for example, whenever the user is moving their mouse cursor the design elements responds or at least show some kind of movements. This keeps the customer interested as they will expect to experience more such movements or responses in the website. This way the users will access more internal pages and spend more time staying on your website, either way, it is very helpful in improving the user experience at the website.

5. Thumb-Friendly Websites

Although sometimes people consider thumb-friendly as mobile-first web designs. But both are two different things. Mobile-first designs are for those businesses that are getting most of their online conversions from mobile devices. Especially the eCommerce websites, they are heavily relying on mobile traffic so they can improve their online conversion by implementing a mobile-first web design to their website. However, thumb-friendly websites are one-fit-for-all. No matter what you do, you should have thumb-friendly navigation. As in Dubai, almost everyone has a smartphone with internet access. People spent a lot of time on their mobile devices, just think about yourself or check your friends, family and colleagues, you will surely notice people tend to spend more time on their mobile devices than on regular computers. This is why smartphones are a very important aspect that each and every marketer needs to address.

These days almost 99% of our website design and development enquirer asked for a responsive website. This means everyone knows the importance of smartphone compatible websites. But most of the time our customers do not understand the importance of navigation. The navigation, menu and buttons of your websites which will navigate your customers through the various pages of the website and also take them through their user journey on your website are extremely important. So no matter how cool your website looks on smartphones if its navigation is hard to access on the smartphones, it could significantly decrease your online conversions.

Conclusion

In Dubai, almost everyone has access to the computer, internet and smartphone. The websites have a great impact and influence on purchasing decisions. No matter what a customer is looking for they will first try to look it up on Google. Even if by any promotion or marketing method you have reached your customer with a product, service or solution there is almost the probability of 90% that the prospect will try to look it up on the internet. This is when you have to be very vigilant, attentive and attractive too. Your website’s design, functions, content and everything in between will heavily impact the decision of the purchaser.

Make sure your website is dynamic and you can easily update it any time you want without any additional cost or any additional technical speciality. Your website should be able to maintain the same user experience and user journey across all devices and platforms. Multimedia content could really help you out in gaining more attention from the visitors. Interactive websites can easily gain popularity and produce better results than any traditional website. As most of the users tend to do online searches from their mobile devices so make sure your website is offering an excellent smartphone experience.

It is always wise to consult a professional. RSI Concepts is a leading web design and development agency in Dubai, having more than a decade long experience and serving hundreds of clients all across the GCC. Feel free to get in touch with us if you want to redesign your website or need any consultation. You can reach us out via the comment box below or you can approach us from our Contact Us page.

Check this out: Importance of Web Design in 2021 in Dubai

The post 5 Latest Trends of Websites in Dubai appeared first on Web Design Dubai Blog Service.

A website or web design made up of the following basic things:

Layout and Appearance

The layout or the appearance is the most important part, as the users determine in just a second whether they will stay on the page or not! The users will form an opinion of the website and the business by the first impression they got from the web design. This all happens in a second or two, only a very few people decide to dive deep into the website which could change their opinion. The photos, animations, icons, graphics, effects and all those things along with the powerful words they see at their first glimpse will decide if they will convert or not.

Design Elements and the Color Scheme

The design elements and the colour scheme of web design is a reflection of your branding online. So, pay more attention to these things. Usually, the best approach is to follow the colour scheme of the logo of a company or business. Any colour combination or contrast should be chosen with great care, as the colours impact the users a lot and they are also responsible for the textual content and interactive element’s visibility which is very important in terms of user experience and user journey. The links, buttons, highlights, headings, slogans, or anything else completely rely on the colour scheme and the design elements around them. So, this is important to sustain a balance between creativity and readability.

Typography

Earlier the typography was not as that diverse as it is nowadays. The typography of web design should be able to deliver the required information. It is very critical to keep at least 3 different sizes of the fonts to distinguish the content from each other. Although it is considered to be an industry standard to have a single font throughout the website, this trend is getting old now and the web design professionals and graphic designers are using multiple fonts on a single page which is acceptable and sometimes it even improve the readability and user experience. Another very important thing is that the background and the font should have maximum contrast for more readability.

Navigation and Menus

Navigation and Menus are not the places to be over-animated and over-designed. The best approach is to always have a simple and easy-to-use navigation and menus. The navigation and menu can be found in the header, sub-header or lower header part and also in the footer. The main purpose of the navigation and menus is to provide quick access to the information that visitors is looking for. So, if there are complex animations, sophisticated menu items, tingled with each other or infused into each other or something like that could be very bad and users might not even try to navigate through such menus. So, it is always best to have a simple, easy to read, large (as much possible) and highly readable menus and navigation.

Responsive Web Designs or Mobile-First Websites

Responsive Web Designs or Mobile-First Websites are a must to have since the mobile traffic overtook the desktop traffic in late 2016. Earlier having an exclusive mobile version was important as the mobile devices are of lower grades in terms of software and hardware, but these days, some of the high-end smartphones are more powerful than an average laptop. In short, the mobiles can provide the juice required to handle latest designs but the only thing is the screen size, as there are so many different mobile screen sizes so handling them all could be tricky when you are designing and developing a theme. Usually, the front-end developers or web designers prefer ready-made platforms such as bootstrap, but if you are not using anything like that then you should be very attentive to the responsiveness of the website.

Content is the King

Content is the King! Is it? Well, the simple answer is yes, as whoever is associated with the marketing or web designing industry all well aware of this term. No matter how wonderful your web design is if the content is not catchy and attractive the chances of a conversion are near to none. Always pay attention to the content, your slogan, sales pitch, taglines, headings and even description play a critical role in online conversions. The content should be informative, descriptive, short and precisely to the point. Each and every word matters. Try to avoid extra, ambiguous, complex, broad meaning words. People don’t like to read extra words or lengthy descriptions, such things can dilute your selling points and decrease efficiency. The content should be highly focused and well prepared. All different section should be in a flow or interconnected to each other.

Conclusion:

Having a website that completely represents your brand identity can help in communicating with the masses. The website is not just a profile but a very powerful marketing tool with a lot of potential in it. Before jumping into web design consider all important things and do a comprehensive market and competitive analysis first. While developing a website take care of the user interface and the layout, the fonts/typography, colour scheme, menus/navigation, responsiveness and the content. The website must also be able to follow the SEO (search engine optimization) standards. Sometimes people do not care about SEO standards which eventually results in bad search engine ratings and very low traffic, so it is also important to consider it too along with all the visual appearance-related things.

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