9 Professional WordPress Designs to Use in 2020
WordPress offers tens of thousands of themes and plugins to choose from, allowing endless options for the look and functionality of your website. But the web is constantly evolving – and having so many design options can make it challenging to know what’s right for your site.
If you’re using your site for business purposes, then it’s absolutely essential that it’s developed with professional WordPress website design. An outdated or shoddy-looking website will turn off your visitors and threaten your credibility from the moment they load your home page.
On the flipside, a well-designed site will attract and impress users, while simultaneously influencing them to come back for more.
In this post, we list some of the hottest design trends in WordPress right now – and why it’s so important to keep your site looking fresh, relevant and attractive.
How Do You Know What WordPress Design is Right for Your Site?
Besides staying up to date with modern features, your site must be designed and function in ways that match your company and brand. Navigating a blog versus an e-commerce site is vastly different. A photographer’s portfolio website will look drastically different from a company that sells workout equipment.
Figuring out the kind of website design and creating the proper user experience is a job that only design and WordPress development experts can do right. User experience is also becoming increasingly important for SEO, attracting more users and impressing customers (and keeping them on the site longer), so you want to ensure your website offers the best possible user experience.
Below, you’ll find some favorite web design styles right now – but if you need help in WordPress implementing any of these styles on your site, our design experts are here to help. At WP Tangerine, we have a team of experienced WordPress consultants, skilled designers that can identify, develop and implement the right design for your needs.
Top WordPress Design Trends of 2020
1. Full Page Headers
Full-page headers are not new, but they are still very popular – because they look great and are very effective when executed properly.
If you’re totally new to this style, it may seem odd at first to use a full web page layout as a header. However, it allows the site owner to show something important to the user. For instance, you can take up the user’s screen with a powerful image, overlaid with a headline and supporting copy. On one side of the page, you can present a new feature, an item for sale or something similar with a call-to-action – and on the other half, you can use a large image to reinforce the message.
2. White Space/Minimalism
Minimalism is in. Using white space declutters a site, adding a sense of purity, clarity and elegance. With the proper use of white space, your website will look sleek, and it even helps direct your users. However, if used improperly, your site may look dry and unattractive, so white space and minimalism is a trend to be extra careful with.
3. Hero Images / Videos
A hero image is the first image you see on a website’s homepage, right at the top of the page. 2020 has seen the emergence of a large picture that covers the top portion of the page. Some may have text on top (similar to the full-page headers described above), but not always. For certain types of sites, a copy-less image can be extremely powerful. Increasingly, websites are using hero videos instead of static pictures to instantly engage the user.
4. Dynamic Scrolling
Another popular feature that always impresses is dynamic scrolling. Blogs, e-commerce sites and other business sites can all utilize this feature. It’s a great way to engage users with blocks of text and images that alternate dynamically as the user scrolls down the page. For example, on one half of the page, new information is presented as you scroll, whereas the other half animates or provides a 3D effect. Here’s a great example of a dynamic scrolling page in the New York Times.
5. Custom Illustrations
Adding custom illustrations or custom animations has grown increasingly common. These illustrations add character and personality to your website. They’re fun, playful and attractive to users. These unique designs may even stamp themselves into your customers’ memory. If your budget allows for it, choose custom illustrations or designs over stock images.
6. Dark Mode
Dark mode has been around for years; however, the trend is here to stay! Dark mode is attractive, saves the eyes and makes other colors, fonts and images pop. Plus, on mobile devices, it’s easier on battery life (many mobile users keep their phones on dark mode all day). This modern, elegant style is also great for businesses. Using a dark background allows you to make certain elements stand out to your user. Through the use of color, you can direct your users to certain areas of your site.
7. Layers and Floating Features
When websites use layers, shadows and features that seem to float, businesses can make certain features stand out. This design trend can help make images pop, give your site depth and give it an overall pleasing aesthetic appeal. Try using multiple images that overlay on top of each other, text that partially covers an image or even images that blend into one another.
8. Popping Colors
Using bright, attractive colors has grown increasingly popular lately. With the proper color scheme, your website can look warm & attractive, modern & futuristic or rustic & homely. Color is important for more than just aesthetic purposes. It can help highlight calls-to-action or influence visitors to go to certain pages. Additionally, color schemes need to match the brand’s purpose, mission and background.
9. Striking Fonts & Text Effects
Similar to popping colors, using text and fonts that stands out is another popular design trend this year. The font style must also go with your brand to give off an aura of professionalism, friendliness and confidence. Text can also be played with to achieve certain effects. You can incorporate designs and images into your text, or you can even use cutouts of images and graphics to display letters.
The Bottom Line of Design
User interface and user experience are vital to the success of any website. If you need some help, get started today with WP Tangerine. Our affordable monthly packages offer a wide range of WordPress services, including design and development. We can help you implement the proper graphics, layout, navigation, images, color schemes, font families and more. For ecommerce sites, we also offer expert WooCommerce help, providing the expertise you need to run a successful online store.
The WP Tangerine Benefit
When you work with WP Tangerine, you get a dedicated team for one flat monthly rate. You’ll receive unlimited services, expert advice and the freedom to send us any WordPress or WooCommerce tasks 24/7. Your dedicated designer will help guide you through the process of picking the best design with features and functionality that will set your site apart from your competitors. For more information on how we can help you rock WordPress, request a free expert website analysis.
