A Web Design Trend
Peppermint Spain is a full service advertising and marketing agency in Marbella on the Costa del Sol and one of the services we offer clients is web design. We’ve got a hotshot web design team, SEO experts, programmers and content providers. We like to keep abreast of trends in web design so that we can provide our clients with creative concepts that keep their website fresh and on trend.
One of the latest creative trends in web design that we’ve noticed is what the industry calls “immersive web design.” If you’re wondering what that might mean, it refers to the fact that the user can immerse him or herself in the website because it has interactive facilities.
As Marketing Week points out, some brands are using it to slow down customer behaviour, which is notoriously fast on the web. People like websites to behave instantaneously—hotel booked in less than five minutes kind of thing– but new interactive web platforms have a way of luring them into staying just that bit longer.
Interior design, kitchen fitting and domestic appliance market sectors have been quick to add an ‘immersive’ aspect to their sites. If you want to see what a sofa would look like in your room before you buy it, website Made.com will organise a virtual demonstration. Basically, brands are finding ways to replicate the high street shopping experience online.
Andrew Kirkcaldy, marketing director at AO.com says that the conversion rate is now three to four times what it was when the website didn’t have videos demonstrating the products. He points out that when a user watches a video the company can see how long they watch for and the point at which they switch off.
Luxury brands have also adopted immersive web design. Top shoe designer Jimmy Choo has launched a virtual showroom on the company website, which allows customers to preview the new season’s shoes before they’re in the shops. It also means that the brand’s biggest buyers –Chinese shoppers—can shop all year round online without having to wait until they make a trip to the nearest store.
The technology developers are even trying to bring users a holiday experience. High-end travel companies suggest that a family may be happy to book a holiday on the Costa del Sol without having an interactive preview of the hotel or villa, but if a client is spending thousands on a private island holiday, they want a bit more information. Web design that allows the user to create holiday mood boards with images is likely to have more sales than one with static images and is full of text.
There are many more ways brands can use immersive web design. The key point for clients with an online presence to remember is that this new technology will keep your clients on your website for longer and keep them coming back for more. That’s what you want in this ‘pressed-for-time’ world.