On demand: how the pandemic has led to a surge in web design

More than nine in 10 web design agencies have seen an increased demand in their services since the pandemic began. In a Q3 report from DesignRush, it was revealed that web development saw a 62.6% rise in demand, followed in close second by mobile app and custom software development.

Why has the pandemic caused a spike in web design services?

With months of staying at home, many of us are finding ‘more time on our hands’. Marketing should never be an afterthought, but it has caused many businesses to refocus and spent more time on their messaging.

Often, this has resulted in a total rebrand – whether that’s inspired by a more competitive landscape, or attempting to ‘pivot’ for the pandemic.

We spoke to our graphic designers in Chorley and Bolton to find out why now is the best time to invest with a creative studio.

Trend 1: moving to a totally virtual experience

Many businesses have taken a devastating hit throughout the pandemic, for example hotels, restaurants and events managers. To overcome the lack of physical crowds, they’re turning to virtual services.

As web designers, we can help them to adapt with:

• Fully integrated booking systems to view online events e.g. webinars
• Creating applications to facilitate contactless ordering e.g. food delivery
• Making dynamic changes to key information pages, e.g. every time there is a government update.

Trend 2: relying on digital means rather than face to face

It’s no secret that many businesses rely on reputation alone to grow. But much of this is often done face to face – whether it’s walking into a brick and mortar store, or chatting at a networking event. Prior to the pandemic, some businesses may have been able to ‘get away with’ having a sub-par web presence.

Not anymore. New customers are turning to websites to get their first impressions of a business. If a site has poor user experience, these customers are likely to turn away.

Trend 3: keeping up with Google changes

We may have been enjoying some time off, but Google certainly hasn’t been. While we’ve been on furlough, the search engine giant has introduced myriad updates, including the abovementioned changes to user experience, plus organic listings for Google Shopping.

Prudent business owners will stay one step ahead of this and invest appropriately. In the long term, it’s those who invest now that will really see the difference.

Who’s turning to design agencies?

As the latest report tells us, not everybody is jumping on digital with the same enthusiasm. However, those that do will doubtless come out of the other side stronger. For example, web designers are seeing more enquiries from:

• Healthcare
• Retail
• Education
• Food and beverages.

While many of these will have suffered during the pandemic, that’s no excuse for other sectors to slack off. In fact, we should be diversifying our offering with websites, paid advertising and even mobile apps.

Rather than giving up on investment, firms are simply choosing budget-friendly alternatives, for example, eschewing custom-made functionality. This allows them to serve their customers better in the short term, while long-term, they can upgrade.

What we should learn from this

It’s a busy time for web designers, but it’s also an exciting one. The pandemic has accelerated the pace of change for digital transformation, which can only be a good thing. With reduced costs, automated tasks and less travel, these updates all point toward a better future.

Is it time to shake up your online presence? Speak to Tall Zebra designs for a web development quote today.