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Does web design vary based on industry?

By 20th November 2020January 24th, 2023No Comments
Industry based web design

While many industries have suffered during the pandemic, design agencies are busier than ever before. The reason? They’re helping their customers adapt to a quicker digital transformation than they could ever have imagined.

Naturally, with the lack of physical interactions, the following industries have turned to digital to keep afloat:

  • Retail
  • Education
  • Hospitality
  • Travel

We’re also seeing upward trends in food and beverage, and healthcare. But as we know with web design, it’s not a one-size-fits-all process. Indeed, every website has to follow the central tenets of good user experience, relevant content and attractive design, but what about the subtler nuances?

If your business falls into any of the above categories, you might want to discuss these web design considerations with your agency. As a team of graphic designers in Chorley and Bolton, we’ve worked across myriad industries, and love to share our thoughts.

Retail

The UK has experienced its highest ever online purchase penetration rate this year – a staggering 87%. With more competitors than ever, retail needs to get creative.

Personalisation: more than just a first name

For a more tailored experience, online retailers should personalise content, for example, displaying products related to a buyer’s transaction history.

Education

With some parents continuing to teach from home, the consumer needs more assurance than ever.

A matter of trust

Educational websites should have a strong focus on trust signals – for example, privacy policies and SSL certificates. Don’t forget that parents may be submitting data, like logging in with their child’s name or student number to view the curriculum.

Accessibility

Likewise, these sites or mobile apps may be accessed by children, too. This will affect colour schemes, typography and the simplicity of language. These sites need to be equally accessible for children and adults.

Hospitality

As restaurants shift to ‘deliver at home’, user experience comes to the fore.

Booking changes

Restaurants that are lucky enough to benefit from a physical presence should invest in their online functionality. For example, booking plug-ins will facilitate socially distanced visits. These should be simple and mobile responsive.

Online orders

Restaurants have had to become eCommerce sites overnight. They should have a robust payment system with clear trust signals like HTTPS, and they need to consider barriers to conversion. Just like product pages on a fashion website, there should be nothing stopping users from‘ adding to basket’.

Travel

We cannot bring them to Rome, but we can bring Rome to them! As consumers stay at home, travel operators need to maintain that sense of interest in a particular destination.

Social media integration

Travel content should be underpinned by a solid social media strategy. As such, the website needs to have functionality for social feeds and shareable content – helping to create a buzz through multiple channels.

Media support

There will continue to be more focus on the visual as travellers imagine what they could have. Expect large hero images and responsive videos to draw the user in – without slowing the page down.

Healthcare

Again, we rely on trust signals here. But healthcare websites are considered by Google to be ‘your money or your life’ sites, meaning the content has to be accurate. Web designers may be more interested in presenting the content as simply as possible, making it fully accessible to all viewers.

A strong SEO strategy should underpin these kinds of websites, to ensure organisations are not hit with Google penalties.

Creating your bespoke web design

Whatever your industry, our talented designers and developers are here to offer a bespoke creation that meets your needs. Get in touch for strategic web development today.

 

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