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Any business leader will tell you, that if you want to survive in the business landscape, it’s crucial to keep up to date with these trends, implementing the most necessary into your practices to stay relevant.

But just as it’s important to implement new trends, it’s similarly important to know which trends to ignore.

Believe it or not, the internet is not always right. While following the crowd and implementing new features into your website might automatically seem like a positive, some trends might not be for the best of your company – and can actually end up damaging it.

Thankfully, as an organisation offering web design services in Oxford, we’re privy to quite a few of these new trends – including the ones you should listen to and the ones you should avoid.

To help you learn more about the 2024 online landscape – and what might be a hit with consumers and Google algorithms alike – we’ve listed out the top trends of the year so far, including both the good and the ugly.

The Good

Starting with the good stuff, the most impactful trends are based around the consumer, which in turn, will help to boost an SEO campaign. While Google certainly takes into account the quantity and consistency of a company’s web content, the experience of the user is a top priority, and this can be achieved through the web design itself.

  • UX-Focused Website Design

You’ve probably already seen numerous websites that prioritise the user experience over anything else. Indeed, this has been a trend for several years now, but a UX-focused design is set to become even more of a trend in 2024, as more and more designers look to create immersive, engaging experiences for users.

  • Diversified Interactive Storytelling

Storytelling is one of the best ways to communicate the message behind a brand, using different tools to engage people and tell them your story. In 2024, however, more businesses are looking to diversify their approach, opting for interactive storytelling with gamification, 3D visuals, and videos.

  • Homed In Data Privacy Discussion

With more users than ever aware of the risks associated with big data collection, data privacy has become a marketing tool in itself.

While telling their stories – either on their main page or through blogs – numerous businesses are narrowing in on their data privacy efforts, communicating clearly with the customer how their data is going to be collected and how it will be protected. This, in turn, inspires confidence in the user and will increase the likelihood of them sticking around.

The Ugly

As we mentioned before, not every trend is worth following. Below, we’ve listed another three top trends that we think are doomed to fail, rather than flourish.

  • AI-Generated Content

The elephant in the room: AI-generated content. Still in 2024, many businesses are unsure of how to react to this new technology, with some opting to stay away completely, while others are experimenting on their websites.

The thing you have to remember is that AI-generated content won’t rank highly on Google’s SERPs. When it comes to your blog and your story, it’s far better to prioritise unique, human content that provides value for the user over convenience for the business.

  • Y2K Renewal

Although the Y2K renewal is less damaging than websites using generative AI, it’s still something worth noting. Right now, Y2K effects are back in force, as businesses opt for retro illustrations, nostalgic visual elements and graphics inspired by 90s and 00s trends.

While it might be pretty cool in 2024, we have the feeling that this trend might get old relatively quickly. Of course, this all comes down to the personal preference of the brand, but it’s always a good idea to prioritise a web design that works now and will work in the future, rather than might.

  • Micro-Interactions

One last trend that we’ve seen popping up quite a bit is known as ‘micro-interactions’. These are intended to give the user a more engaging experience, complete with animated effects, floating items, and notification pop-ups.

While we don’t think the trend as a whole is bad, there is a possibility that businesses will go overboard – including too many micro-interactions that weigh down the user and stop them from getting to the heart of the site.

Pop-up notifications, specifically, can grow irritating for users, and an irritated user is one thing you need to avoid.