In today’s finance space, first impressions count now more than ever.
But as digital practices continue to transform the Financial Markets, what creates that first indelible impression has evolved.
Brands like Apple have fundamentally changed how the average person engages with a business’s identity, marketing, and technology—to the point more users now expect that level of immersive experience, and the autonomy to steer themselves through the buying process.
This means that, from TradFi, to DeFi, to FinTech, all Financial Markets businesses need to focus on perfecting their digital presence.
Otherwise, they’ll struggle to compete.
A high-performing website design is the foundation of a strong digital presence, a core pillar of customer brand engagement, and a powerful way for businesses to demonstrate their credibility and commitment to quality up front.
For many businesses, it’s the first point of contact for prospective clients and customers. And of course, it’s what dictates that all-important first impression.
If you’re keen to make sure your website is working as hard as it could, then it’s important to keep up with web design trends elsewhere, from the Financial Markets and beyond.
Read on to see the 4 dominant web design trends shaping the Financial Markets…
Mobile-first design
If you want a high-performing website, it must be designed for mobile first.
That means making sure each page is a clean, clear and clutter-free space, with:-
- clear, concise copy
- big, bold typefaces
- plenty of white space
- a simplified user journey
- large buttons for site navigation
These features make sites much more suited to scrolling with fingertips and thumbs than the traditional desktop mouse.
Plus, opting for mobile-first design can also help you perform better in search rankings.
Google uses mobile-first indexing, meaning it primarily ranks websites based on their mobile version.
And, as of 2020, Google recognises having an identical experience across mobile and desktop page content and resources in its list of SEO best practices.
So even if most of your traffic comes from desktop users, your website should be made for mobile if you want it to perform at its best.
Editorial style
Clear, clean, and minimalist isn’t the only option when it comes to effective website design.
The simple truth is: design and experience of your website should be determined by the needs of your audience.
And some leaders in certain segments of the finance sector sit on the more content-heavy side of the spectrum.
Why?
Because their clients and partners need constant updates and informative content on the latest changes in the market.
To that end, editorial-style websites—where imagery and content is frequently updated on a rolling basis, much like a news site or trade publication—are also a popular and effective choice for Financial Markets businesses.
Coindesk’s website is just one example of this design style.
Parallax scrolling
To those not in the know, parallax scrolling refers to the separation of foreground and background elements in website design.
Until recently, this sort of browsing experience was almost exclusively used by creative marketing experts.
But now, with consumers across all industries demanding more engaging digital experiences, it’s becoming more present in the financial markets.
In a parallax scroll, the background scrolls faster than the foreground, meaning copy and other foreground elements appear to “lift” off the page.
This adds a greater sense of depth and movement, which creates a more engaging and immersive user experience, which has been shown to lead more users through to the point of conversion.
You’ll find examples in this blog from Wix
Keep in mind, parallax scrolling won’t work well on pages with lots of copy—so this is one for those of you opting for the more lightweight, minimalist experience.
Ultra-fast site speed
Slow page load times will directly impact your profit margins.
Numerous sources show 25% of visitors will abandon a website that takes more than 4 seconds to load, while 46% won’t revisit a poorly performing website at all.
Plus, faster site speeds will help to improve both your user experience and your position in search rankings.
So if you’re reading this, regularly test your site speed (if you don’t already, that is).
Here are some quick fixes to improve the speed of your website:-
- Compress all the images on your website
- Reduce the number of redirects across your site
- Eliminate unnecessary plugins
- Use smart content loading.
Web design trends shaping the Financial Markets: Key Takeaways
The look, feel and overall experience of your website directly impacts your ability to attract, engage, and convert clients.
For Financial Markets businesses in particular, investing in an exceptional website experience is another way to demonstrate your credibility, commitment to quality, and how you help guide clients through seamless service delivery.
Put the time and money into getting it right, and your website could very well be your highest-performing salesperson.
To recap, here are the 4 dominant website design trends in the Financial Markets:-
- Mobile-first design; clean, clear and clutter-free site pages, made for scrolling with fingertips and thumbs.
- Editorial-style content and layout; websites where content is updated with high frequency, much like a news site or trade publication.
- Parallax scrolling; distinct movement of foreground and background elements add “lift”, creating a more immersive experience.
- Ultra-fast site speed; fast loading times reduce your bounce rate, while enhancing SEO and improving your website experience overall.