Fashion is fickle, and trends come and go. Who can forget the men's leisure suit of the 1970s or parachute pants of the 1980s? We are all guilty of falling into the trendy fashion design gap and cringe looking back on photos of that era. And, where do those clothes go after you have spent your hard-earned money purchasing them? In the trash or to the local charity store.

It can be very tempting to fall for the latest trends in functionality and design for your business' website. While they may look great, they're not always the best choice for your business, thus causing you wasted hours of effort and sometimes money. Here is why:

Web design isn't about looking pretty: Your website needs to look good, but it also needs to be functional for your target audience. Design, for design's sake or "everyone else is doing it is not a strategy for your core audience. Always consider who your audience is and how they will use the information before designing a website.

Don't sacrifice function for fashion:  Stick to the fundamentals that your customers want because they interact with your brand and use your website. For example, if you own a website selling DIY tools and incorporate a popular layout for beauty websites, you risk alienating your customer base.

Your brand becomes confusing: When it comes to your visual branding, i.e., your logo, color palette, illustrations, and style, adding a new trendy design choice could completely discombobulate how your customers view your brand.

Your SEO could suffer: Trends might be fun, but that new slideshow or a video that plays automatically could be affecting how you rank in the search engines. As a result, you might be missing out on organic customers because your organic traffic gets reduced.

Trends constantly change: Establish your brand and know your style. Don't waste time on trends that evaporate in a flash. It will require a lot of time to keep up with every trend and avoid looking outdated. Stick to function instead and listen to your audience's needs!

The team at JHD are here to help you design a website that is functional and beautiful. Give us a call or fill out the form and someone will get back to you.