Websites are constantly evolving. It’s not a business area you can invest in once and expect it to continue performing well for years. It should be considered a part of your operations that needs to change to reflect consumer demand, industry trends, and technology advancements. If you need to bring your online presence into 2018, here are five of the biggest trends in websites.

1. Incorporating animation

Designers are taking steps to make websites more interactive, adding to the customer experience. It’s a way to make your online presence more engaging. Over the course of 2018, expect to see more websites move away from a static approach to embrace dynamic animations – you will need to make sure your existing servers can handle it though.

2. A shift to mobile first

If your website isn’t already responsive, you could risk falling behind. Online traffic from mobile devices has already overtaken desktop and websites should now be adopting a mobile first design. Navigation, graphics, and micro-interaction for mobile users all need to be considered in 2018.

3. Use of illustrations

At the moment, illustrations tend to be contained to a few creative industries, but their customer appeal means you can expect to see a lot more of them. They can be perfectly tailored to your brand, add a playful side your website, and be incredibly informative when done right, all without breaking the bank. Whether you’re an e-commerce site targeting millennials or a manufacturer focusing on establishing B2B relationships, you should be considering how to use illustrations within your line of work, such as demonstrating processes, highlighting key benefits of your product, or introducing your team.

4. Telling a story

With so much competition for online attention and likely numerous direct competitors for every business, storytelling is going to become a key feature on websites. It’s about setting the brand apart from rivals and establishing a connection with visitors. There’s a huge number of ways to create a story, giving creative firms lots of flexibility.

5. Improved security

With so many high profile cyber-attacks taking place last year, it should come as no surprise that security features on the list. Customers now expect you to take steps to improve their security when visiting your website and it means that more businesses are making it clear how they mitigate risk, such as using dedicated servers.