If you’re old enough to remember the dot-com bubble, you’ll know all too well that website design was nowhere near as versatile as it is today. The primary focus was on functionality, and that’s still the case – but you can now make a website that looks good while also delivering a seamless user experience.
But even now, web design continues to evolve at a fast pace and affiliates absolutely need to be on top of the latest trends and consumer expectations. But what are these latest trends and how can you apply them to your online sportsbook or casino affiliate site.
Playfulness: Keep It Fun!
Stuffy corporate websites are (thankfully) a thing of the past. Having information on your page is important, but giving your site a bit of personality is just as crucial. Think about how many websites the average user accesses per day; yours won’t stick in their memory if it’s drab.
When designing your website, have a little fun and get creative. Think about your brand and how you can make yourself memorable with users from a visual and layout perspective. Experiment with messaging, colors, visuals, and more. In short: throw the rulebook out of the window!
Use Fewer Images in Heroes
Hero banners offer an important first impression, but getting them wrong can be fatal for your business. Many websites you see online include an image in their heroes, which is fine – but you can sometimes go too far and impact the user experience.
As an alternative, we recommend using fewer images in your heroes. Keep things clean and minimal, and focus on getting your message across instead.
Oversized Typography
People now access websites from a variety of devices. Desktop and laptop browsing will probably always have a place, especially considering how useful computers are for everyday work, but mobile now dominates when it comes to online casino and sportsbook play. As an affiliate, you must design for these channels, too.
Given the different-sized screens that each of these devices has to work with, it’s important to think about the text you use on your website. In some instances, you might be better off using oversized typography. Doing this will improve readability and give the user the information they need.
Split-Screen Websites
Although many websites adopt the single-screen approach, we think that this might soon change. Why? Because again, the way we interact with sites has changed. It’s not uncommon for people to use more than one screen or monitor for their work, and split screens are common on tablet devices.
As technologies and user preferences continue to evolve, it’s worth considering split-screen websites and perhaps testing out different ideas and concepts. One of the upsides to split screens is that users don’t need to click around several pages, nor do they need several tabs open.
Video (Soon)
Text and stills are crucial parts of website design, and they always will be. However, video is undoubtedly going to play a key role in the future.
We’ve already seen the importance of video elsewhere; YouTube is the second-most popular search engine on the planet. Moreover, Instagram has moved more toward video to face the increasing competition from TikTok.
If you’re not already, you should strongly consider adding video content to your website.