4 consumer trends that could help web designers find new clients

Web design jobs can be like buses. You can go weeks without a new lead and then five come along at once.

Of course, the more effort you put into prospecting and pitching, the steadier your work stream should become.

But even when you put in the time and effort, you can still experience quieter times.

What do you do then?

It can help to look at more general consumer trends. Find out which areas of wider industry are booming in your area and either focus your client hunting attempts within them. Or, if you already have clients in these areas, use the trend data as part of your upsell pitches.

In this blog, we round up the latest research, so you can get straight to targeting you next new batch of clients and projects.

Wellness and beauty

According to data from Google, wellness and beauty related searches have rocketed in the past year.

Further research from Mintel suggests that 45 per cent of 16 to 34-year-olds in the UK have turned to beauty and personal care regimes in the past year in order to reduce stress and anxiety.

So, it’s a good time for web designers to market their skills to businesses in these sectors.

Need some inspiration?

Check out the websites for immunity gummy vitamin Boost and the Body Shop’s body butter microsite.

The designers of these sites have used use scroll effects, impactful typography, animation, parallax effects and clever audio to make the sites really memorable.

If you already have clients in these fields, you’ll be interested to know that Google’s data has also shown that consumers have recently moved from having seasonal interests in wellness to an ‘always on’ mindset.

This means that more and more wellness consumers are moving on from being novices and becoming more interested in advanced products and seeking more in-depth information about topics.

This has implications for what consumers will expect from wellness websites. They’ll be attracted to sites that make it easy for return customers and sites that make it simple for customers to make repeat orders.

Plus, they’ll be searching for answers to more advanced questions in FAQ and news sections of websites, on blogs and in the form of video content on YouTube.

Sustainable and ethical food

Data from Google reveals that searches for terms like ‘vegan meals’ have gone up by 58 per cent since 2020.

Additional research from McKinsey suggests that 50 per cent of the UK population now considers themselves as ‘conscious eaters’.

Many vegan and ethical eating businesses are start-ups. And what do start-up companies always need? Websites.

For ideas about best design practices in this area, check out the Bennett Tea website, with its great page transitions, and the Nourish Change site, which harnesses flat design.

Interior design

Google data also reveals that interest in interior design and decor has spiked in the past year.

More specifically, Google suggests that consumers have been most interested in brands that facilitate pleasurable moments in the home and provide solutions for the new roles UK homes have taken on – such as home offices and yoga spaces.

While the likes of Ikea probably aren’t going to be looking for a new independent web designer any time soon, there may be opportunities for web designers to create sites for those who offer antidotes to the mass produced.

For example, local artisans, artists and craftspeople.

The ecommerce site of Moooi with its audio effects and Craie Craie with its big background images showcase how incredible interior design sites can be.

Local businesses

Google says that interest in local businesses is accelerating.

It revealed: ‘While necessity encouraged many people to buy more from local stores and services in lockdown, social and environmental motives for keeping things local have sustained and strengthened too’.

Mintel has also found that 57 per cent of people in the UK would like to spend more money at businesses that offer locally produced products in the future.

The problem with local businesses is that they don’t always have a lot of spare money. So they may be reluctant to splash out on a new website.

Web designers could think outside the box here. How about creating a portal site for a collection of local businesses, for example.