Will Roberts | 7 October 2024

A desk with a laptop, desktop monitor displaying "WORK HARD ANYWHERE", potted plants, water bottle, tablet pen, and desk lamp.

As we look at the future of website design and development, one thing is clear: websites are no longer just digital storefronts but dynamic platforms that deliver immersive experiences. The websites that will stand out in 2025 will focus on personalisation, interactivity, and a deep understanding of user needs, all while leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance both functionality and performance.

These 25 tips have been gathered from our research and insights within the industry, then split into six sections based on key marketing disciplines. By following this guide, you can ensure your website remains competitive in an ever-changing digital landscape.

You can skip to each section using the links below:

Design
Content
Marketing
Functionality
Behind the scenes
Experience

Prefer watching over reading? Check out our webinar recording on this very topic.

Here are the top 25 must-haves and trends to ensure your website thrives in 2025 and beyond:

Design

1. Data-Driven UX

Your website should be built around the users, not internal opinions. Leverage behavioural insights to inform your design decisions and use continuous testing to improve your website over time. Ensuring that decisions are backed up by data, along with adhering to best practices such as taking a mobile-first approach is critical to the website’s UX. Not sure where to start? Here are the 3 steps that you need to take:

Define a User-Centered UX Strategy
Leverage Behavioural Insights
Prioritise Continuous Improvement

2. Mobile-first Design

With Google being a mobile-first index, focusing on a thumb-friendly mobile layout is a core part of your site ranking well in search results. Designing with mobile in mind also typically results in a ‘lighter’ website, improving page speed and enhancing user experience. However, this approach isn’t always the best fit for every business, so it’s essential to discuss with your digital agency whether mobile-first design aligns with your goals and audience needs.

3 Mobile phones depicting thumb hotspots

3. Micro-Interactions

Small animations, hover effects, and dynamic cursors can significantly improve user engagement. What used to be considered gimmicky is now essential to increase the engagement rate on your website. Micro-interactions keep users engaged, add polish to the site, and make it feel more alive, helping users understand that their actions on the site have immediate, visible effects.

In real terms, this could be changing the cursor to a play icon when the user hovers over a video. Then, when the video is playing, the cursor would change to a pause icon. Subtle changes like this will give your users more confidence to engage with your content.

2 screens showing examples of micro-interactions

4. True Reflection Design

First impressions matter. Your website’s design should reflect, if not elevate, your brand’s position in the market. This requires more than just internal stakeholder opinions; it demands a design strategy that considers how you want to be perceived by your customers. Ensure your design is polished, professional, and truly represents your brand’s value proposition.

5. Dark Mode

Dark mode isn’t just a trend; it’s becoming an industry standard. Offering this feature enhances accessibility for users who prefer browsing in low-light conditions and reduces eye strain. You can implement it as an optional toggle or automate it based on the user’s system settings or time of day, improving the overall user experience and accessibility of the website.

Light and Dark IOS mode settings on apple iphone

6. Intuitive Navigation

A website’s navigation is crucial to the user experience, and its design should be tailored to the specific needs of your audience. Let’s break this down into 3 parts:

Layout: Options like full-page navigation, a header-based menu, or a hamburger icon should be considered based on data and the preferences of your target users. Each layout has its advantages, and the key is to choose the one that best suits the way your audience interacts with your site.
Hierarchy: When structuring your navigation, prioritise key areas of your business. A common trap during sitemap workshops is assuming that everything is equally important. To avoid overwhelming users, limit the main navigation to top priorities and place less critical content in the footer. Large, cluttered navigations can lead to confusion and a higher bounce rate.
Content: The language used in your navigation matters. Avoid jargon or terms that may not be familiar to your audience. Clear, intuitive language helps guide users effortlessly through your website and reduces the chances of drop-offs.

Bonus Tip for Service-Based Businesses: Rather than focusing on services, structure your navigation around solutions. Let’s take WebBox as an example, instead of us just listing specific services like CRO or PPC, we highlight the challenges that our audience wants to solve—such as increasing enquiries. This approach is more relatable and helps users identify with the solution, even if they’re unfamiliar with the technical details.

Content

7. Clear Proposition

This may sound obvious, but it’s so often underestimated or missed all together when we’re auditing websites.

Your homepage should clearly state what your business does within seconds. A killer one-liner that summarises your unique proposition helps reduce bounce rates and keeps users engaged. Don’t leave visitors guessing about your services; instead, use concise language to communicate your value.

8. Brand Transparency

Today’s users care about a brand’s ethics. Build your website’s user experience around transparency, whether it’s introducing the team or showcasing how products are made. Authenticity bridges the gap between the digital and physical worlds, and it builds trust with your audience.

9. Interactive Storytelling

Static text is no longer enough to captivate users. Authenticity and engagement are key, so focus on interactive storytelling. Use images, video, and animation to create a narrative that draws users in. People connect with people, so let your content reflect the personalities behind your brand.

10. Interactive Features

To create a memorable and engagement experience, include features that make your website more interactive. Features like calculators, quizzes, planners, and ticket selectors allow users to engage with your content in meaningful ways. These tools not only keep visitors on your site longer but also drive conversions.

A man in a blue shirt is seen talking during a meeting, seated at a wooden table, with another person partially obstructing the foreground.

A silver MacBook with a blank search engine page open on the screen sits on a wooden desk. The desk also holds a black smartphone, a few blue pens, and a decorative miniature cannon in the background. The scene is well-lit by natural light.

A person draws a website wireframe on a glass board using a white marker, with their reflection visible in the glass.

Marketing

11. Technical SEO

The shift towards conversational search engines like ChatGPT means that technical SEO is more critical than ever. Optimise your website with structured data, internal linking, hreflang tags for international audiences, image optimisation (e.g. WebP images) and a clean URL structure.

While considering technical SEO, don’t underestimate the importance to page speed to maintain a strong search engine ranking. We advise that you aim for at least 80% in Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool, but ideally a score of >90%.

12. Landing Pages

Custom landing pages tailored to specific campaigns can significantly boost conversions. These pages offer users a streamlined experience that aligns with their intent, improving the overall user experience. Keep iterating and evolving these pages based on campaign data, and ensure they’re integrated with your CRM for seamless lead nurturing.

Pro Tip: Integrate your website with HotJar to analyse how users engage with your landing page. Heatmaps and session recordings can provide invaluable insights to inform the changes needed to improve conversion rates.

A screenshot of the Apple Watch Ultra landing page

13. Clear CTAs

Every page should have a clear, actionable call to action (CTA). Go beyond generic “Buy Now” buttons and think about secondary actions, like “Download,” “Learn More,” or “Sign Up.” Ensure your CTAs stand out visually and align with the user’s journey, leading to more meaningful interactions and conversions.

An example of a large call to action showcasing a discount

14. Advanced Tracking

Don’t waste the vast amounts of data your website generates. Use advanced tracking, such as event and eCommerce tracking, combined with heatmaps, to gain insights into user behaviour. Armed with this data, you will be able to regularly analyse it and evolve both the content and design of your site to improve UX and conversions.

Functionality

15. Personalisation

We all have different interests, preferences, technical abilities, therefore why do we expect a website to serve every user? Personalising your website based on user preferences isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a necessity. Using account preferences, 3rd party platforms, or AI, you will be able to adapt the experience to each user’s interests, whether by showing tailored content, offering different layout views (like grid vs. list), or recommending relevant products or articles.

16. AI Integration

AI needs its own blog post so we’re only going to scrape the surface now!

Whether you’re a fan of AI, or not, we must embrace its power within our websites. On the frontend, AI is a powerful tool to enhance UX and boost conversions. In the backend, AI can be used in your CMS to generate META tags, ALT descriptions, or even suggest content for users. Incorporating AI helps to deliver a smarter, more personalised experience for your audience.

But it’s important to remember – You’re the Marketer. AI is the Enabler.

17. Forms

Let’s break this down into 2 types of form:

Full-Screen Forms

Display a form by taking over the screen minimises distractions, which often increases form submissions. This type of form, whether a single-field or multi-step process, is gaining popularity because it focuses the user’s attention on the task at hand, and removes the navigation, leading to better lead generation results.

A screenshot example of a full screen form

Progressive Lead Forms

The days of overwhelming users with long forms are gone. Progressive lead forms break data collection into manageable chunks, enhancing the overall user experience. By asking for information in stages, you reduce friction and increase the likelihood of form completions. It’s also a great way to add additional information to your CRM that may be missing or incomplete.

An example of a progressive lead form. with the first visit showing all form fields, and the second visit showing pre populated fields.

18. Real-Time Updates

Websites with real-time updates provide a more engaging experience, whether it’s updating stock levels, booking statuses, or event information. Users no longer have the patience for page refreshes, and integrating real-time updates can create a sense of urgency and improve overall engagement.

Behind the Scenes

19. The Right CMS

Not all CMSs are created equal, nor the right fit for every project. Therefore, we recommend that you collaboratively select a CMS with your agency that fits the needs of your business in terms of scalability, security, and usability. Make sure it’s capable of integrating with the necessary third-party tools and puts you in the driving seat of your content by providing modular content blocks for flexibility. Consider both current and future needs when making your choice.

Need assistance choosing the right CMS for your upcoming website project? Download our comprehensive CMS Guide, featuring a detailed side-by-side comparison of leading platforms to help you make an informed decision.

20. Intelligent Automation

Automation isn’t just for marketing campaigns; it’s essential for streamlining website management. From automated content updates to CRM integrations, automation reduces the need for manual intervention, saving time and resources. Consider using triggers and workflows to optimise behind-the-scenes tasks.

Pro Tip: Start by listing out the things you do manually (i.e copy new enquiry information into CRM) and prioritise the list by how long each task takes to complete.

21. Security & Redundancy

In an age of increasing cyber threats, website security is more important than ever. Too often, this becomes an after thought, until the inevitable happens. Therefore, we put security at the centre of our development process, to ensure your site is protected against attacks. Additionally, have a redundancy plan in place—whether that’s automatic backups or server replacement options—to ensure your site remains operational in case of an emergency.

Experience

22. Accessibility

Accessibility should be a priority for every website, not just public sector ones. As I often say, if you haven’t considered Accessibility within the website build, through to the content, then you’ve left the job unfinished.

We recommend that you follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to ensure your site can be used by people with a range of disabilities. By designing with accessibility in mind, you also improve the overall user experience and enhance SEO.

23. Page Speed

In 2025, slow websites will continue to be pushed down the search engine results pages (SERPs). Page speed impacts both user experience and search rankings, so invest in continuous optimisation. Use tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights to measure and improve your loading times. This is not a one-time task but an ongoing effort. You will find that your ratings will fall over time, so this should be reviewed on a regular basis (we recommend every 3 months).

24. Chat Bots

As users become more accustomed to self-service, chatbots are becoming essential. However, it’s important that chatbots offer the option to escalate to live chat or support tickets when needed, in order to avoid frustration with inaccurate automated responses. Regularly test and review your chatbot interactions, making adjustments based on user feedback and engagement data.

25. Voice User Interface (VUI)

With the growing popularity of voice assistants like Siri and Alexa, voice search is becoming a standard. Ensure your website is optimised for voice interaction by integrating a voice search feature. This requires not only technical adaptation but also rethinking content in a conversational, natural tone.

Two men in an office look at computer screens. One is pointing and smiling, while the other sits next to him, wearing glasses and a green sweater. A plant is seen in the background.

Two adults in a room with a brick wall, writing on large sticky notes attached to a glass surface. One person is focused on writing, while the other looks at the notes.

Summary

In summary, it is essential to incorporate these tips or risk being left behind. The future of website experiences is here, and it’s more personalised, interactive, and data-driven than ever before. Businesses that invest in these must-have features will not only keep pace with the changes but will be positioned to lead their particular sector.

All of these points should be read in the context of not just incorporating the latest website trends, but applying them with a deep understanding of your user’s needs and expectations.

WebBox delivers bespoke websites and performance marketing campaigns for sports, health and leisure organisations. If you’re ready to take your website to the next level or need assistance with implementing these recommendations, contact us today—we’re on a mission to help organisations get ‘digitally fit’.