For the last two weeks, we’ve gone over several topics that are trending in web design, from social media badges, to responsive design. For our third and final blog on the subject of trends in web design, we’ll cover a few of the most interesting new trends, and one that is almost mandatory for any business that really wants to get ahead. In no particular order, here they are:

The Parallax effect- Parallax is the use of layered backgrounds that move at different speeds when you scroll to create the feeling of a 3 dimensional space on your site. This effect serves no other purpose other than to look cool. And it does. Sites that use parallax effects successfully really come alive and stand out. This effect has been around for a few years, but has not been widely used. It is becoming a lot more popular though, and is worth considering, depending on your industry, if you really want your website to pop.

Opacity and Transparent Elements- The ability to change the opacity on elements of your website has also been around for a few years, but is becoming a lot more prevalent right now. As the aesthetics of websites become more and more paramount to their success, new ways of displaying text and photos are being experimented with. The ability to have transparent elements on a site allows web designers to mix these elements in new and interesting ways.

Using Videos in place of text- Aside from responsive design, this is one of the most important trends on the web over the last couple of years. Companies that use videos to promote their business have shown to have much greater results in comparison to companies that only use text. There are many different ways you can use video throughout your website that will improve the user experience, hold their attention longer, and ultimately bring you more business, so the power of video is not something to ignore. Within a few minutes, you can convey your company’s message clearly and come alive to your customer in a way that you couldn’t a few years before. It’s also a lot less expensive than it used to be, and it’s much easier, thanks to much higher quality, and smarter cameras in addition to fairly user friendly editing software. You are at a dis advantage if you are not looking into using video for your business. Your competition probably is.

That brings our three part blog on Web Design Trends in 2014 to a close. What is your favorite trend? Was there something important that we missed? Sound off in the comments, and check back next week for another exciting blog.