Web 3.0 and web design best practices
As the full realization of Web 3.0 comes ever closer, upgrading or revamping your website according to new best practices will become increasingly important. After all, Web 3.0 will be so distinct from other iterations of the World Wide Web that your site will need to adopt new practices and design principles to attract visitors and thrive in the competitive market.
Not sure where to start? Today, let’s break down some of the most important Web 3.0 web design best practices you should employ in the near future.
Web 3.0 explained
In a nutshell, Web 3.0 is the future evolution of the Internet.
Originally, the Internet was a pretty simple place. In the Web 1.0 era, most sites were run by big organizations and had little more than basic text files or strings. In Web 2.0 — the current era — the Internet was defined by user-created content like webpages and, to a large extent, social media.
Web 3.0 will change everything, combining principles like decentralization, cryptocurrency payments, and private user control over their data. With Web 3.0, large corporations will no longer control the data of billions of people, and many individuals may trade goods and services freely using crypto tokens like Bitcoin and Ethereum.
There will still be big websites and user-generated pages and content, of course. However, Web 3.0 is likely to be so distinct from other epochs of the Internet that it makes sense to prepare to adopt your site for future users and needs sooner rather than later. If you do that, your site will be prepared for the inevitable influx of new user traffic as Web 3.0 continues to approach.
Best web design practices for Web 3.0 sites
But how should you improve your site for Web 3.0 and its tools, technologies, and users? Here are a few ideas.
Decentralize your site and processes
First and foremost, start decentralizing your site and its processes right now. A decentralized website won’t have all of its files or critical programs on one computer or terminal. Instead, all the computers and terminals that access the site will collate their information and ensure its accuracy.
This is easier said than done, and this is likely a long-term design practice you’ll have to adopt as decentralized Web 3.0 technologies become more accessible. Still, put it on the drawing board for a transformation you’ll have to adopt eventually.
Offer voice-activated assistants
More concretely, you can get started offering voice-activated assistants and systems to your customers. This is great for differently abled customers, allowing hands-free browsing and improved accessibility. Those can be big benefits for your brand’s reputation, particularly if you wish to create a responsible and welcoming environment for your customers/target audience members.
Crypto payment portals
As noted above, Web 3.0 will largely be dominated by crypto payments and wallets. Already, many Internet shoppers want to purchase goods and services with their cryptocurrencies.
If you put a crypto payment portal in your e-commerce shop, you’ll immediately expand your customer base. That can result in short and long-term profit increases. In addition, accepting crypto payments means you can participate in the broader Web 3.0 Internet market, using the crypto tokens you accumulate to buy goods and services or exchange for fiat currencies.
Use the background to highlight interactive paths
In terms of raw web design, you can and should design your site’s background with basic shapes, strings, and other graphic elements to highlight the interactive paths you want your customers to take. For example, a basic “bridge” or similar graphic element leading a visitor’s eye from a landing page deal to a product list page could be a great way to funnel traffic through the best areas of your site.
This is a good Web 3.0 web design practice because it will help facilitate ease of use and intuitive navigation. That’s doubly important when you consider the fact that Web 3.0 will allow for more free-flowing traffic and, in all likelihood, many more visitors compared to earlier iterations of the Internet.
Aim for a minimalist aesthetic
You should also try to design your Web 3.0 website with a minimalist aesthetic. But why?
Simply put, a minimalist aesthetic pulls together your entire design and helps to ensure a smooth flow from site to site. Web 3.0 will essentially unify many different sites and online resources. By making the transition from another site to your online resource smooth and simple for your users, they’ll be more inclined to dive deep into your shop or e-commerce brand’s offerings.
You can still keep your current image files, of course, particularly if they are brand-relevant or recognized by your target audience. However, you’ll likely want to find a good tool to convert HEIC to JPG files and vice versa to ensure that your backgrounds, product images, and other image files are as high-quality and fast-loading as possible.
On top of that, one of the big advantages of a minimalist aesthetic is that it’ll ensure your website loads quickly for mobile users. Since mobile users make up over half of Internet traffic, and that number is expected to increase, designing your website so it loads in microseconds is vital.
Integrate VR and AR experiences
Don’t forget to integrate more virtual reality and augmented reality experiences. Web 3.0 should have many more experiences of these types, allowing users to interact with your website or the Internet using digital headsets, gamepads, and other control schemes.
Not only is this more immersive for your customers, but it also adds even more accessibility to your site, which is never a bad thing,
Leverage AI chatbots and machine learning
Artificial intelligence is transforming many industries, the Internet included. To that end, it’s never too soon to start leveraging AI chatbots for your customer service needs.
AI chatbots use basic scripts to respond to frequent customer questions and basic inquiries. By using AI chatbots, you free up your customer service team members to tackle more complex tasks and provide your customers with immediate support: both big benefits when trying to grow your brand from scratch.
Implement background data interoperability
Last but not least, update your site’s code and framework to make your background information, such as store customer or shop data, more interoperable. In essence, this will accelerate the decentralization process mentioned above, plus make your site able to integrate with other sites and users much more easily.
Depending on your skill set, you may need to contact some experts to do this for you. But in the long run, it will be a superior investment for the effectiveness and accessibility of your site and the security of your customer data.
Get ready for Web 3.0 today
Preparing for Web 3.0 can be a monumental task, so you shouldn’t do it alone. Namecheap makes it easy for you to find or transfer a domain name to a new iteration of your website, helping your customers find you even as the Internet shifts and transforms.
Even better, you can rely on Namecheap to provide you with premium DNS services, offering unparalleled security and domain name quality for the future. Check it out today.
