Even if this list does not represent a drastic changes in what was popular in 2009, it marks the different tendencies, which will be developed in time and will bring better results.

High footer ( tall )

The footer of a web site has the role to synthetic in a few worlds and links the information from a web site. This can be used to balance the site but also to help with search engine optimization.

Big logos

To make a good impression to the visitor, the web design tendencies are to write the titles and logos using big sized characters, this way a nice visual impact is created, helping the visitor remember the site’s slogan, logo or name.

Everybody uses Arial, Verdana, Times new Roman, why not be different? For logos, heading titles and different areas of the site you can use special logos, by transforming them into images.

Modal boxes

Modal boxes are pop-up pages however better, because they are not blocked by pop-up blockers. The modal boxes are very easy to design and use, which makes them the perfect solution for every designer that wants to provide visitors with usability.

Magazine style web site

Like many people are migrating from the comfort of traditional press to online information, the designers are challenged to adapt themselves, with an easy transtion: the offline site to online site. There is a migration to web sites that looks like magazines, where information is carefully organized on the main page, providing the user with the opportunity to explore the site’s many sections.

Resolution

The most used resolution right now is 1024 x 768 pixels , so you should be careful that your web site does not exceed this dimension horizontaly. You can use a more spectacular background to mask the free space resulted in using a bigger resolution.

Color scheme

One of the most common problems on web sites is the inconsistency of used colors. There are many web sites out there with complex functionality but they failed in picking a good color scheme. There are many tools on the internet that can help a designer choose a color scheme based on the clients specifications.

SEO

The lack of SEO elements ( keywords, links, etc ) can result in the web site being ignored by search engines. However, you should know that using keywords in excess can lead to penalties.

Font

Picking a good font size is essential. The used font can help in reading and understand the message of a web site. Web design, unlike print design, tends to use fonts like Arial, Tahoma, Verdana.

Too much Flash

Besides the increase of a site’s loading time it’s also possible that your visitors leave the site. Flash animations should only be used if the message must be expressed in a way that it can’t be done by using static pages.

Popup

Generally, web browsers have built in pop-up blockers, that are used for advertising. So, if you are thinking of using pop-ups on your web site, you might want to reconsider.