When to join the bandwagon, and when to keep your distance.

[Xetch]

Differentiating between potentially successful and possibly hazardous web trends can be tough, but can also play a key role in your site’s success (or failure).

As the web grows and develops, trends and fads pop up almost daily. Some of these concepts stick around with us for a long time, such as ‘Web 2.0’, but some diminish within days. With all of these new and seemingly innovative ways to make your site more popular, it can sometimes be a challenge to choose a path for your site to follow. Below are a few ways to find more successful trends, and ease the process of identifying those to steer clear of.

Be a follower, not a leader.

Some web developers are totally crazed when it comes to the newest trends. If they see something that might or might not have potential, they throw it on their site anyway. Do some browsing on website showcases such as CSS Remix and Best Web Gallery - these sites allow users to vote on various aspects, including design, functionality, and more. It is pretty much common sense from there - stick to adapting the concepts introduced by sites with more votes.

Try multiple strategies on multiple websites.

If you’re one of the many web developers with more than one somewhat popular website, this is an excellent way to go. If you are ever unsure of which trends to use, it is always great to test them on the community. You can get their opinions and suggestions and edit the site to their liking. Keep in mind that it may take various tries to find something everyone loves. In reality, you can’t please everyone, but you can try like hell to.

Read up.

Sometimes, it can be more beneficial if you read up on the latest trends before even changing anything about your site. You can learn a lot in advance, and spare yourself the time and trouble of constantly changing your site. You also do not let your community think you have no clue what you’re doing. That’s always a plus. Try reading through web development articles on sites like Digg and 9rules, where you can almost be assured of the quality of the content you are reading. Keep in mind, this is not always the case.

Know when it is time to build your own wagon.

Have your own great idea? Try it out. This can be a big gamble, but if you happen to stumble onto the next big internet trend, it can be very rewarding. Try mixing and changing current trends, just as you would a sub from Subway (if that makes sense). If other sites start to adopt your style, you can consider it successful. Be forewarned, you might end up on the list of the worst websites ever. That is, if it exists. The point is made, though.