Michael Wight
In the 20+ years that website design has become a mainstream business, the evolution of website design has been rapid. Nothing has changed recently despite the fact that websites have evolved from static content 20 years ago, to places where people can shop, bank, trade, and conduct other complex business transactions.
The facts are, if your website is more than a couple of years old, it is already obsolete. The driving force in technology these days is the rapid rise of smartphones, and marketing targeting this demographic. If you website does not cater to this segment of the market, chances are you are being left behind. Here are some website design elements that can keep your business competitive.
- Content personalization
Content personalization starts to work when a person registers as a member on your website. The content personalization algorithm will then begin to record all of their surfing activities as to your products and services. It will then make recommendations based on that for related products and services that your business offers. The more interaction the customer has with your website, the more accurate and helpful these recommendations can become.
- Using a Content Management System (CMS)
CMS have now been a mainstay of web design for almost a decade, and they have been getting more and more powerful. These systems allow a layperson to make website changes without having any real technical knowledge. This allows you to keep your website up to date and relevant. There is one drawback you need to be aware of. CMS systems may not be optimized for speed, which is critical for persons using mobile devices. If you have a CMS make sure and speak to someone with expertise in speed optimization.
- Responsive Design
This is a must-have feature if you have chosen to go with a CMS. Today, up to one-half of your website hits come from mobile devices, and slow response times can cost you revenue. Be sure and tie the fonts used in your web site to your brand, and have a professional website designer use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to ensure your background images load correctly and quickly.
- Start a Business Blog Related to Your Industry
You can use a business blog to educate and inform your customers, and to encourage interaction with them. This is one of the better ways to always have fresh and relevant content. If you are using a CMS, you will probably find that it has blog attributes already there for you to use. While these blogs will require a time commitment on your part, it is an excellent way to help expand a business through the internet.
Once you have incorporated all of these elements into your website, it is important to have a social media website on Facebook, Twitter, and other relevant social media sites to promote your content and drive traffic to it. If no one can see the changes you are making to your website, those changes make little sense in terms of time and money invested.
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