Hi everyone, it's Zarte again! I hope you're all well!
I just thought I'd check in with you all and... oh sorry, bear with me, I've just got a notification... let me see... oh, one of these... yes OK. I'll look into it later.
Sorry about that, it was an email alerting me to the prospect of putting some money into a fledgling business. Whilst you have to obviously be careful, it can be a good way of getting ahead of the trend.
It's always good to be planning forwards and making sure you're ahead of the game, especially with your business. And your website is a great place to give a public impression that you're making that happen!
So why not aim for 2020 vision? Get your website for next year sorted, before next year becomes this year. How you ask? Well that's what I'm here for!
The first thing you want to do is look at your content. Is there anything that you've let get out of date? Products that no longer exist, pictures which are no longer relevant, a "meet the team" which hasn't been pertinent since about 2013? Whilst some of those might slip past a potential customer's eye, it only takes one instance of "That seems a bit dated..." to put many people off.
Speaking of dated, let's talk about how your website looks. With the exception of a few timeless looks, we estimate that the average website becomes completely out of keeping with design trends, once every 2-3 years. And yet so many businesses have the exact same layout that they had ten years previously.
Older websites will also inevitably be less responsive than newer ones too, and for the increasing market which browses on mobile or tablet, that's a huge no-no. You need your website to be fully useable on any device, at any time!
It doesn't matter that the information is still relevant – I can speak from personal experience – if I see a website that looks particularly old, I'll wonder if that company exists any more. It could just be a shell that hasn't yet expired. Or a guy who does the odd job for a friend, but that's about it.
There are three excellent steps to take to get you closer to the website your business needs.
Firstly, make a note of every time you see a website feature and go "That's neat" – if it's relevant to your business, use it.
Secondly, read reviews of your business, and see if they speak about your website. If they do, take it as feedback of what to keep, and what to lose. It might knock your confidence briefly, but it'll help you knock THEM dead when they see how its changed.
Thirdly, look out for articles (whether by us or others) predicting the trends in web design for that year. Adding just one of them could boost your online profile no end.
Fourthly, talk to a professional. Ultimately, there's a reason you're not a web design company. You can be prepped to know what you like and have an idea where you need to get to, but discuss feasibility and implementation to really make a positive step.
What else? Well how about improving your visibility? Improving your social media output or adding some effective SEO to what you're doing could make sure that not only do you have 2020 vision, but customers will get 20/20 vision of what you're offering them. Stand out above your competitors. Don't let the new kids on the block steal your business.
Make 2020 the year that your website matches the passion you have for your business. It'll be a good year, I can feel it in my veins.
For more about anything in this article, or to talk to one of our team about YOUR website, why not drop us a message through the form on our contact page, or alternatively ring one of the team on 023 9298 8855.
Until next time,
Zarte