Marketing has always been driven by trends, and that’s even more true of online marketing. Popular styles in both website design and marketing change rapidly, sometimes in a matter of months. For best performance, you should be consistently re-evaluating your own marketing efforts in light of the latest trends.
In our own work as a web development service provider, we have to keep up with the latest styles – so here are some of the trends we’ve been following lately.
Despite initially seeming like a gimmick, AI chatbots on websites have proven to be surprisingly effective. They can’t replace a salesperson, but they can provide a lot of useful information to visitors who prefer not to search for themselves. Basically, they act like interactive FAQs. Plus, more advanced models can also handle tasks like scheduling emails or callbacks from live reps.
They can be particularly effective in boosting conversions among leads who visit during off-hours.
PWAs are a hybrid of websites and smartphone apps. They use your website as a starting point, but incorporate new features aimed specifically at smartphone apps. For example, they can store local copies of most or all of your website, so it can be viewed even while offline. With a few value-added bonuses, it’s easy to convince visitors to install your app – and increase your messaging opportunities in the process.
Websites of the past tended to become large and sprawling, so it’s little wonder that many visitors now want a more streamlined experience. Many businesses are now designing main pages that are the entire website, eliminating the need to click around. This also makes the website easier to download for offline perusal.
Single-page design works great with parallax animations and other HTML5 design techniques, allowing you to create a splashy memorable main page.
One of the biggest changes in online trends came when smartphones overtook desktop computers as the preferred way of accessing the Internet. This has, in turn, forced a real rethink of many webpage design principles. Perhaps most important is remembering that at least half of your visitors are probably browsing with only one thumb! Links and other clickables should be large enough that tapping them won’t be difficult, even on a small vertical screen, and they should be moved towards the center of the screen for easy access.
One thing that hasn’t changed is the importance of content marketing to your online outreach. Content is still king, so you should still be looking to leverage keywords and provide content your visitors want. However, that content is quickly becoming more focused on video. Video consumption is booming and, better yet, online viewers aren’t very picky about production value. Focus on informational videos, unboxings, and other “edutainment” content.
Also, look into podcasting. Podcasts are cheaper than video and becoming more popular every year.
Are you still working with an older website, in need of updating? ALM Corp. is a web development service provider with nearly a decade of experience helping build websites around the world! Contact us for more information.
