Is your website and online marketing strategy all setup for 2017? Or, are you feeling like most business owners and executives are – still reeling from the latest innovations in mobile, social media, and search algorithm updates?
The fact of the matter is that the best practices in web design are constantly moving targets. What worked just a few years ago can be utterly ineffective now. On the bright side, a focused and experienced creative team can help you to stay on top of what’s new, figure out which developments actually matter, and show you how to take advantage of emerging trends.
In that spirit, today we want to share four ideas that are changing the way we design, launch, and use websites with our business clients. Each of them is important now, but they are poised to make an even bigger difference in 2017 and beyond…
#1 Mobile First Web Design
Mobile web users make up a growing majority on the Internet. Realizing that, some businesses have stopped thinking in terms of mobile compatibility, and started prioritizing smartphone and tablet traffic over other visitors altogether. In practice, mobile-first web design looks a lot like responsive web design, at least for now. But, you can be sure more and more companies will be following this template, in that it will change the way sites are built and coded going forward.
#2 AMP Ready Content
AMP (or Accelerated Mobile Pages) is related to mobile-first, but has to do with the way individual pieces of content load on smaller screens. Often, AMP content is pre-loaded without forms, comments, or real-time updates, making it more accessible from phones and tablets. Google has already started emphasizing AMP capability and it’s mobile search results, and will likely continue to do so in the future.
#3 SSL Web Hosting
This is another trend being driven at least somewhat by the engineers at Google. Since they announced a preference for SSL-enabled websites – think of the encryption typically used by banks and online merchants – a growing number of businesses have been upgrading their hosting packages. A side effect is that websites are now better-performing and more secure, so you can expect to see more SSL connections.
#4 Cross-Platform Tracking and Retargeting
As companies get better and better at identifying their core groups of buyers, they are finding new ways to engage them all over the web. If you can bring someone to your site via Google’s paid search ads, for example, it only makes sense to display marketing messages to them on Facebook, as well. There are a growing number of retargeting systems and advanced CRM’s that make cross-platform integration easier. Businesses of all sizes are embracing them, both as a matter of convenience and a way to keep track of complex campaigns.
Stay Current With Weblinx
If you feel like you’re playing catch-up with your competitors and want to take the lead online for once, now is the perfect time to talk with the creative team at Weblinx and let us develop a common sense marketing strategy tailored to your needs.