As we reach the end of another year, we reflect on the time that has passed and we look forward to the year ahead. In this blog post, we are going to take a look at some great web design tips to help you through 2019.
Get rid of that background music
The general consensus is that, for a business or professional website, it is not a good idea, unless that business happens to be a music group, for example, and then the music is important. If the music is not integral to the web design, and if the website is a business site or professional site (i.e. not a personal one), then it is best not to use it. For visitors, having music played at them when they have not chosen to listen to it can be a sign that the people behind the company are pushy, or unprofessional. It gives a bad image of you and your business. Think of the most professional and important websites you know such as Amazon, Google, or the BBC. These sites don’t play music, and neither should you. Not only this but streaming a song takes up a lot of bandwidth. This could mean that your site becomes much slower to load, depending on the connection of the person visiting. No matter how good your web design is, if no one waits around long enough to see it then it won’t sell anything. As well as this, if you choose to simply repeat one snippet of music that can also irritate people and turn them away from your website.
Regular updates are a must
Today, with the different tools that are available, you can design a site in minutes! Therefore, there really is no excuse for not having an up-to-date website. These tools enable you to make changes with ease, and you are going to need to do so throughout 2019 if you are to stay ahead of the competition.
Make more time for social media
Social media includes sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr and others. It is a great way to interact with your customers and to encourage them to ‘get to know you more as a business. Your website can include buttons to allow easy sharing of your web content on social media, and this is certainly one way to gain followers and hopefully customers. However, having a social media account (or more than one) will allow you to choose what is shared, and to allow potential customers to learn more about you. The key is to be ‘social’ and not concentrate solely on ‘sales’; doing this will bring in sales because people will grow to trust you and understand your brand better. If you simply use social media to try to sell, you could easily turn people off using you in the first place, as you will come across as being all about making money, and not about caring for your customers. It is also important to post timely and relevant updates on social media. Keeping up with trends and using these to grow your business is important.
Continuity and reliability are musts
In 2019, if you are offline for even a small period of time, you are hurting your brand and you are missing out on opportunities. In today’s digital world, convenience and ease is everything. This is why more and more people are turning towards managed IT services so that they can outsource this part of their business.
Spelling and grammar matters
Studies have recently shown that just one spelling mistake on your website can reduce potential sales by half, which means it is vital to check – or ask someone to check – that everything is as it should be. As well as that, the first time visitor to your site will spend as little as fifteen seconds making the decision to stay or not. Good copy will help them make that decision in a positive way. You need to take responsibility for the content of your site, and that includes how things are spelt. Poor spelling and grammar give a poor impression and give people the idea that the site they are looking at is not professional, even if the reality is completely different.
So there you have it – some of the important things you need to do to improve your website in 2019. Follow the tips above and success is assured.
