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Marketing

Emotional Marketing – the best approach to social media?

By MarketingNo Comments

We can’t live without human interaction, so why do we forget about it online?

People are social creatures, so much so that entrepreneurs brought social media to the World Wide Web. This invention was to connect people during their time online.

Businesses now utilise the applications for their marketing purposes and why wouldn’t they? After all, there are billions of people to promote to that you can reach with a simple ‘publish’ button.

Digital marketers have spent years learning about the trends of social media. They study the algorithmic behaviour of popular social media sites and how to use them.

Marketers like us, look for the best way to create a winning campaign that defies competition and earns business conversions. However, for every winner, there is a loser.

But how do you stop yourself from being on the losing side? Well, the answer to that is through emotional marketing.

I’m not on about putting up a status saying that you’re sad then ignoring everyone who comments questioning why to build the attention, I mean strategic, emotional communication.

Why should you use emotion?

Facebook is predominantly homeowners and family-orientated users, businesses have only just started coming apparent in the last few years and recently Facebook tried to reduce this.

Last year Mark Zuckerburg (founder of Facebook) decided to make companies pay to have their content seen as he aimed to prioritise human-interactions.

Studies have shown that emotional content scores higher in popularity tests amongst Facebook users.

If you can relate to people’s personal issues and experiences, then your post is more likely to receive attention.

How do you demonstrate emotion online?

The fear of missing out: FOMO ‘the fear of missing out’ has always been an influence in business promotion and sales as nobody wants to be left out.

We are constantly admiring our neighbour’s new car, a person’s beautiful new outfit and the technology other people have without even realising it.

By convincing people that your product/service is something extraordinary and in high demand, you can create engagement in mass amounts. But the trick here is to be persuasive, not pushy, make your customer believe in your product.

Get them curious: Ah curiosity, the perfect bait to get a lead. Humans are prone to curiosity, we all want to know what’s what and what’s next, we don’t like the unknown.

If you want to grab people’s attention, ask a question, using a shocking title or add suspense to your campaign.

Sometimes it works to even stray away from professionalism and offer something interesting and engaging to your audience whether that be ’10 of the more awesome tips’ or something relevant to your industry but informative rather than ‘sales-like’.

Get them curious: Ah curiosity, the perfect bait to get a lead. Humans are prone to curiosity, we all want to know what’s what and what’s next, we don’t like the unknown.

If you want to grab people’s attention, ask a question, using a shocking title or add suspense to your campaign.

Sometimes it works to even stray away from professionalism and offer something interesting and engaging to your audience whether that be ’10 of the more awesome tips’ or something relevant to your industry but informative rather than ‘sales-like’.

April 5, 2018

10 Steps For Writing The Perfect Sales Page

By Marketing, ResourcesNo Comments

Haven’t any clue on where to start with your sales pages?

Let us help.

Sales pages, also known as your ‘money pages’.

These moneymakers will be the web pages that will turn your audiences into active customers. They need to be engaging, concise and relevant to the person who will land on them.

To help you out, we have decided to give you 10 Top Tips on creating an ideal sales page. Follow these rules exactly and you should begin to see an increase in revenue in the long run.

Well then, let’s get straight to it:

1. Set targets

To start with you ideally, need to put a goal in place that you aim to achieve. The goal can be big or small but whatever the case it’s critically important to have, as it will help guide your sales page to success.

Every sales page needs to entail set achievements whether that’s gaining higher conversions, more sales or brand awareness. You need to be clear on what you want your sales page to achieve as this will help you begin your planning.

2. Create a Customer Persona

Next, you need to begin deciding what type of audience you aim to promote your product or service too. Although your sales page will reach a large audience you preferably need to create an ideal customer that you aim to draw in.

Think about what kind of people will be looking at your brand in terms of age and authority, form your content and imagery around the set audience and research how well your ideas work with the chosen age range.

3. Make Your Offers Stand Out

Your main headline needs to be bold and aesthetically considered, a customer will assume their first impressions of your page based on how they see it upon immediate sighting.

The main purpose of your page is making a sale; therefore, you need to ensure that your content and the images really provoke interest from your audience. Don’t stick with just one example of offer promotion instead write and design a number of the same idea, this will help you choose the perfect title for your sales page.

4. Decide What Will Get Your Customer’s Attention

With the product or service, you offer you need to question potential problems that the customers may have which will prompt them to take up your sale.

For instance, you need to come up with a rhetorical question which connects with the consumer personally such as; Do you have X problem? Looking to solve X problem?

By querying your customer, you will convince them to think about the issues they may be undergoing and therefore help you gain a potential buyer.

5. List Benefits That Your Product Offers

Customers always look for quality of a product or service and how beneficial it is for them.

To ensure a perfect sales page, you need to sell your product/service effectively; this means outweighing the benefits of your products or service against competitors.

If you explain the benefits, the customer will engage more with the idea of your product.

6. Testimonials and Reviews

People are dependent on trust nowadays; they will expect a company to provide them with a product or service, which reflects the price they pay.

Customers will always pay attention to the negatives even if there are a numerous amount of positives – this is why you need to ensure you can reassure your audience with a selection of happy feedback.

By supplying testimonials and reviews, you will also appear more reliable and authentic in comparison to a sales page, which has no customer reviews.

7. Offer guarantees or returns

People like to feel like they’re in good hands, which is why if you offer some guarantee after a purchase is made you are ensured to be more favoured by customers.

Your customers would be looking for such offers before they buy, providing they can make a refund or exchange if the product/service didn’t meet full expectations.

Whether you offer a 1-year warranty or 3 working day return, your guarantee will need promoting next to the products you provide and remain noticeable. 

9. Include An Action Button

 

After your visitors have acknowledged your site and what it has to offer the next best thing to do is to create an action button, which leads your customer to a specific page or guides them on what to do next.

For instance, you could have a ‘download’, ‘sign up’ or even a ’get a quote’ action link.

By including such an action your customers will be able to navigate your page easier, you can also introduce to a page linking to a finalised sale, which increases your potential chance for a deal.

10. Be Clear And Straightforward

 

One of the key things to remember is to keep your content relevant and straightforward; your audience needs to be able to understand what you’re saying so therefore you will need to keep your terminology distinguishable for everyone.

You should only be using professional jargon when necessary; this is to stop your customers from getting bored or losing track, instead be concise on the information you want to get across.

Overall your sales page needs to be visually appealing and promote your service/product effectively with minimal words. However, you plan your sales page to look, make sure that you tailor your page around your designated customer audience.

April 1, 2018

5 Email Marketing Design Techniques For Higher Conversions

By Business, Marketing, ResourcesNo Comments

Essential design techniques for an email campaign to get your customer’s attention.

Email marketing can be a complicated marketing method. If you are new to the game, there are so many different factors to consider. These factors contribute to the perfect email marketing design.

Whether you’re reaching out to existing clients or new consumers, the emails you send must be attentive. It’s important to create a detailed, visually effective email.

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Today’s people have managed to acquire a shorter attention span due to the influence of technology. Everything nowadays is quick and easy to find, and that’s what your email campaign should be. All of your recipients will be different, that’s why it’s critical to create an email that suits all.

1. Make your email eye catching

Simply put, we are all attracted to pretty things. It’s no mystery that we will be more attracted to something colourful in comparison to something dull. The same aspect goes for email marketing campaigns, the better looking, the more like they are to succeed.

You should carefully think of what colours to use. For example, the design must reflect the theme of your business.

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Colour psychology has always been a useful tool with emotionally connecting with your customers. If your email campaign is urgent include red. Festive? Consider whites and blues or maybe its Halloween? Use orange and black.

However, you aim to create your campaign – make sure you keep the email attractive. The more interesting your campaign is, the more likely you will achieve brand awareness and drive revenue.

2. Consider your layouts carefully

The initial layout of your email campaign is significant.

You need to carefully consider where you’ll place your main image, headlines and text, making sure you put the most attractive and essential elements first. A presentable email marketing campaign is an effective one.

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Clear and concise advertisements receive the most attention. It’s the same with anything if it isn’t easy to understand we won’t pay much attention to the advert. Any email marketer should carefully consider what they’d put at the top, as this will be the first thing the receiver sees.

3. Get creative with your content

You should keep your text short, easy to read and entertaining. We all have a short attention span; if there’s too much content in your campaign, nobody will read it. The information should provide an immediate answer or be of interest to your customers. There’s no need to waffle on, be straight to the point.

Don’t throw in professional’s words either; keep your content eligible to be the average 12-year-old reader. Include statistics and facts where possible; real-time evidence appeals to your readers. You can build trust on a foundation of knowledge, so make sure you include some. Putting fewer words will improve your chance of a conversion.

4. Capturing promotions

Sometimes it may be better to deter away from the actual product/service you want to promote. Sounds crazy right? It’s actually very effective! Creating an interactive email campaign will entice engagement and make you more memorable. Static email campaigns aren’t as appealing as interactive ones.

A simple rhetorical question, a declarative or personal address will give your business a personality. People like personalisation, if they see themselves as a number on an email list, they won’t be interested. Email campaigns offering a competition or discount will gain the most engagement.

5. Look for influence

Although it can be good coming up with an original design, sometimes your competitors can be influential. It’s always a good idea to research existing email campaigns to help create yours. We would never recommend completely copying someone else’s, however you can take bits of the design.

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It’s also good to study trends in the email marketing industry, including checking statistics. Effective email campaigns have a lot of time and research behind the initial design.

Did our tips help?

There is still a vast amount of tips for helping you design a successful email marketing campaign. However, it would be near enough impossible to teach you everything in one blog.

A suggestion would be that you seek a digital marketer to handle your email campaigns, to save your time, hassle and unsuccessful adverts. But, if you are daring enough to learn the ins and outs of email marketing then these are important points to consider.

February 7, 2018

Here’s how you make your Facebook Page engaging

By Business, MarketingNo Comments

These Considerations Will Help Get Your Business 

Seen On The Social Giant Facebook

If a user lands on a Facebook page that looks drier than the Grand Canyon, they won’t be hanging around. However, a business page with engaging content, fresh imagery and humanised interaction, defies all competition.

Out of Facebook’s billions of users, at least one person will come across your page at one point.  You will need to make sure you keep their attention. But how do you do this? Well, we will need to make your page appealing and an updated environment that maintains curiosity.

So, how do you make your company stand out from the crowd?

As more and more businesses begin to develop on Facebook, competition is on a persistent rise. Due to this, your page needs to outdo them all, and by following our advice, you’ll be able to do just that!

We have provided a few tips on how you can make your Facebook page a captivating Facebook sensation. However, as social media marketers ourselves; we understand that more will be needed to ensure your reputation can be the best it can be.

What we’ve decided to do is guide you, as a reader, in the right direction to starting up an admirable Facebook page. But to continue its success, this is where you may need our expertise.

Don’t create a personal profile for your business, keep it professional

The list of problems associated with building a personal profile as opposed to a business page is endless. Without a business page, you’re missing out on all of the content creation tools, paid promotional opportunities and analytical data that Facebook kindly provides. 

But, the worse part?

A profile page means that potential customers must send a friend request to interact with your business, and who would really want to add ‘Mcdonalds’ as a personal friend and such? Without a Facebook page, you can’t measure your success and failure, and in order to generate an effective social media presence, you will need insight data to see how you’re performing.

But, the worse part?

A profile page means that potential customers must send a friend request to interact with your business, and who would really want to add ‘Mcdonalds’ as a personal friend and such? Without a Facebook page, you can’t measure your success and failure, and to generate an effective social media presence, you will need insight data to see how you’re performing.

Add a recognisable profile picture

Your business’s profile picture on Facebook could be a determining factor of whether users view your page. Maybe you do not have one, or perhaps it’s unprofessional – if so, users will choose your competition. For instance, search ‘hairdressers’ on Facebook. Some sellers will be brought up. Imagine that you’re in a rush, and glance at the first two. One thumbnail is a logo; another is a blurry, old photo of hairdressers. Which one would you choose?

Why is this important:

It’s almost as though your potential customers are looking at your business through a shop window before they determine whether they would like to go inside. Your company’s profile picture is a shop window – it must be appealing for Facebook browsers to click into it.

Choose wisely. Your profile picture is shown in search results, pictured at the top of your Facebook page and its thumbnail image gets displayed next to your posts in people’s feeds. When choosing, remember that Facebook frequently changes its picture dimensions. As of publication, your profiles picture displays at 170×170 pixels on computers and 128×128 on smartphones.

Add a call-to-action (CTA)

A Godsend feature for hopeful businesses, Facebook’s call-to-action button is a great way for marketers to drive more traffic to their website. But what is a call-to-action button? Many great Facebook pages have links that might say ‘Book Now’, ‘Sign Up’ or ‘Watch Video’. Each can be customised with a destination URL or a piece of content of their choosing, directing potential customers to their website or content.

In this techno world, people like easy. People do not want to spend a long time searching. Links such as ‘Book Now’ at the top of your Facebook page are especially important; instead of wasting time searching for a way of contacting the company, your potential customer can click such a link and be directed straight to it.

Post photos and videos

Today, visual content is a must for an online presence –, particularly for social media channels. Statistics can prove this. According to the figures, it is 40 times more likely that photos or videos will be shared or engaged with on social media than any other types of content.

People enjoy the imagery. For many people, only seeing written material can feel quite mundane. A Facebook user scrolling through their newsfeed is much more likely to miss a post that isn’t complimented with an image – I know I have. Images capture your audience’s attention and are also appealing for your followers to see. 

While photos are an excellent way of capturing moments – and are captivating stimulants for those scrolling through their newsfeed or your page, videos are also an essential factor of social media.

Studies report videos as the ‘main disruptor’, with 24% of marketers naming it as a top priority. At the top of many great businesses, the page is a button that says ‘Watch the video.’ ‘Watch the video’ is an engaging call-to-action that Facebook allows brands to add to their pages. It is becoming one of the most popular ways to consume content.

Determine the ideal timing and frequency for your posts

The times in which you decide to post and how frequently you do so plays a significant role in your engagement. Failing to post enough will leave your page looking less reliable and less authentic. Post too often, however, and people will get sick of having their feeds flooded with your content.

Having thought out a well-written post, you don’t want to risk falling to the bottom of the timeline without many people to read it. Web designers like us are aware of when what and how frequently to post – a reason that using professionals is strongly advised.

Using professionals is also particularly helpful if you do not have time. Social media requires much of your time and effort – with professionals, your Facebook will be endorsed with compelling posts that all of your followers will see.

Does your Facebook page follow our guide? If the answer is no, we can help. Whether you’re struggling to find the time to generate posts, or aren’t receiving the gratuity that you deserve on Facebook – a professional team is recommended. Social media is a valuable marketing tool for your business – use it wisely.

 

Need more help with your Facebook page? Speak with our professionals: [email protected] / 01733 686100

July 21, 2017

Why your website needs SSL Certificate

By Business, MarketingNo Comments

Why your website needs SSL Certificate

According to studies, an estimated 37,000 websites are hacked everyday. More worryingly, this figure involves websites that require debit card details and customer information. Figures also reveal that you are now 20 times more likely to be robbed while at your computer by a criminal based overseas than held up in the street – a chilling fact. Browsing online in your home – somewhere that should be regarded as a safe place – now risks credit card fraud, data crime and identity theft. However, you can protect your site’s visitors. By installing SSL, your site becomes secure. Data that is transmitted over the Internet between your computer and servers is secured, making it impossible for hackers to steal your customer’s information.​

What is SSL?

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) secures data transmitted over the Internet between a computer and the destination servers, whether it’s for a Facebook login, or for entering credit card information when purchasing online. To determine whether a website uses SSL, look in the navigation bar; there are two tell-tale signs. A secure site will contain a padlock with the word ‘secure’, and will use https as opposed to http.

Who should use SSL?

If you want your customers to trust your website, your site needs to have SSL. SSL for websites with e-commerce is especially a must, since a customer’s payment details need to be protected. Besides – an individual will be more likely to purchase from a site that is authentic and safe. 84% of online shoppers express that they abandon a purchase when they realise that the website is insecure. Most Internet users are aware of the potential dangers that submitting valuable debit card information has – with that knowledge, customers are less likely to purchase from an unsecure website. Many websites also require personal details such as a full name and email address – if such is not sent to the correct server, the customer risks identity theft and a hacker eavesdropping. Ideally, all websites should be secure; an unsecure website is almost like an unlocked house. Perhaps, the more valuables that you have, the more riskier leaving your home unlocked will be – similar to websites. The more valuable customer information that is requested is – credit cards being the most valuable – the more likely protection is needed.

How can SSL help my business?

Google wants to make web a safer place – to encourage this, Google says that having a secure site has ranking benefits. Although a secure site has a very small signal within the overall ranking algorithm, with HTTPs, you might see an increase in traffic to your website. The trust and authenticy that is established with a secure site also plays a role in boosting your sites ranking; more customers will use a site that is secure.

Don’t let hackers ruin your chance of potential customers. Be smart; get protected. If you have any queries or questions regarding SSL, do not hesitate to get in contact with our team on 01733 686 100, or at [email protected]

April 26, 2017

Live chat will benefit your business – here’s why

By Business, MarketingNo Comments

Live chat will benefit your business – here’s why

With the advancement of technology, online browsing couldn’t be easier. In this modern, techno world, speed plays a vital role in maintaining a customer’s attention. Instant messaging and live streaming has taken over social media – as technology advances, Internet users have less and less patience. Therefore, your company’s website must be current enough to satisfy these needs. The introducing of Live Chat allows customers to receive answers immediately – without wasting any time finding phone numbers and waiting on hold.

Take shopping, for instance. In a shop, you’re able to speak to a member of staff almost instantaneously. Since a staggering 3.77 billion people in the world are online, a method of an instant connection between customers and employees needs to be established. Whilst shopping online – whether it be for clothes or for website designers – problems might arise, a main factor being the feeling of disconnection from someone who can answer any questions. Live Chat has many possibilities – including avoiding feelings of disconnection –, which will be discussed throughout this blog.

Convenience

As soon as a question is asked, help is offered. Waiting times are shortened and sales are increased. With Live Chat, customers have the ability to multi-task, should they need to wait for an answer – and don’t need to worry about missing their turn. Phone calls can be awkward, particularly when a customer isn’t quite sure of the topic. Most people would prefer not to make a phone call – including myself. Live Chat gives people an excuse to avoid uncomfortable phone calls and allows your services to be offered to a wider variety of individuals. Still not convinced? We’ve got evidence. Research suggests that 73% of customers are satisfied after using live chat than any other form of customer support, such as email, telephone or social media, and 62% of customers were more inclined to purchase products online having spoken to customer support live.

Increased sales

With a higher number of people staying on your site due to live chat, it is more likely that products will be brought. Live chat provides visitors with instant access to your support staff and sales team – thus, your team has a higher chance to sell your products and turn these visitors into paying clients or customers. Instant messaging proves to be more comprehensible, and may be the most efficient way of communicating advice and promoting products. An employer can immediately guide customers through a sale; once a customer is engaged with an employee who understands their needs, the employee is able to recommend additional purchases that may suit that particular person.

Edge over competition

Many big websites still don’t have live chat software installed. A study published by TELUS International has shown that a considerably high number of online businesses do not use any live chat system on their websites, meaning that opting to install such ensures that you will have a distinct advantage over competition. You can give friendly, instant support access and have more opportunities to engage your sites’ visitors and make more sales – an advantage over many companies.

Is your bounce back rate on your website high? Are customer’s not receiving the information they need? Live chat is now highly recommended. If you have any queries, or would like to find out how to set up live chat – call Geek Design on 01733 686 100, or email us on [email protected]

April 12, 2017

Let’s talk Twitter​

By Business, MarketingNo Comments

Lets talk Twitter

Twitter app on phone with notification

Let’s talk Twitter. Twitter is the one platform where controversial discussions are socially accepted, where the likes of Donald Trump, Kim Kardashian and old folk eating alone are celebrated (or criticised). This social media platform is indeed a remarkable application that so many of us use, both young and mature! However, as I was doing my research for this blog, I couldn’t help but realise that there have been some pretty unique trends that somehow, we have allowed to become a thing…

I don’t know if I was surprised by the patterns or very impressed as they only show and compliment the power of social media.

I’m going to go with the impressed opinion though, as it is genuinely fascinating.

Twitter and any other social networking platform for that matter, can utilise this power for good and while this is very comforting, I thought I still can’t help but want to share some of the most bizarre Twitter trends of all time!

#AlexFromTarget

viral charlie from target Twitter hashtag

Remember the poor young boy I mentioned earlier? Yes, well his name is Alex Christopher LeBeouf, or he is probably better known as Alex from Target and was photographed unknowingly by a shopping centre. In under 24 hours, Alex had accumulated 300,000 followers on Twitter, and he also got to feature on CNN, Buzzfeed and then proceeded to appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show…what!?

If this hasn’t left your mind blown, then I don’t know what will. An innocent boy photographed carrying out everyday tasks, and within one night’s sleep, he woke up a celeb.

The power of social media ey!

Ed Balls

viral tweet from Ed Balls from Twitter

Everyone knows about Ed Balls Day… don’t they? Well, if you don’t then it’s April 28th and it marks the days that Ed Balls tweeted his name and again much like Alex, became an internet phenomenon, and the original tweet has been retweeted over 37,000 times…woah.

That’s a lot of interaction, just because some man decided to tweet his name!

Nelson Freeman

nelson-freeman-viral-twitter-hashtag

That heading probably throws you completely, it stems from the (God rest his soul) legends himself, Nelson Mandela’s death where the slight percentage of morons that use Twitter started to tweet pictures of Morgan Freeman, and yes this happened.

It is a very crazy thought to think that people could a) get something SO wrong and b) get it trending worldwide.

 

 

 

Twitter can help you get the popularity you need.

Okay, so now that I have shared with you my very favourite trends that Twitter and the world have made happen, gracing our lives with that little bit of humour we all lack sometimes, I can now carry on with the sole point and motivation of this blog.

They are just three of the many crazy and humorous trends that we have witnessed on Twitter, and we have also seen the effect that they have taken. We have also seen the power of social media excel in these examples, so if something like a boy just doing his job, a man tweeting his name and someone muddling two people up can get so much interaction, why can’t your business excel on social media? I’m not saying we are going to do a Kim Kardashian and break the Internet; but what I am saying is social media holds a lot of power, why not utilise this to benefit your business online?

You never know, your business could be the next big hashtag!

January 24, 2017

Size doesn’t always matter​

By Marketing, ResourcesNo Comments

Size doesn’t always matter​

Word count, such a contradictory restriction us content marketers find ourselves overthinking and forcing ourselves to meet; working in such a creative industry surely we should be able to be lenient and expressive without thinking about meeting a target?

The sole question of “how many words should my blog be”? Stems back to 2011 when Google’s Panda Algorithm was implemented and persisted to essentially punish websites with thin content- what Google meant by “thin” was that it was uninformative, useless and in no way what so ever was it helping the user at all (hindering the most important user experience). To begin with this almost sadistic and malicious algorithm seems irrational and mean but in an essence it was only helping your website better itself.

From this algorithm there was an automatic divide:

One team decided that we needed clear guidelines and there came the restriction of a minimum of 300+ words, whilst others went to the other extreme entirely, declaring that only those with thousands of words would be looked upon in favour by Google.

Google have neither said yes nor no to any of these said ‘camps’. Again, we were left to find out for ourselves. How much content is enough for Google? Well…

There is no magic number!!

If you find yourself restricting your work to a specific word count (that I must admit I may or may not be guilty of) then stop!

The obvious is that long copywriting generally does outperform short copywriting, and some researchers have found that the average word count of top ranked searches is around 2,416 words. But what we need to remember is that it is very well giving ourselves these word restrictions but whom are we writing for? Our priority, the searcher! They want informative content that is straight to the point and if that is more than 300 words, then so be it! When was the last time your refused to read something because it was 600 words?

As long as your articles consist of well-written, well structured, answer the question in hand and contain credible resources then there is no reason why there should be a problem with your article being either 400 or 4,000 words long!

As Content Marketers we strain ourselves to perform to these restrictions but we forget that we also work in a creative industry, lets ostracise this overthought oxymoron and start enjoying our roles in this forever changing industry.

May your word count be free, your content well written and your points not cut any corners… from one Content Marketer to another, it’s always quality over quantity. Size doesn’t always matter!

January 16, 2017

UX and Design trends for 2017​

By Marketing, ResourcesNo Comments

UX and Design trends for 2017​

We are in the unique environment of website design and within this ever-changing industry there comes a lot of creative trends, styles and expectations of user experience, that will either intrigue us as designers or they may repulse us; regardless of what your personal, preferred design style is or how you keep your users entertained, I am sure I can express on behalf of all of us when I say we are all a little bit curious as to what 2017’s web design trends and user experience expectations may bring to us and our inspiration.​

Starting with User Experience Trends for 2017…

1. Skeleton Screens

The time it takes your webpage to load contributes a considerable amount to the user experience. For pages with varied data formats it is recommended to load your page in sections- starting with the more basic features and then building up to the more complex features so that they customers could anticipate what data they are going to see next, this will help keep the bounce rate to a bare minimum.

2. Real-time Persuader Videos

Remember the animated videos that you would find on websites that business used to secure a sale? Yes? Cool, now forget about that and start turning your attention to real-time videos to secure sales.  This is because our customers are becoming a lot smarter than we give them credit for, they want to see real people with real results, they want a shared experience, they want interactive, they want a unique experience with the products and live demos- this way a real connection is made and a genuine sale/investment can be created.

3. Landing page first

In 2017, expect a devaluation of the home page, which is to give way to the rise of the user specific landing pages. This essentially means there will be variants of your home page targeting users according to their requirements. By delivering specific messages to a specific audience, it will be much easier to tailor your sales and ensure a sale.

Are these elements something you think you could implement into your user experience plan?

Let’s see what design trends we will see in 2017…

 

1. Bright colours and gradients

A new upcoming year will be undoubtedly for super rich gradient that is already being implemented in the past year. The use of bolder colours in web design is helpful to attract the attention of users.  This year we are expecting to see more vibrant colours online.

2. Big, bold typography

An essential part of every design is the typography that means arranging fonts on an attractive background wherein it has the ability to complete you website but choosing wrong could break your website as well.

3. Mobile-first approach

As phones were deemed as a primary device used for browsing the web and most of the ventures are now realising the consequences of not having a mobile friendly website. The expectation or 2017 is that with a thoughtful approach to tailoring the content to a smaller screen, I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more mobile sites.

Obviously these trends aren’t bible and the likeliness of them fluctuating throughout 2017 is very high. What we recommend is making sure you stick to your style but keep checking the trends because you never know, one of these trends might just provoke and inspire your creative thoughts!

January 9, 2017

The downsides to a dull website​​

By Design, MarketingNo Comments

The downsides to a dull website​​

As the world of technology advances, more companies are becoming competent at using technology to market their product or services. In this day, it is critical that your website performs and portrays its business and brand to the highest standard possible.

Consumers are not only browsing websites for information but utilising the site for user experience. People judge your website on how easy, accessible and navigational it is to use. They also are the judge of whether your website shows personality and professionalism. In today’s continually advancing world, an outdated website will stick out like a sore thumb – and not in a good way. Internet users finding themselves on old, obsolete sites will bounce off almost instantly – choosing user-friendly, responsive websites instead.

The downside to having a dull and dated website

When a potential client or customer comes to your site, they will judge. First impressions last the longest and nowadays, your website is your first impression. The best websites are good looking and portray both personality and professionalism. They’re easily accessible and navigational but straight to the point and concise. Displaying your brand or business with an online presence that resembles your company’s ethos is the most critical factor. Customers are judgemental, and rightly so. They are looking for a service that will advertise their business. Do you think that they’re going invest in an old and dated website rather than a new, professionally designed website?

If that is not enough to urge you to choose a professional web design company, the following information should be. Read our top three reasons were showing the way in which a dull and dated website will hurt your business.

1. Losing to competition.

A dull website will drive your customers into the arms of your competitor, especially if your competitor’s sites are up to date and par while yours is lacking. The fastest way to lose leads is failing to provide a quick and straightforward method for potential clients to contact you.

2. Decreased exposure for your website.

Your website must be informative, relevant and credible to show up on the first or second page of Google search results. If your site does not have enough quality content alongside a preferred domain and other relevant factors, potential customers may not even see it in the first place.

3. Bad reputation.

Your dull website could be giving your business a bad reputation. Consumers may assume that your site is behind the times, out of use or lacking innovation and growth. If your website is difficult to navigate or not user-friendly, customers that do find your website will bounce off. In this day, people like easiness. If they can’t find what they are looking for in a few seconds, this Internet user will look elsewhere. Impressions are made in seven seconds. You have seven seconds to wow your potential customers – before they hit the back button. Your customers want a website that is trustworthy, easily accessible and easily navigational and communicates information that suits their needs. Does yours do this?

But how do you identify whether your website is dull and lacklustre?

These tips will allow you to find out where you stand and what you could be doing:

Compare your website against competitors.​

Is your website’s design sleek, simple, and relevant? Does yours provide well-written content? Is your website easy to navigate? If you notice a significant difference between the overall attractiveness and user-friendliness of your competitor’s site and yours, it is a strong indication that you need to invest in an upgrade and update.

Keep a close eye on Google Analytics.​

A regular audit of activity on your website can help you identify which pages are showing up the most frequently in search results and which pages drive the most web traffic. Data within your Google Analytics dashboard can also show which pages are not attracting visitors and which pages visitors view before they leave. Carefully review this data; it can provide you with invaluable insight regarding the quality and attractiveness of your website as a whole as well as each page. Evaluate differences between high-performing pages and low-performing pages to identify design tactics that are working.

Do a test run.​

Consider the questions most consumers are looking to answer when they visit a website:

·       Where are you located?

·       What do you do?

·       Who will I be working with?

·       Are you credible?

·       How much does it cost?

·       How do I get a hold of you?

In some industries, customers may also visit your website in search of quality, informative content and an expert opinion. How many of these questions can be answered with one click or less? How thorough are the answers?

Browsing your website, your potential customers can discover an immense amount of information about you.  Your website plays a massive role in your potential customers choice in investing with you over the competition. With this in mind, a website designed and edited by professionals should be considered. Web design specialists can make it easily accessible, navigational, and precise with information, providing a user experience like no other. Why risk giving business to your competitor?

Get in touch with a member of our team today and find out how we can improve your website’s appearance, user-friendliness and traffic.

November 2, 2016
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