Top 10 Website Design Trends for 2010 The new face of today’s up-and-coming websites is fresh, exciting and expressive, inviting users to explore and connect through design that pushes the envelope. Here’s what’s hot: - Oversize logos, headers and images– These graphic elements are sure to make an impression on your visitors
- Minimalism – As websites shifts away from unecessary clutter, single page sites like blogs and social media sites are reigning surpreme.
- Intuitive Design – With professional browser-friendly Flash and HTML5 that doesn’t require Flash, we’re looking at return to interactive design.
- Oversize footers – Instead of an afterthought, footers are now being more incorporated into the overall design asthetic.
- Brief introductions – Although the “About Us” page will likely never go away, companies and individuals are thinking of new ways to say hello with messages that say just enough.
- Sketch and illustration – Whimsical hand-drawn websites are becoming elemental in personalizing web design in a new and exciting way.
- Designing for discovery – Visitors to a site love exploring and experiencing a connection to websites which are memorable and evoke an emotion – whether it be surprise, joy, happiness, etc. These are the tools of engagement which will keep visitors coming back for more.
- Web Design Inspired by Print – From striking typography to magazine-type layouts, today’s websites are taking a cue from traditional print. This little-bit-of-unexpcted can be just the key for creating a unique and memorable design.
- Opaqueness – Creating a semi-transparent design can give your site depth and dimension.
- Mobile Design – Nowadays, everyone is jumping on the mobile bandwagon and having a site that is at the very least, viewable on a mobile phone is a must. Optimizing for mobile carriers, is of course an entirely different topic, but certain elements can be designed with this in mind.
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SEO of the Future While some web experts may argue that SEO is on the downfall, others smartly agree that while the dynamics may have changed, with the intro of social marketing and mobile search, search engine optimization is in fact alive and well. And to ignore this fact or to consider it only as an afterthought is a huge mistake. Real time search is the hottest thing since the .com boom, with Microsoft and Google integrating social search into the results. This means that it’s even more important to keep your site and your company blog current and up-to-date with relevant and “sticky” information. When creating a budget for a website, or any marketing budget for that matter, SEO simply cannot be ignored. Because if your company struggled with ranking in the past, it will cost even more and take even longer to infiltrate the upper ranks now that social is a major player in this category. Your best bet is to focus on conversion rate optimization. This process involves testing and analyzing the data from email and AdWords campaigns and using this information to modify and improve performance. Overall global search optimization is important, but if you’re not ready to take the plunge, make sure you are aware of and taking advantage of local search. Linking local listings, profiles and reviews to your site and providing complete information, including relevant keywords can help to boost overall Goodgle rankings. The best part is, all of these tools are within your control and can help to build the authority of your site. So what are you waiting for? If you’re not sure where to start new SEO, re-vamping an existing SEO plan, or have questions about local search, we’re here to help. We’ve worked on SEO strategy for local clients in New York, as well as clients on a national and even international basis. Contact us today! Social Strategy for E-commerce Sites This year, we’ve seen retailers hopp on board the social media channel, in hopes of expanding their distribution, and ultimately, increasing sales. These early adopters have tried different methods of reaching their target audience. Some have succeeded, and some have fallen flat. So what’s worked for them and where should you start? - Step 1: Develop a Social Media Presence – Participate in social media as a way to represent the voice of your brand or company and interact directly with customers. Try a blog for posting company news or an RSS feed to talk about new developments. Although the goal is sales, it’s important to stay neutral and not directly market to your fans or followers. Instead, open the channel of communication and listen to feedback.
- Step 2: Participate in Shopping Aggregation Sites – Use sites like Amazon and Shopzilla to link product feeds that appeal to the site’s demographic. Allow product reviews and customer feedback and you might end up enjoying an increased bottom line much larger than that of a single site.
- Step 3: Give Consumers a Reason to Follow You – Whether it’s a promotion on Facebook, a coupon, or a special widget or application, provide something of value to your current and prospective customers before you persuade them to make a purchase. In the end, patience will pay off as they learn to trust you and your company, and develop a long-term relationship with your brand.
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