It’s a new decade, and web presence has grown and changes significantly over the last ten years. More people prefer to engage with prospective companies online or conduct their own research before engaging with a company. To be effective in the new digital climate, businesses should regularly review their web design practices to keep up with the latest consumer trends.
Whether a company is updating an existing website or building a new online presence, there’s a lot to keep in mind when designing for the modern user’s experience. According to TechJury, 48% of people will make a decision about a company’s credibility based on their website’s design.
Other factors like Search Engine Optimization (SEO) have also changed, with Google and other search engines now using much more sophisticated algorithms to rank sites.
7 Best Practices for Modern Web Design
To attract new customers and keep existing clients engaged, companies need to update their web presence with the latest best practices. This includes strategies for web design, social media marketing, maximizing SEO rankings, and above all else, showing empathy for their users. Here are seven of the latest best practices for website creation in 2020.
1. Design Everything with the User Experience in Mind
User Experience (UX) is a new approach to building applications or websites with user satisfaction as the primary design criterion. It requires every element of the site the work together and provide an experience that is easy to use, satisfies the customer’s needs, and remains consistent over a variety of channels or pages.
2. Optimize the Design for All Devices
Website conversion rates depend on users having a consistent experience no matter what device they use to visit the site. More people now use mobile phones to visit websites and will almost immediately leave if the company hasn’t optimized the layout. Companies should also optimize websites for speed using the latest web design components and bootstrapping elements to reduce load time.
3. Keep Up to Date with Latest SEO Requirements
Merely stuffing keywords into the website’s content will no longer ensure higher rankings on search engines. For a company to rank higher, they will need to provide additional context to search engines by including microdata using Schema Markup techniques. This can consist of information like the company’s location, address, industry or topic, business hours, and specific information about products and services.
4. Make Use of New Analytical Features
When marketing the site on social media platforms like Facebook, the company should make use of the latest analytical capabilities available. The Facebook Pixel is one way the company can track the conversion rates from a Facebook ad to their website. Businesses can add a section of code to their website that will track every click from the advertisement to the company’s page. Using this information, the company can adapt their marketing strategies using behavioral data gathered from previous users.
5. Provide Easily Accessible Call to Action Buttons
Ensure customers can easily find the appropriate Call to Action (CTA) button or link. This is especially important when a customer wants to contact the company. If the prospective customer has to scroll around and navigate through multiple pages to find contact information, they’re more likely to leave the site before reaching out to the business. The company can also experiment with the placement, color, and shape of the CTA button for improved results.
6. Provide Useful and Insightful Content
To increase website conversion rates, businesses need to make customers feel they’ve received useful and insightful content. Every element—from the copy to the images—should provide visitors with a consistent and informative experience. The organization should also pay attention to the navigation elements of the site. If users struggle to find information when browsing the site, they’ll likely become frustrated with the experience and leave without any further engagement.
7. Maintain the Site’s Security
Cybersecurity is now a major concern for most online visitors, so ensuring the site remains secure is vital to keeping the trust of customers. If the company uses a Content Management System (CMS)—such as WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, etc—it is imperative they don’t use outdated plugins and regularly apply security patches on the website.
Improved Digital Presence and User Interface from CDS Office Technologies
CDS Technologies can assist organizations with updating their online presence and digital offerings for improved website conversion rates and streamlined user interfaces. With over four decades of experience in providing technology solutions to businesses, CDS Office Technologies works with companies to find an optimized design and intuitive layout for their website. CDS Technologies can assist with UX, SEO optimization, content management, and building a consistent brand identity across multiple channels.
If your company needs to revamp your web design or improve your user experiences, speak to CDS Office Technologies today.
