Have you gotten used to your website yet? Don’t. Website design and functionality are rapidly evolving and marketers can do themselves a favor by accepting the reality that this means your website must be constantly changing, too. In 2018, website visitors will be looking for more video, easy-to-skim content and 24/7 customer service capabilities to meet demands for instant information and better user-experiences. Here are a few website trends to look out for in 2018 and to consider adopting into your own website’s framework:
Videos on Steroids
Companies using video enjoy 41% more web traffic from search than non-users. With that in mind, video use on websites will be elevated to a whole new level in 2018. People love to know the story behind your brand and products, and video is a great way to tell that story. Expect to see websites featuring interactive, 360 degree videos. These videos may seem costly and time-intensive, but are worth the investment as video becomes not only the norm, but the expectation for any company’s digital presence.
Subtle Animations
As browser technology advances, so does a brand’s ability to include moving parts and pieces to their website without slowing down loading time. In 2018, more websites will use subtle animations like scroll-triggered animation, hovering animation and even animation in their logos!
Skimmable Website Content
In today’s fast paced world, consumers want to learn information fast without having to search extensively. As a result, “skimmable” website content is on the rise in 2018. Keep it simple and allow your audience to quickly and easily understand what you are saying using large headings, subheadings, brief copy and call outs/highlights to draw attention to what you really want people to take away. Don’t forget, people love a story. Tell your brand’s story through pictures, videos, infographics, etc. – all skimmable content your audiences will understand and enjoy.
Chatbots and Artificial Intelligence
Chatbots are quickly becoming the norm in 2018 in terms of websites providing elevated customer service and user-experiences. According to Hubspot, a chatbot is a program that automates certain tasks, typically by chatting with a user through a conversational interface. You’ve likely already visited several websites where you are prompted to ask a question to a Chatbot (that appears to be a real human) at any hour of the day for an instant answer. Artificial Intelligence capabilities like this are the future for all of us as marketers that we should keep a close eye on.
Mobile Development
Mobile-optimization has been a critical aspect for websites for several years now. Now in the first half of 2018, Google will roll out its new Mobile First Index, which places even more importance on mobile-friendly websites as the first result in search results. Even if much of your B2B audience still visits your website from a desktop, these changes from Google will make mobile-optimization impossible to avoid going forward. It’s time to get mobile-optimized so that the end user will have the best experience possible with your brand.
Are you thinking about redoing your website in 2018? We want to help! Request website pricing today and let us help you create your next website in the most efficient and affordable way for your company!
