Emerging Website Trends
About Image Management
Web Development
We have created and host over 500 local
business websites.
Emerging Website Trends
- Style and Design
- Layout and Navigation
- Browser Technology
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Style & Design
- Minimalist Design
- Horizontal Separation
- Custom Art & Photography
- Rich Typography
Minimalist Design
- Puts the focus on content
- Features generous use of white space
- Makes sure users can find information easily
- Improves comprehension by about 20%*
Bad Example: Die Shop Web
Good Example: Blue Gate Farm
* Source: Lin, D. Y. M. Evaluating older adults' retention in hypertext perusal: Impacts of presentation media as a function of text topology. 1 July 2004.
Horizontal Separation
Pages can be separated into horizontal areas with their own unique styling.
- Adds visual interest with varied columns
- Allows content to "breathe"
Bad Example: Sewing Machine Shop
Good Example: Hospice Alliance
Less Stock Photography
Overly familiar imagery fails to communicate your
unique value.
Custom Art & Photography
- Adds a personal touch
- Makes a greater impression
- Is crucial for successful product sales
Example
Rich Typography
Years ago, only a handful of fonts were safe for the web. Now, sites can use custom fonts.
Examples
Layout & Navigation
- Scrolling Pages
- Top-Aligned Navigation
- Mega Menus & Footers
- Responsive Design
- Video Benefits
Scrolling Pages
Years ago, pages were kept "above the fold".
Now, longer pages are acceptable and even preferable.
- Well suited to touchscreens and modern
mouse devices - Easier to navigate than many small pages
- Helps users find what they need faster
Top-Aligned Navigation
Left-aligned menus have been phased out in favor of
top-aligned horizontal menus.
- Keeps organization of content neater
- More compatible with responsive design
Example
Mega Menus & Footers
Navigation areas can now contain multiple columns.
- Perfect for large, complex websites
- More user-friendly than multiple-level dropdowns
Examples
Responsive Design
According to StatCounter, mobile Internet use has doubled each year since 2009. *
Morgan Stanley predicts that mobile web use will exceed desktop use by 2017. *
- Adapts the layout to the user's screen size
- Gives all users an intuitive browsing experience
Example
* Source: A. Cullen. Mobile Internet Usage is Doubling Year on Year. 6 Feb 2012.
* Source: Morgan Stanley. ComScore State of the Internet Webinar. 14 June 2012.
Video Benefits
- Visual appeal — preference of "seeing" over "reading"
- Videos are "sticky" — keep the visitor on your page
- Provides an emotional stimulus plain text cannot
Examples
Browser Technology
- Browser Popularity
- Browser Updates
- The Dangers of an Outdated Website
- The Death of Flash
Browser Popularity
According to StatCounter, Chrome use has overtaken Internet Explorer in the last six months.
Browser Updates
- Firefox and Chrome update automatically
- Internet Explorer updates only every few years
- The latest version of Internet Explorer is IE10
- IE6 is rarely used in the United States
- Facebook and Twitter do not support IE7 & below
- Google Apps discontinued support for IE8 & below
Dangers of an Outdated Website
Browser-specific coding techniques may look
incorrect in newer browsers.
Examples
Internet Explorer
Google Chrome
Make sure your web developer knows about
browser compatibility trends.
What is Flash?
Adobe Flash is a web plug-in used to add video, animation, stylization, and interactivity to websites.
No More Flash
- Takes much longer to develop
- Not supported on mobile devices
- Not recognized by search engines
- Should never be used for content, navigation, or effects
- Still used in games and video for now (Youtube)
Bad Example: Badger Alloys
Good Example: Elcano Dental
Search Engine Optimization
- Search Engine Market Share
- Understanding Paid vs. Organic Search Results
- The Importance of Being First
Focusing on Google
Google commands about 80% of the search
engine market.
Organic & Paid Search Results
- Organic: Free and automatically generated
- Paid: Purchased search results
Great organic search results take time to develop.
Paid search results are immediate.
The Importance of Being First
The top organic search result receives over one-third of all traffic generated by a given search.
The tenth result (bottom of page 1) receives 143% more traffic than the eleventh result (top of page 2.)
Example
Proven SEO Techniques
- Optimized Content
- Blogs/News Feeds
- Google Places
- Social Media
- Redirects
- Google Analytics
SEO-Friendly Content
- Focus on key search terms in content
- Linking between pages on website
- Image "alt text" attributes
Example
Blogs/News Feeds
- Leverages Google's priority on new information
- Boosts SEO while helping potential clients
- Adds information in an intuitive, organized way
- Can advertise upcoming events and specials
Examples
Maintaining Your Blog
Keeping a blog up to date is crucial.
Lack of updates suggests low activity.
Example
Google Places
Google now shows Google Places listings for locally oriented searches.
- Boosts your appearance on local searches
- Adds helpful information such as business hours, photos, and links
Example
Social Media & Websites
Adding content on social media that links to the site improves that site's ranking.
Examples
Redirects
Search engines keep a list of which pages are
on a site.
When creating a new site, the old site's search
engine ranking could be lost.
Redirecting old URLs to their new equivalents
maintains the pages' ranking.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics allows you to track statistics
about your site's users.
- Shows which cities visitors are coming from
- Notes how users find your site: Searches,
Referrals, or Direct - Tracks what search terms people use to find
the site
Google AdWords
Google's paid advertisement service. Ads appear at the top, side, and bottom of normal search results.
Image Management is an AdWords Reseller with direct Google contact.
How AdWords Works
- Companies bid for specific keywords
- Target users by device, location, and more
- You only pay when your ad is clicked
Business Value
A modern web presence increases sales
and customer contact.
Modern web design promotes your products and
services more efficiently.
AdWords and modern SEO techniques bring more potential customers to your website.
You can read this presentation online at http://reveal.imagemanagement.com/
presentations/website-trends
