August 2018

Dust Off Those Creative Ideas In Your Head With WordPress Web Design Trends!

Before you abandon those creative ideas that have been sitting in your head, collecting dust, check out some WordPress web design trends and get inspired to build something you will love to show off to the world. WordPress says that it’s time to dust off your dreams and find some new confidence! Let’s take a look at the kind of web design that will be impactful in 2018 and beyond…

Colors are fun, they can be magical, playful, inspiring. Playing with colors is one trend that is making a big impact now and poised to make a big impact in the future. The limits as to what web designers can do with colors and images have been expanding. Experimenting with vibrant colors has been big as well as experimenting with shading and photo effects.

Adding vibrant colors can take the viewer of your website to the place you want them to be. Maybe you want them to feel like they are in the middle of a brick and mortar outdoor supply store that is perfectly rugged, they can almost smell the snowboard wax and see the dusty trail on their next adventure. Or perhaps you want to take your potential customer to a seaside escape as they shop your selection of beach-themed décor. Whatever your vision, you can make it happen when you add just the right pop of color.

The kind of typography that you use presents the personality of your online store and your brand to your potential customers. Of course, for the main body text and other important text like category text, you want to be sure it is easy to read. However, when it comes to your homepage header, you can get a little more rebellious. We have seen some bold choices when it comes to headers text such as unique styles of font, experimenting with spacing, and transparent letters. As long as you keep your site readable, don’t be afraid to have some fun with your headers!

Micro interactions are the little ways in which a potential customer interacts with your website, such as the image they see while they are waiting for a page to load, or the way that the Facebook “like” button looks. All of these little interactions can enhance someone’s experience of your website or it can break it. We are seeing micro interactions being more thoughtful and being used more in 2018. You can really add an element of surprise and have fun with these. Delight your customers with a reward if they engage with certain parts of your website, like by using animation. You can get as creative as you want to be with micro interactions.

Web design is always evolving, so don’t worry, you certainly don’t have to get rid of your current website and start over. These are just a few trends to keep in mind as you make small changes here and there and continue to grow your business. Even the simple act of keeping up with the way we think about WordPress website design means you will naturally be improving your website and poising it for success.

The Only Keywords You Really Need To Know: Be Genuine

You have probably heard about the big trends in online marketing, like video marketing, blogging, and content marketing, but what about those smaller details that make each customer interaction unique and interesting online? Creating a captivating online experience is not just about the big-picture details, but the little ways in which a customer gets excited about your business. Personalizing your business, creating a buzz, and being authentic and genuine when providing online content are three concepts that are poised to make a huge impact.

Finding more ways to personalize what your customers see can really make a big difference. Most of us are familiar with Netflix and the way they show their “recommended for you” picks each time you log in. With a little bit of personalization, Netflix makes us eager to open it up and discover the next show we will be binge-watching until the wee hours of the morning. We just know that we will always find a great show to watch, as Netflix confidently presents its picks for us day after day, a vast array of colorful titles and pictures chosen just for us that keeps us drawn in. You may not have the budget that Netflix has, but there is always potential to collect data, find out what your customers are missing, and take action to make your website feel more personalized.

Creating and maintaining a buzz around your business is another strategy that many successful businesses use. Your website doesn’t have to just sit there, waiting for interest. A website is meant to always be active, moving, and changing, getting people in on the conversation. This is where social media advertising comes into play, such as with blogging or posting updates on your personal social media pages. Putting out new products and showing people glimpses into your business via videos are great ways to get people talking. Sharing videos and images on your website or social media page is today’s version of word-of-mouth. Word-of-mouth is still really powerful, we just tend to do it digitally nowadays. And remember, it takes experimentation, trial and error. You may not come up with the world’s greatest campaign overnight and that’s OK. It’s about trying things, making mistakes, learning from them, and eventually coming up with something great.

Last but certainly not least, find ways to be as authentic as possible. With all of the articles and interesting stories out there online, it has become harder than ever to stand out. People are no longer responding to mass messages and impersonal, anonymous content. They want to relate to you, to feel like you know and understand them. Making sure your online content is valuable and genuine will go a long way. Take note of your audience’s needs and issues and provide ways of solving them that show that you understand and care. Being authentic will make you stand out and people will be able to tell that you are the real deal.

Zoom In On Your Business Benefits Using Video Marketing

Reaching potential customers online has been becoming so much easier now that we have video marketing to take advantage of. People are now expecting videos, and studies have found that potential customers will even lose interest when there is not a video available on the website they are looking at. If you haven’t considered video marketing yet, it’s not too late.

The benefits of video marketing reach far and wide. Considering that videos are making up 74% of online traffic, it has become more important than ever for your business to include a video or videos. Videos are particularly great for those businesses that are just getting started and those businesses that are looking to grow their online presence. Videos are shared often and they are an effective way to make an impact on people who have not heard about your business.

Videos are not only great for exposure, they help you to build a great reputation over time. Building a relationship with people is much easier with the help of video marketing. You can gain trust and start a conversation about your business. One study found that people are ten times more likely to interact with a video than with another kind of a post. When you have videos up, you show people that you care about their wants and needs and that you want to have an honest conversation with them.

Yet another great thing about videos is that they give people a sense of comfort and security in your business and what you are offering. It makes sense when you think about it, people may not be familiar with your products. A video is likely to be just the thing that will make potential customers feel like they get what your business is all about. Videos make people feel comfortable making a purchase, since they have gotten to know your business more and the benefits of purchasing are clear to them.

Getting people to stay on your website longer is much easier to do with a video as well. It is often too tempting not to click “play” on a video when you come to a website for the first time. Watching a video is likely to be the first thing someone does when they visit your online store. Once they start watching on the video, potential customers will likely stay on the website longer, all the while taking in more information and interacting with your website (maybe without even realizing it).

If you are looking to appeal to potential customers in the most powerful way, by making them feel something, you should really consider incorporating a video marketing strategy for your online business. Don’t worry if you don’t know where to start, an online marketing company will be happy to show you the way!