Tuesday, 1 December 2015

WWWhy Change?

Many businesses still have out of date websites that aren't geared to the growing use of mobiles for web browsing. Many are advising the time has arrived for a technology catch up, but we advise you step back and really consider why you are doing it. It should be more than just keeping up with technology or the Joneses. Do you really understand your customers and audience, have their needs evolved, have you crafted an engaging story and what do you want to achieve from your website? All this should be considered as well as the technological arguments for change. So why should you update?

Unresponsive design.


Unresponsive sites are bad for business and communications. It is a fact that there are now more searches performed on mobiles than desktops so why would any business run a website which doesn't adapt to the multiple devices we have for our 'connected world'? Pinching or expanding screens to view a website properly hinders user accessibility. And if your site is not conveying your offer in seconds, or the user experience is awkward, they will go to your competitors who do have responsive sites and may therefore be even more responsive in other ways.

It's also important to be aware that non-responsive website are marked down by search engines, which will further harm your digital voice.

Complex user journeys.

The buzz word of today is simplicity. And, as our business name implies, it's been our core focus since we started nearly 25 years ago - digital is no different. The user journey, the experience, the use of anything should, whenever possible, be intuitive and simple. The journey you want the user to take through your site, what information you want to steer them to, should be clear from the start.

Making the complex simple is not an easy task but an essential one. Say no to over complex navigation, too much content and jargon, unnecessary graphics and imagery that don't relate to context. 'Less is more' should be adopted for digital as it was by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for minimalist design and architecture back in 1947.

Design for the client, or their audience?

Failing to create an easy to use site, with engaging informative content that speaks to your audience, will only ensure an increase in exit rates and lost opportunities. User experience should be at the heart of a strategic process for the design of a website, for example what information needs to be visually highlighted?  And how can we use design to highlight this content?

This will help create higher levels of engagement and more business opportunities. And as this can be measured through even the most basic analytics you can test and refine your strategy to ensure the site evolves to achieve higher levels of interest and even better results.

If you'd like to find out more about how we can help with your digital requirements please call Simon or James on 0207 378 6999. The tothepoint digital portfolio can be found at www.ttpdigital.com

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