Top 10 Website Trends

10 Website Trends You Need to Know

Saying that we live in a virtual world these days is an understatement. Consumers who once vowed never to purchase anything online have had to change their ways. Your customers visit tons of websites each day, so how are you standing out from the sea of other sites? We will cover ten of the most significant website trends to create your customers’ best online experience.

Case Studies TREND # 1 The truth is that case studies are, and continue to be, incredibly effective. They help to attract new customers, cement trust, and increase conversions. Case studies allow you to show potential customers what you have done. Don’t just tell them about it; that isn’t enough, show them! Case studies are a perfect way for you to tell a story about your brand and how you’ve helped others. Recommendations do work. 92% of people will trust a recommendation from a peer and 70% trust recommendations even if they’re from somebody they don’t know. Source: Nielsen What to include in a case study 1. Compelling subject matter Choose your best projects and accomplishments to showcase on your website. 2. Industry-specific You want clients and potential clients to see themselves in your story. Don’t be too broad. 3. The problem Case studies need to have a solution to a problem. 4. Solid evidence What numbers and data do you have to back up the success of your case study. 5. Good images Include some high-quality photos (or video) of your campaign in your case study. 6. Testimonial Include a quote or testimonial from your happy customer. Make sure to also receive permission from your customer to highlight their campaign on your website and to mention them by name.

Social Media TREND # 2 There is an incredible business opportunity on social media. You want to market where your customers area, and they are on social media. 84% of C-level and VP-level buyers are influenced by social media when purchasing. Source: IDG Where do I get the content for social media? Use the content on your website to drive traffic from social media platforms to your website. If you have a SAGE Website, you can post content, such as product ideas, from your website to social media in two clicks. If you have SAGE Website Professional Plus, your website is populated automatically with industry-related blogs that are easily shareable on social media. Lastly, SAGE sends out emails monthly with trends and specials that are social mediafriendly, so be on the lookout for those in your inbox. As of 2022, the average daily social media usage of internet users worldwide amounted to 147 minutes per day. Source: Statista

SSL Certificate TREND # 3 SSL certificates provide security. If a website has an SSL certificate, it will show a padlock in the URL’s top left corner. Web browsers have started tagging HTTP sites as “not secure.” When a web visitor comes to a website, it says NOT SECURE, which can scare potential customers away. SSL certificates can increase your SEO ranking. Search engines heavily favor HTTPS-encrypted websites and will move them higher in search results. That vastly increases the likelihood customers will find you. If your website is not secure, then reach out to your website provider to discuss what it takes to make your website fully secure. SSL certificates are INCLUDED with SAGE Websites & SAGE Company Store Premiums.

Play with Colors TREND # 4 Example At SAGE, we have been using the same colors since 1992. We decided to go bold and change to a more versatile and attractive color palette while maintaining the SAGE red in our primary logo. Just because your logo is one color doesn’t mean everything has to be that one color. Get out of your color comfort zone! Color Trends for 2023 Pantone Color of the Year Viva Magenta

Company Stores TREND # 5 Company Stores have been trending for the last few years but have exploded in popularity with companies working remotely. If you offer company stores to your clients, add a page to your website explaining the offering and how it can benefit your customers. On your website

Unique About Us Page TREND # 6 Your “About Us” page is one of the most essential pages on your website, and it needs to be well crafted. Where do I start? 1. Mission statement State your goal in the industry upfront. 2. Your company story Talk about where you came from, give readers the story of how your company started. Highlight how your company has evolved and grown since its inception. Also, include your “aha” moment. Every good company was founded on an idea. 3. Who you serve Identify and mention your core customer. Also, include a portfolio of your loyal customers. Even if you don’t have case studies yet, add your loyal customers’ logos to your site. 4. What you offer After you explain who you serve, you need to tell them what you offer. Include 1-2 sentences describing to readers precisely what they’ll receive from your company. 5. Your values Add a human touch and describe who you are as a person or a team and your values. What’s your company culture? What bigger picture in life drives your business? What’s your story? Who are you? What do you do? What can clients expect?

Product Showrooms TREND # 7 Curated product collections have been a trend on the retail side for a couple of years and are now gaining steam in the promo world. This is a great tactic to get “add-on” sales. Example: Box Fox Try to display products that go together logically but also visually as well. Notice all of these products are in the same color palette so you automatically thing they pair well together.

Content, Content, Content TREND # 8 Google currently holds 90.1% of the total search engine market share. Source: Junto Google Likes Content Google is in the business of creating the best search experience it can for its users. For Google, high-quality content is often the best way to provide that experience. Because of this emphasis on content, keeping new and fresh content on your website will help SEO rankings in search engines. Content Can Drive Sales Content marketing can help potential customers decide to go with you when they are still in that research stage of the buying process. Content marketing can also help build a digital relationship with customers, keeping you top of mind. Builds Brand Credibility Website visitors will view your brand as a thought leader and credible information source. Once they become your customer, they will tell a friend about your website and turn their friend into a customer.

Live Chat TREND # 9 If you’re looking for a new way to grow your business, then live chat could be your answer. Just having a live chat available on your website can significantly impact sales. The Reasons 1. Generate leads 2. Increase sales and conversions 3. Improve overall customer experience Live Chat participants are 85% more likely to convert to customers. Source: Intercom 79% of businesses said that implementing live chat resulted in increased customer loyalty, sales and revenue. Source: Kayako Comm100 discovered that 82% of customers were satisfied with their live chat experience, compared to just 61% of email users and a worrying 44% of phone users. Source: Comm100 Quick responses mean happy customers and a reduced burden on your team. This is because your customers hate waiting. It’s one of the main reasons why they stop doing business with you. Response Times Are Key Live Chat Social Media Email 2 min 10 hours 17 hours

Give Back, Cause Marketing, Corporate Social Responsibility TREND # 10 CSR is a growing and effective strategy to build brand reputation, loyalty, and affinity. These programs are positively impacting our industry in a big way for various causes. Even if you do not have your own internal cause-based program, you can leverage a supplier who offers back programs with their product lines. 92% of consumers have a more positive image of companies that support social issues and environmental efforts Source: Cone Communications Create a page on your website that explains how the organization you support fits in with your company. Include a statistic on the cause and include a personal anecdote about the organization. For example, Skylar gives a percentage of their sales to a cause. They contribute a portion of their proceeds toa non-profit called Step Up. This organization provides mentorship for underprivileged high school girls across the country. Example: Skylar Another example is Cuddle Clones, a company that captures the look of your pet and produces stuffed animals and products that look exactly like your pet. Every purchase gives 3 meals and a toy to a shelter pet. Cuddle Clones also dontates to an animal-wellness organization, a pet shelter and an individual pet in need. Example: Cuddle Clones

www.sageworld.com

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzU4OQ==