Why have a professional website in 2022 and what's trending this year
A professional website in 2022 is more important than ever. If you don't have the time, or you think you already have enough business, or you don't think it's necessary for your line of work, the truth is, all the excuses in the world don't apply here. It's critical for your business to have a website in 2022, and here's why:
Eighty-two percent of smartphone users check their phones for purchases they want to make. If you don't have a strong online presence, you won't be there when potential customers need you most.
No matter what industry you work in, you need a website in 2022
You might be wondering: Does my business need a website design for online marketing? Maybe you have a small local physical business and you never thought you needed a website design. The truth is, many customers expect to engage with local businesses online.
For starters, let's cover the top reasons your business needs a website in 2022, no matter what industry you're in, and then we'll cover the top trends for that year.
1. Your customers expect isao
A website is the main way your customers and potential customers can learn more about you and what you sell. Good website design and navigation will help you generate business, increase brand recall value and deliver strong marketing messages.
2. Boost your credibility with a professional website in 2022
Want to show the world that you're serious about your business? It's time to invest in a custom website that showcases your professionalism and boosts your credibility amidst a sea of competitors. Did you know that 75% of online users judge a company's credibility based on its website design? In short, people are more likely to engage with a company they can trust, and your website is a big component of establishing that trust.
3. Offers Social Proof
Customer behavior is largely driven by what others have to say about your business. Even if you have a number of five-star website reviews, users expect to see your website so they can get more information about your brand. Since potential buyers are already looking for you online, including customer testimonials on your website is an ideal way to provide social proof and impress potential buyers. It's also the perfect platform to link to all your social media platforms for consistency.
And with a reach on social media, you'll need to rely on your website more than ever for years to come. Yes, your social networks have the potential to grow your business, but relying on them alone is a big mistake that can cost you later.
4. Control the Narrative
While it's hard to control what people say about you online, one place you can influence your own brand perception is by writing your own story on your website. A website is the most efficient way to spread your brand's message, vision and mission. For that, you need a search-optimized website that delivers results. Go beyond that a little bit, and ensure your online listings match across all platforms. They should all come back to your site.
5. Maximize ROI
In this digital age, creating a website with platforms like WordPress won't cost you a lot of money and can make you more money. An SEO-optimized website allows you to be in front of thousands of potential customers without spending a fortune. Not only can this help you reach a wider audience, the content on your website will also influence purchasing decisions and business transactions, no matter what industry you are in.
6. A professional website in 2022 guarantees your long-term success
If you're serious about your business, you're looking at the long term. The future is pointing, now more than ever, to the internet. Nearly half of the global population has been online as of 2020, and the number will continue to rise.
To reach a larger audience, going online is crucial. Do you want to keep up with the increasingly digital world? Invest in a high quality website.
Perhaps you already have a substantial online presence through social media? You use Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, among other channels, to reach customers and promote your business. Nice! Keep up the hard work. Social media is an essential part of navigating the digital world and attracting customers.
Unfortunately, social media platforms are getting more challenging to connect your business with potential customers. Facebook regularly updates its algorithm, making organic growth increasingly difficult. Furthermore, the once giant in the field of social media is becoming less and less popular as more modern platforms take its place.
If you use Instagram or Twitter, you might see a slightly higher rate of organic growth. However, a huge attraction in these platforms is due to the companies that link directly to their websites. Social media presence is no longer enough to attract customers bombarded daily with ads. You want to create calls to action that encourage users. Linking posts back to your site is a hassle-free way to do this.
Now, we want to share some of the latest innovations, digital technology trends, patterns and predictions for 2022.
1. Site load time and page speed
One of the most important web design standards is the lightning-fast load time. Fast load times have been key factors in UX and SEO for years, and it continues to be a priority for sites that want to rank well and convert better.
Studies say that more than half of internet browsers expect a website to load fast and no more than two seconds after clicking on a link. If it takes longer than three seconds for your site to load, your visitors are likely to leave, and they're not likely to come back, ever again!
Website performance has a direct impact on businesses. Pinterest reduced perceived wait times by 40%, and this increased search engine traffic and signups by 15%.
2. Smart content for a more pleasant user experience
Having heavy sites with lots of graphics and third-party integrations that can slow down our sites. Fortunately, there are many different ways to develop smart websites that download only the content you see and need.
Progressive loading and infinite scrolling are not new technologies. Major social networks have been using this for years. The approach is also popular with websites.
All sites should consider how implementing one or two technology approaches can help them outperform or outperform the competition. These features can help improve the user experience for all your website visitors, which can improve your conversion rate and ranking.
Many site visitors never get to the bottom of a web page. So why load that content and increase site load times. A better approach is to load content as it starts to scroll down the page and get closer to it.
3. Personalized content according to your geolocation and browsing history
Maybe you've visited a website and then come back a few hours or days later to see that the content has changed. When you pull it up on your phone for the first time or another browser, you'll see the original content you saw the first time you visited the site.
It's no secret, the most advanced websites track our browsing history and know our locations. But top web agencies will advise their clients to display dynamic content, content based on past user behavior or what we know about a user. It's not generic content made to serve everyone.
Personalized content created for users returning to your site for the second or third time can increase conversion.
You experience this every time you use Google as a search engine.
A great directory site will also recognize the type of food you like. If you've reviewed or saved Italian restaurants in the past, it might make sense to weigh Italian restaurants higher in your search results.
Another example is when you visit your bank's website for the first time, and you need to add your username and mark your browser as “trusted”. When you return, the bank will know you are an individual or a business customer. Thus, they will push their residential or commercial offers as per their customer's status.
Personalized content is probably most important to e-commerce site owners. Showing recently viewed, saved or liked products to online shoppers can lead to longer conversions. Highlighting abandoned cart content to returning customers is also crucial to maintaining a higher conversion rate.
Without realizing it, the site's personalized content has become more expected by users; and will be an even more dominant focus for a successful web presence.
4. Progressive forms of nutrition integrated with your CRM tool
Online lead generation forms are one of the most important elements of a marketing website. We want to know a lot about our site visitors, but we can't ask too many questions at any given time. We put progressive/dynamic contact forms on the landing pages and display fields according to the leader's journey.
Ideally, we don't want to display too many form fields, but we can always adjust the form fields according to the data we already know about our leads. We can ask for name, company and email address on the first conversion, and then ask for phone number, title, company size, company revenue fields on the next conversion opportunity.
5. Chatbots become human on your 2022 website
Chatbots are another feature that has been popular for a few years and will continue to be relevant in 2022. As artificial intelligence and machine learning continue to get more sophisticated, we expect to see chatbots become the norm for simple customer service requests. customer and “personal shopping”.
For example, if a customer visits your website, looking for phone support, and the chatbot knows they have a free phone update available. The chatbot can notify them of the update. This can lead to a positive customer experience and save the business the customer support cost associated with talking to a real person.
6. Voice activated interface
The way we access information is changing – instead of typing it into Google, we now ask a question or make a demand. This means that web design is adjusting to keep up with the prevalence of voice chatbots and virtual assistants. While a voice-activated interface is not common for most websites, this emerging trend is not going anywhere for the foreseeable future.
7. Accessibility and Availability
Inclusiveness and accessibility are more than a trend, but there is a growing need for web design to factor in the needs of people with disabilities. Having a website that every visitor can browse and interact with is more than just part of good customer service and providing a great experience. It can increase conversion, boost your SEO, and help you reach a larger audience.
Conclusion on why you have a professional website in 2022
Maybe you're still wondering, do I need a website? If your social media platform's presences are strong enough, you might not worry.
Whether you decide to use a website design platform yourself or choose to partner with an agency to get your website designed, the decision is ultimately up to you. The important thing is to understand the risks associated with not having a website for your business.
Technology changes quickly, and website design trends are no different. Design elements and website features that were once modern and innovative may have become tired, overblown and clichéd in recent years. The last thing you want when people land on your site is to miss out on converting because your site looks outdated or ignores critical web standards.
Fortunately, the Colors Agency keeps up with all the latest website design and development trends to create highly functional and easy to use websites that perform well and look fantastic.
