To succeed in the world of modern business you need a fantastic website. Your competitors are keeping up with all the latest website trends, and if you don’t do the same, you’ll be losing customers. To help you to improve your website this year, consider the following options.

1 . Content that stands out

According to Convince And Convert, ‘Content marketing generates over three times as many leads as outbound marketing and costs 62% less.’ With a winning content marketing campaign, you’ll drive traffic to your website, and improve the credibility of your business.

You’ll be well aware that there’s plenty of competition out there, and so it’s not enough for your website content to be ‘average’. Brands need to create website content that’s unique, engaging, creative, and valuable. You need to keep a close eye on your competitors and produce better content. To help you with your content creation ideas, try platforms such as SEM Rush, Answer The Public, or Coschedule.

2. Page speed

According to marketing expert Neil Patel, 40% of people abandon a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load.’ What’s more, ‘A 1-second delay in page response can result in a 7% reduction in conversions.’ To improve your page speeds, check out the ‘Google PageSpeed Insights’ tool. The software can provide page speed info, plus offer helpful hints about speeding it up. You can try compressing files, utilizing asynchronous loading, and reducing the amount of HTTP requests. Failing to improve your page speed can quickly lose you potential customers.

3. JamStack

To improve the performance of your website you should use the JAMstack model. But what is jamstack? JAMstack is the latest approach to website creation, the word refers to ‘JavaScript, Application Programming Interfaces, and Markup.’ The JamStack website model has many advantages over a standard CMS system. You’ll benefit from improved scalability, security, stability, and speed.

4. Improve your UX

UX refers to user experience, it’s essentially the process used to create digital products, websites. The idea is that the products and sites should offer a valuable and meaningful experience, to the people that use them. The process involves all elements of usability, function, and design. To improve the user experience of your website, you should focus on the following:

• CTA: To enhance the UX of your site, ensure that you put a ‘call to action’ on all web pages. Your CTA should be clear, and complementary to the page layout.
• Simple fonts and colors: If your users can’t read your fonts properly, this compromises the functionality of your site. You should also choose colors that go well together, and are easy on the eyes.
• Mobile optimized: It’s important that your site is mobile-optimized, and that it’s easy to scan your content.
• Chatbots: According to Backlinko, ‘55% of businesses using chatbots have generated a greater volume of high-quality leads.’

When you focus on UX, you’ll improve your customer experience and your popularity online.

5. Use video

According to WordStream, ‘having a video on your landing page can increase your conversion rate by 80%.’ To improve your website, ensure that you include video content. You might include promotional videos, product explainer videos, or behind-the-scenes videos. The key is to ensure that your videos are creative and valuable to your audience. Online audiences tend to have a short attention span, so it’s best to make short videos! Don’t forget your social share buttons, so that your audiences can share your content easily.

6 . Adopt the latest design trends

Data from Articulate Marketing discovered that ‘38 percent of people will stop engaging if your website isn’t attractive.’ As well as this, ‘59 percent of consumers prefer content that is beautifully designed as opposed to simply designed.’ To help you design an attractive website, pay attention to the latest trends.

99 Designs suggest that ‘Parallax animation’, is one of the top website design trends this year. But what exactly is this animation style? 99 Designs explain that ‘Parallax is the optical illusion that happens when objects near to the viewer appear to move faster than objects farther away.’

Designs that look ‘hand drawn’ or incomplete are another trend for web design. When you’re improving your company site, it’s best to work with a talented web designer.

7. Focus on SEO

To create a successful online website, SEO should be one of your top priorities. Download a few SEO software tools, to figure out which keywords you should be using. SEM Rush can offer insights into your competitor’s SEO strategies. It can be useful to focus on your competitors, to strengthen your own campaigns. Businesses should seek to optimize their content for both voice search and image search. SEO trends change regularly so it’s a good idea to keep up with the latest news.

8. Add testimonials

According to Boast, ‘72% of consumers say positive testimonials and reviews increase their trust in a business.’ As well as this, ‘72% of consumers will take action only after reading a positive review.’ To improve your website, ensure that you include testimonials and review links. Doing so will help you to improve your credibility, and increase sales. Approach your loyal customers, to ask for reviews and testimonials.

9. White space 

You’ll want your website to look colorful and engaging, but an overload of color and graphics can look a little messy. Be sure to include white spaces as part of your designs. Blank spaces can help to draw attention to your design work and ensure that your pages are easy to read. Spend a little extra time planning out your designs, or consider working with a web designer. With the right design work, you’ll impress your leads and customers.

By focusing on these 9 areas, you’ll make all the right improvements to your site, and start to see results. It’s important to regularly assess the performance of your website. When you focus on your successes and your weak points, you can make further improvements over time.