website design

The Value of the Landing Page

30th March 2015 by Alan Leave a Comment

The online world is full of links, all competing to grab the attention of the thousands of passing eye balls per hour; some will blink and stay long enough to engage/buy/sell/comment/like/share and so on.

Links are all signpost to ‘Somewhere’; some may be pointing at ‘Nowhere’, a land bereft on the vast continent of the Error Page 404 and these too can be a source of frustration and annoyance, Just as you thought you were coming across a lovely place, paradise is ripped out from underneath you and you are left staring at a blank page.

However, there is more of a problem lurking and that is the confusion surrounding what a landing page actually is…

The easiest way to define what IS a landing page is to flip it on its head; a landing page is NOT, as we all like to believe, any old web page that happens to be the place where a user lands.

A landing page is… (fanfare of trumpets please!)

… a webpage that contains a form which has been created to capture a user’s information.

Glad we cleared that up. Now we are all singing from the same hymn sheet, we can battle on with the why we have them, what they should look like and what their value is.

Why bother (or, what is the value of a landing page?)

Online forms are used for all kinds of reasons; subscribing to blogs so you never miss a post, enquiry forms, or transactional information for online purchases etc. You can probably think of many other examples but they all share the same common goal: to initiate an exchange between YOU and the USER.

It is quite simple – the user gives you information and you, in return, provide them with a service,/subscription/and answer to their query etc. giving you chance to ‘convert’ the user from a potential customer to a buying one.

However, this page is not necessarily the page to practice your graphic design skills on, so forget adding YouTube videos and dancing reindeers because, literally there should be nothing to distract the customer from completing the all-important contact form.

Having said that simplicity is the key with no distractions, there are certain components of the landing page design that need to capture the visitor’s interest.

The Header

If you have ever noticed where your eyes fall when you are on the web, you may have realised that they tend to be around the middle to the top of the page. Anything too low down that is important, tends to be missed in the first few valuable seconds that our eyes are drinking it all in.

With this 2 seconds to capture visitor interest, the header of a landing page is quite important; if this is completely uninteresting (and we have all been there!), your user will simply turn away.

Bear in mind HOW your visitor got there…

In some cases, the landing page is accessed through a specific advert that they have found on another site/somewhere else. Hence, their clicking of the advert means that created the right impression in so far that it was attractive and of interest.

Imagine the let-down of arriving on a rubbish landing page…

Your landing page needs to meet with expectations and in this sense, should be an extension of the advert – same font, same colours, all branded and joined together. If it all looks a little bit of a mish-mash, it’s a bit of a disappointment.

Right, this header needs to be colourful and creative, in line with your advert and also be part of your brand.

The Statement

Now that the header is in place as an extension of your advert or at least fully branded to your business, you now need to tell the visitor, clearly, simply and elegantly what it is they are looking at, the purpose of it and what to do.

Also known as a primary call to action, there are loads of examples out there on the Internet – some better than others, we hasten to add.

We saw some great ones the other day…

“Would you like the best in daily updates on xxxxx to your inbox?” – underneath were two boxes, one for your first name, the second for the email address.
“Don’t miss out on the latest news from xxxx” – again followed by the email sign up, as was the same with…
“Get the best offers BEFORE they hit the high street!”
“NEVER miss a blog post again!”
“Can you afford to miss out?”

They all suggest, in their own way, that there is a positive quality to signing up to a newsletter, subscription, blog etc. with some suggesting the negative aspect of not being on the all-important mailing list.

This reverse psychology has been around for many years; after all, by suggesting to someone they could be missing out, or be in the minority has a strong sense of emotional appeal, for some people.

Others of us, of course, think that by subscribing, our inbox will be flooded on a regular basis with rubbish, so be careful not to over egg that pudding.

The Body

An over-complicated landing page has been proven to affect conversion rates that is the number of people who do what it is asking them to do. Once again, simplicity and directness is key with every element supporting the advert, the landing page, the brand, as well as getting them to fil in the form.

Take a look at this one for Basecamp; it has a quite a clever graphic that is actually pointing at the first box, a clear visual signal of what it is you need to do. It’s friendly, non-forceful and there is no need for lengthy scrolling either…

Which indicates that the information they are collecting is what is needed to get your started with their service; if you don’t need to know the person’s age at this point, why ask for a birth date? Really think about the information you need to collect on your landing page – pare it back so that you really do only ask the questions that you need to.

The landing page success

It would seem that the best landing pages are those that are tailored specifically for the brand or website itself; opting for a ‘that’ll do approach’ might not get you the conversion rates you are hoping for.

Do you have a landing page? What do you think it says about your company? Is it successful?

10 Crucial Ingredients to Website Credibility

19th March 2015 by Alan Leave a Comment

Does your website include them all?

Creating and maintaining a business website is a strategic, proactive task. It is your shop window, through which your online customers will peer and decide whether to have a browse around. Like a tangible, high street shop, you need to avail yourself to your customer, without ramming a sale down their throat as soon as they walk through the door.

It takes skill. It takes the ability to know when to leap, and when not to leap. It takes credibility.

And this is the topic for today’s post – what makes customers run for the hills and what is it that makes them stay. Like a tangible shop, you website has a lot of boxes to tick… and this is BEFORE potential customers have made an enquiry, left a question or, better still, decided to make a purchase.

The online world can be a malevolent place

Like ‘real’ life, some people out there are not as nice as you or I. They are wanting to secure their money, goods or whatever it is they want, by means that are underhand, illegal in many cases.

With the Internet being full of scams, malicious websites and scoundrels, potential customers are growing in suspicion. The website needs to look and feel right; you may be one of the best producers of a certain product, your products may be the best in the business BUT, if your website does ooze this same quality, appearance and credibility, you are on a hiding to nothing.

This needing to look ‘alive and kicking’ is something we have talked about before; the regular addition of new, quality and informative content. The links with social media, the links with other websites, all these things meld together to create the ‘right impression’. The impression that the website is monitored, looked after and valued. It is not an online presence that has been dumped there to entice people to part with their cash.

What is credibility?

No, really; what is it? We all have different yardsticks to measure website credibility but B.J. Fogg, Stanford University defines it as this;

…credibility is defined as believability. Credible people are believable people; credibly information is believable information. In some languages, they use the same word to describe both of these characteristics: credible and believable.

Sounds all well and good but, as some of us are aware, the most convincing of con artists are believable but, what can happen is we think of credibility in a one-dimensional way. It is important to remember that credibility is:

A perceived quality, overall – is isn’t necessarily embedded in a person, object or a piece of information; it is the overall impression
It is multi–layered – other emotional factors come in to play, such as trustworthiness and expertise

Fogg also points out prominence & interpretation system – you notice something (prominence) and make a decision, or a judgement about it (interpretation).

Thus to give you a helping hand, here are the 10 crucial ingredients that lend credibility to your website:

Design

It is no great surprise that we judge a business by its website. The better this design, the more we seem to trust it. Studies show that consumers are naturally less trusting of websites that a tangible, on the high street retailer – 30% less trusting thus, as online retailers, we are a step behind the high street shop.

BUT… websites that are ‘pretty’, designed well, with trimmings and the like, make up for this shortfall. A study of 2,500 online shoppers conducted in 2011, found that nearly half of them trusted a website based on the design and look of a website.

Clearly, a BIG lesson for us all.

Security and seals

There are many different security seals and certification we can display on our e-commerce websites and it seems these marks are also important in impacting on the judgement that consumers make about websites and credibility.

Increasingly sassy, consumers are looking for ticks that say ‘we have jumped through hoops, and your can shop safely with us’. People are realising that the need to put in bank details is not always something we should be doing… we admit to always looking for PayPal or Sage Pay, knowing that our details are not data and information that the website business will have to store or keep safe, for PayPal do all that anyway.

For authenticity, use seals and marks that are highly recognised; in a 2011 survey, consumers recognised the logos for MacAfee, Verisign and PayPal. Familiarity seems to ooze credibility.

Clearly visible contact details

The basics like a physical address, contact phone and email contact are the three top credibility signals for you website. Various studies also go on to suggest that photos of ‘the team’ can also be a useful tool for lending credibility. If people have to look too much, for hidden information that they consider ‘basic’, you may find that your website credibility takes a sub-conscious nose dive.

If nothing else, have a prominent ‘contact us’ button!

Content

OK, potential customer may not read your 2,000 word diatribe on the effects of poor quality screenwash on a car’s paint work BUT, if the content is relevant (clearly not if you sell bags, hats and scarves), informative and engaging, then it all adds to the credibility of you and your website.

Customers tend to ‘scan’ information and thus, they may not devour every word but the fact that it is there and the fact that you add content regularly to your website is also important. And customers DO scan the dates of when things were added…

Returns, FAQs, terms & conditions etc.

Again, at this mid-point in our list of 10 things that add credibility to your website, the policies of when you will and will accept returns, the terms and conditions of trading, FAQs etc. may not be the most exciting pages of content but, it seems, that when they are clearly visible, customers feel they can trust the company and website. Remember the ‘perceive – interpret’ equation?

Product information

One of the biggest bug bears, it seems to customers is the lack of information about a product. If two websites sell exactly the same product – a white mug – but everyone is ordering from one and not the other, the answer may lay in the product description.

Which one would you buy…?

A white mug, with a handle. Great for all hot beverages. Order 2 and get a third free!

OR…

A white, porcelain mug, great for everyday use. Holding 16oz of your favourite drink – hot or cold – the mug can withstand the rigours of the dishwasher too. Standing at 12cm tall, it is a mug that is simply perfect

Delicate, but not flimsy so why stop at 1? Buy 2 and get the third free!

Don’t underestimate details in product descriptions; 60% of shoppers said they used the product description as a cue of whether to buy, or not…

Testimonials

When there are genuine testimonials on your website, they attract attention. Experts, for some time now, have been telling companies that stories to content is a key factor is adding credibility to a website, and now, after various studies, it seems that this is the case.

Make sure they stand out; give them some whopping quotation marks to help them stand out!

Reviews

Testimonials are when people love you… reviews are when people are commenting on the product. So, let’s go back to our “white, porcelain mug, great for everyday use”. If the reviews looked like this, would you be so keen to buy…?

3 out of 5 stars – relay poor quality, cracked when washed… [read more]

79% of customers trust online reviews; think of it as the online version of ‘word of mouth’ – we all know how strong that can be.

Reputation & recognition

Not strictly an online element but, worth mentioning. Reputation and recognition are both important in helping the customer decide if your website is credible… or not. Now, for new businesses this can be difficult to establish thus, you need to make sure that your online presence covers as many bases as possible.

People, if they like your products, may do a separate search on your company thus, you need you social media stuff to pop up, you need some business listings etc. and they all need to be consistent (see Part 1 and Part 2 of better search engine results for local online businesses for a helping hand on this!)

And finally, customer service

This is not last because it is the least important but, in the steps that potential customers take in ‘whether to make a purchase or not’, this one of the last… but, customers of online retail websites have higher expectations of customers service, far higher than when they approach any other industry.

We expect brands and businesses, or so it seems, to not only be grateful for our business, but value it too.

In summary

Credibility of a website is directly linked to interest; if you garner the interest of a user, this lends to your credibility and, it seems, as consumers, we are more likely to use it.

Is your website credible? Are you sure…?

Why do most websites fail?

30th January 2015 by Alan Leave a Comment

fail, verb – “to not succeed in what you are trying to achieve or are expected to do”

You carefully selected the colours, you diligently created a brief for the designer and you carefully oversaw the site build. So why hasn’t your website achieved what you expected?

Have you got the right focus?

It’s only natural that you want an eye-catching website that looks good, and that’s why it can be all too easy to get wrapped up the creative process. But if you want to create a successful website, it’s fundamentally important to look beyond the colour, design and feel and focus on the strategy.

Your business is unique, so it’s crucial that any strategy definition is tailored to your specific needs. In fact, if you don’t have a strategic solution in place for your website, the cost in lost opportunities may be higher than you think. Choosing cost over value is rarely an effective way of growing a business.

Want to know how to set the right strategy? These 4-steps will guide you on the path to setting a successful website strategy.

STEP 1: IDENTIFY

What factors are vital to the continued success and growth of your business? It’s only by identifying these that you can begin to consider the purpose of your website.
What are your business drivers?
Organisations often overlook identifying and documenting their business drivers because they assume they are obvious. However, by taking an analytical approach, not only can you can add real clarity, but you can also work out any latent conflicts.

Value drivers are identified by looking at your business priorities, these then determine your business objectives. They might include:
• significant business growth,
• cost management, and
• market position.

What are your project goals?

Once you have identified your key business drivers, you can start to define the project goals and objectives.

STEP 2: REVIEW

What aspects of your business might impact the website strategy? Benchmarking the current situation is key.

What is your brand?

You need to look at your brand value and your brand proposition to fully understand how your business is currently presented to the market.

What are the constraints?

Your organisation’s current policies, situation and frameworks may put constraints upon the website’s strategy, and these will often need to be reflected in the website and content strategy. For example:

• Legal issues – Many businesses operate in specific regulatory and legal situations, so it’s important that you are up to speed on yours.

• Creative guidelines – From colour palettes to typography, and from tone of voice to photographic style, your organisation may already have pre-defined guidelines that it’s essential your website complies with.

What analytics are already in place?

A high-level review of your existing website analytics can very useful at the review stage. It will allow you to gain an understanding of both the current interaction with your website and also to create a benchmark for when you review the site again after implementation.

STEP 3: RESEARCH

Research is important. You might like the look of your website, but your favourable opinion is no guarantee of the website’s effectiveness within its target audience. That’s why it’s vital you gather the opinions of everyone associated with your website.

What do the stakeholders think?

With any project there are multiple stakeholders, from the business owners, through the management and then the end users. You can gather stakeholder input through interviews or through workshops. Workshops are particularly effective for larger numbers of stakeholders.

What do your users think?

If you already have an active website that you’re planning to redesign, it’s a great idea to find out how people currently use it. An in-depth analysis of the existing user analytics combined with user surveys could throw up some invaluable information for your strategy.

What do the experts think?

If your aim is to conduct effective and successful research, then it’s well worth seeking input and advice from experts in web marketing and web design.

What are your competitors doing?

A quick online search can offer rich pickings when it comes to finding out about your competitors’ online presence, so make sure you take the time to study them. There are more tools than search that can give a deeper insight, however the only thing they can’t tell you is how effective your competitors’ website strategies are for their business.

STEP 4: DEFINE

The final stage in creating your website strategy is to define some essential tenets that will add clarity to the process.

What is the customer journey?

How do your customers interact with you online? If you want to understand their digital behaviours, then you need to map their customer journeys, be it on Facebook, Twitter, review sites or your website.

What are the personas of your customers?

Who are the customers who visit your website? Make sure you clearly identify their personas so you can shape your website strategy around them. To do this properly, you need to go above and beyond simply identifying customer segments – you need to get down to the nitty gritty of who your potential audience is.

What is the governance of your website?

It’s a good idea to use this stage to establish exactly who is accountable for the governance and management of your website. The fact is that over time this digital asset will depreciate, so it’s crucial that you decide who has responsibility for maintaining the site’s ongoing value proposition.

What happens once your strategy is in the bag?

So, you’ve identified your business drivers, you’ve reviewed your current situation, you’ve researched what you need to do and you’ve defined your terms. What then? Well, that’s when you can move onto implementation, confident in the knowledge that everything you do is underpinned by a sound strategy. A strategy that’s guaranteed to set your website up for business success. And that’s when the fun really begins.

Although each implementation is different, all projects tend to follow a similar process made up of the following stages:

planning,
design (both content and functionality)
build (both content and functionality)
testing
accepting
implementing.

succeed, verb – “to thrive, prosper or grow; to accomplish what is intended.”

Content audit – reviewing and creating MORE success via your website content, blogs & posts

23rd January 2015 by Alan Leave a Comment

New Year Resolutions – are they a failure or success?

Why stopping, reviewing and remodelling can be the most productive of exercises

According to Forbes, only 8% of people who seriously make a New Year’s resolution will stick to it. There are various reasons why we fail and succeed with the goals we set; after all, we know we should be eating a healthy salad after the deluge of cheese, bread and wine over the festive period but, somehow even the crispest of salads does not have the same satisfaction rating as a chunk of bread and mature cheese.

Perhaps cutting it out completely is not the answer; rationing and setting this as a goal, may return better results.

And of course, the biggest factor in reaching any goal successful – and surpassing it – is the ability to stop and review, making any changes necessary.

Content is one of those areas within a business that can be left to flounder; even though you are posting content daily, and bashing it ‘out there’ on the several social media platforms, when was the last time you STOPPED and reviewed what you were doing…? And what the results actually are?

A Content Audit: your objective

The content in your website is of such importance that it deserves some additional attention. As we enter the first few weeks of 2015, the goal posts for content and search engine optimisation of your website have barely changed…

Your content should be written and crafted in such a way that people want to promote it by sharing it or linking with it. The increases the trust and authority associated with your site and hence, search engines are more likely to scan your pages for keywords the next time someone searches for them via their search engine.

Does your content do that?

But, before you start ripping your site to shreds and writing a whole heap of new content, take a look what is on there. Audit it. Review it. Modify it. Recycle it.

WHERE to start with a content audit

You should have some fairly minimal stats on where visitors to your site start e.g. you assume it is your home page but actually, they may land on another first. And, when you audit your content it may be because the information on that page is better, more keyword responsive than the home page.

There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with this and there is no hard and fast rule as to where or why customers should land on the home page first; many businesses find the ‘about us’ page is the most frequently landed/visited page.

The Whole Thing

Ok. You have some bare statistics and now you need to look as The Whole Thing.

What does you website feel and look like (remember this is content audit, not a design review)? What is the tone ‘saying’? Does it fit? Do you still want this tone or has the time come to tweak this a little?

Is it too wordy? Is it formatted correctly?

Keywords do matter and so you also need to audit these too; are they still relevant to your website and business? Do you need to more/take away/ research them again?

The Nitty-Gritty Mechanics

You’ve done the easy bit, now you need to create a ‘to do list’ and this need to contain the detail of the who, what, how, when and where. In other words, you are creating work but it can pay dividends in the end.

Trust us. It does.

Step 1: Set the objectives of your Content Audit

Apart from us telling you this is quite a good idea, what is it you want to achieve from this content audit exercise?

Remember, objectives need to be SMART

Specific
Measureable
Achievable
Relevant/Realistic
Time bound

So, how about this as an objective…?

To update all blog posts posted on site in January to June 2014 (24 posts) by the end of April 2015 so that website traffic is increased by 20%, by December 2015

A delightfully SMART objective:

Specific – we know it is all blog posts and that there are 24 of them
Measureable – you have 24 blog posts on your website and you have a target of increasing traffic by 20%
Achievable – yes. With 24 blog posts that is not too many to review and the timescale seem within reason too ( you could set a target of updating so many posts per week, once you have reviewed what needs doing to what post)
Relevant/ realistic – yes (but only you know your workload)
Time bound – yes. You are set to achieve the update of keyword by the end of April, and can review your success in December or January of the following year. You could also have mini-reviews once the project to update/recycle posts etc. is complete

Step 2: Create a spreadsheet

Hop on over to Excel or Google spreadsheets (great if you are working in a team, because you can update this spreadsheet and share it via the cloud so everyone can see who has done what and when)

We suggest the following columns, but you can obviously add or delete as necessary:

Date, the page URL (address), Action required, Who? By when?

Step 3: Seeking answers to questions and deciding what must be done to achieve your SMART objectives…

So, as you go through your website, page by page (a great excuse for tea on tap and a biscuit or two), ask the following questions, noting answers and action in your spreadsheet:

Does the page content fit with your strategy? Is it floating in mid-air or is it linked with the important topics and categories if your site?
Are some the pages and content stuffed with keywords? (We all did this ‘back in the day’ so don’t feel guilt admitting this; it just needs simplifying!)
Are the images on the page correct/useful/appropriate?
What about the headline?
Does the first paragraph grab the reader’s attention?
Are there errors on the page?
Are the links working?
Can links be added that are more relevant and current?
Do you have links to other pages on your website?
Formatting – are words and phrases highlighted? Is it in neat, small paragraphs?
Do you still want/need the post? Can it be recycled/re-written/re-used?

Your To-Do list may end up looking HUGE but, after you have all this information, prioritise the list – which pages are a must do NOW, which need doing in the next batch and which can be left until last?

A content audit is not about just creating a whole heap of work; it is about looking at what you have got and what can be updated/changed/modified (and even deleted if it’s no longer relevant) and setting some goals for action.

2015 could be the year you are part of that 8% of people who do meet their New Year resolutions… just make your goals obtainable.

A picture never lies…

14th January 2015 by Alan Leave a Comment

… and then along came Photoshop!

But we jest, for this is a serious post on the power of graphics and what they can do for your website, blog post and content in general.

We know you – you have an outstanding product, a superb website, it is beautiful and responsive and because we work together, it is mobile ready – everything is in place but there needs to be the icing on the cake: the graphic.

The image that paints the picture in all its glorious technicolour; the part that says ‘come hither and take a closer look’; it is the arty photograph of the best wedding cake that you have ever produced; it is the image of a frosty winter’s morning in Surrey (as of January 2015) and it is the image that speaks a thousand words. Unless you get it wrong.

We have all seen them. We have all grunted, raised an eye brow and allowed the corner of our mouths to turn up slightly. The images that websites use (usually from royalty free image websites) that show a workforce, all immaculately dressed with gleaming white teeth.

Nope. You need to think about these images and graphics a lot more than that.

The eyeballs have it

Just like we have talked in the past about content and how it is formatted to appeal visually to the eye, the image must do the same. Do not insult your customers’ intelligence by attempting to convince them you are all size 6, with expertly coiffured hair.

But before you take photos of all your products and dazzle the homepage with them, take a moment to think about this – research has shown that we are drawn to photographs of other human faces. An experiment that tracked human eyeballs as they looked at an image found that the vast majority of people spent the most time looking at the face. It is a natural human instinct.

Different angles

And so, a human face could be a shrewd move but there are other aspects to consider too. Photographic experts suggest that most websites and companies need to spend more time photographing their products from different angles.

So, if you sell jewellery, a close up shot of the detailing is great but a few of someone wearing it, so the potential customer can see what it looks like on, can also be a great selling point.

The call to action

We forget this sometimes, and in the fast paced world that we find ourselves in, we can forget the important ‘click to buy’ button. We have talked extensively in a previous blog about colour, and making it stand out, but colour is not the only draw for the eye.

Some American studies suggest that people like a little more information and so telling them to ‘call for more info’, could actually work better if it said ‘call for more info on booking a Swedish massage’ etc.

Locally’s helpful guide to using images

Always looking to help expand readership of blogs, possibly creating business, we have put our heads together and come up with the following:

Decoration is NOT what images are for

Finding a random photo of a happy looking lady and slapping it on your homepage is nothing short of confusing. Why is she looking so happy when you are talking about the distress and discomfort of a pest infestation…?

Images are not there to decorate web pages, they are there to reinforce your message. Nothing more.

WHY use an image with that particular blog post/webpage etc…?

Early placement – you may notice that we place our images close to the top of our blog posts and this is because visually, it draws the eye, followed by the opening few lines. Hopefully, we have snagged the interest of a reader to carry on reading… and the fact that it is an appropriate image that gives a visual clue as to what the blog is about is also helpful.
If you are selling a product – the image needs to be of the product and preferably more than one image, including one of someone (you, a customer or a paid model) using the product. But ask yourself, what is the selling point of your product? Take a look at the original advertising for the MacBook Air. Speed was not its main selling feature, its size was… so the fact the image was of it fitting in an envelope was pure genius.
Lines, lines, lines – what does that arrow point? Why is her gaze looking over there? Visual clues can also direct the gaze of your reader/customer to certain areas of the page – go on, try it!

Own photos or stock photos

But there is always a rub and we think that some of the other blogs that talk about images don’t comment on this; they will tell you to use your own photos but, for many small businesses this can add significant pressure to already full, busy week of selling their products. Taking photos of your products are the priority!

If time is limited and your photographic skills just as limited, you can fall back on stock images. There are many websites that address this issue, but always take time to look at the copyright on images; many stock image websites can be membership based, or pay-per-image and the quality can be high. Just bear in mind they need to fit.

That said, it doesn’t take much to take some decent shots of your products and like your blog, it is a marathon… and there are many ways of running this race.

What changes does Google see in marketing online in 2015?

2nd January 2015 by Alan Leave a Comment

(In other words, where are they looking…?)

As hard as us online businesses try not to be a slave to Google and the other major search engines, the truth of the matter is, we are.

Just like buying the cheaper supermarket own brand cereal and hiding them in a clear plastic container in a vain attempt to fool the taste buds of the cereal connoisseurs of the household does not work, trying to avoid Google and what it wants from websites is something that businesses cannot afford to do… too much.

You might think that it is OK to have the same content across all 40 pages describing your services in and around Frodsham, but Google chews it up, spits it out and says that is not building a quality website.

And so, through the fug of mince pie overload and increased cholesterol from the annual over-indulgence in local cheeses, here at Locally we spent some time sifting through the various online reports and articles about what this mammoth search engine wants from online businesses in the coming year.

The great news is that it is not complicated and the majority of online businesses are starting to swing in this direction anyway… the writing has been on the wall for some time. Following on from our post ‘your website is a live and kicking thing that needs feeding and nurturing’, we take a closer look at what you need/must/try to with your website during 2015.

Why please Google?

Because it is massive. And, its dominance shows no sign of wavering and shrinking just yet. With billions of users worldwide, why would you ignore this search engine?!

How the Internet, searches and relations between customers and businesses have changed

Cast your mind back to when there were three TV channels in the UK and having a colour TV was a novelty… actually, we jest, we don’t mean that far back but we thought it sounded dramatic and when you rewind the clock only a few years to the early days of the Internet and compare then to now, you realise the changes have been dramatic, more dramatic than the closing scenes of an EastEnders’s cliff hanger.

Back then, the run-of-the-mill Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a larger company back then was probably just shy of their 50^th birthday, had learnt their craft and art over the years, with the Internet – a recent invention – providing a platform on which business was done to a customer. The thought that a customer had any real power or opinion was not entered into.

Fast forward to January 2015, and this seems almost ludicrous; a CEO of some massive brands can be whippersnappers with a handful of GCSEs but with a natural ability and flair for seeing what a consumer wants, and giving it to them – with bells on.

The Internet is now a place of engagement. If your website is all about the sell, sell, sell then no wonder you are no higher than page 102 in Google’s search rankings. Times have changed and we all need to keep up with them (harks back to ‘your website is a live and living thing’ post…)

Put the textbook down

Some things are not in those pages and what Google sees happening in 2015 is not in there yet, so sit up and take notice.

If you learn nothing else from this post, take away this fact: Internet users (your potential customers) are looking for sophistication.

Hitting customers over the head with information and broadcasts is no longer acceptable; people want information given in a more considerate way.

Another fact: the Internet is a restless place. Just as one thing is ‘on trend’ it changes, morphs and steals away and this is something that you, and your website, must be constantly alert to. Just because you have always had that bouncing graphic on your home page and no has complained, doesn’t mean it is not damaging your online viewed reputation. Stop harking back to last year and be ready to constantly move forward and evolve.

So what IS Google predicting?

Mobile money will become the norm in 2015

We have talked about making sure your website is mobile ready in a previous post and now it seems this is more than just a must-have for aesthetic reasons. Financially, Google predicts that 40% of online spending will be via mobile devices so you need to be more than just mobile friendly; you need to be mobile active.

In terms of other financial incentives, Google reckon that coupons, vouchers, gift codes – call them what you will – will become more tailored and specific to customers. And, customers are no longer just searching for the best price, or so it seems.

Google also suggest that customers will pay a bit more, if the service they get is second-to-none. Cheap is not the name of the game, but customer service is.

If you have a high street presence as well as an online presence, be prepared for merging these two strands of your business even closer, with mobile payments – for example, using PayPal in store – possibly becoming the norm (although they also suggest PayPal may have a contender by the year’s end… is that a hint?!)

Foster community

If you website is still a one-way track, with limited or no interaction between you and your consumer, then your website will, by the end of 2015, if not before, fall into a dark place. So, if you are not harnessing the power of social media to invite comments etc., you are missing a trick; Google predicts that consumers will rely even more on this ‘social branding’ to decide if a brand is the right one for them.

The local and the personal, suggest Google, will also become a bigger influence in the search engine terms used.

Real-time is where it is at

And this means looking at the capability of your website and your online strategy for communicating with customers, quickly – if not, now (that is, real time). Emailing, tweeting or commenting on a company’s social media platform, only to have a delay of hours (or days!) is no longer acceptable. For small businesses this could present a logistical problem – how can you create the bespoke wedding dress with one eye on Twitter?) thus, outsourcing some of these powerful elements will become more important.

Take away points

Google is looking for, and predicting, continuous improvement in websites:

Search will be more location-based – so if you operate in and around a certain area, get this back on your website and optimise you content as such. Add to this real-time – scrolling news feed about your business, price, availability etc. – could see a significant return-of-investment (ROI)

Don’t be dull, boring and – dare we say it?! – predictable – do something different with your brand and let people know. If you haven’t sponsored a local event before, could this be the year you take a leap into the unknown BUT, don’t just sponsor it, stream it!

Relevant – you are a local insurance company, a client finds your website online, likes your prices and then ‘clicks to call’; your phone rings and you have a new client. This can work for so many businesses but it does take technical know-how… the great news is that there are people who can help set all this up and make it run without a hitch.

Your website needs to be working for your business – spending hundreds and thousands on creating a website is all well and god but, if it is not being accountable (working for the business as a platform for business and brand awareness) then it is wasted.

It all sounds very big and involved, possibly beyond your technical skills but, with some small, but clever tweaks in all the right places, your website could be running at full throttle by the end of 2015.