The DreamPix Studio

Web Design Trends in 2021

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Digital Trends of Focus 2021

The events of 2020 have greatly impacted the way that consumers consume information and the way businesses market products. Those changes will be reflected in web design trends in 2021. Specifically, it will be noticeable in user experiences and in brand positioning as companies seek to satisfy the customers who have emerged from the cover of Covid.

An Unforgettable User Experience

To make up for what we have lost in real-life experiences, web designers will blur the lines between reality and virtual reality by creating interactive digital experiences that wow. In-person events such as lectures and concerts have now found a new home on the web, and in many cases permanently. However, what began as static ‘Zoom’ videos have evolved into rich media productions with elaborate visual effects.

Personalization in web experiences will be brought to a new level. This appeals to the end-users sense of self. Our virtual identities with customized faces will take center stage on our screens feeding our unquenchable thirst for self-expression and individualism. Likewise, developers are offering flexible interfaces that allow users to customize their experience to suit their personal preferences.  These offerings all feed into the realization by brands that the customer and the customer experience are kings.

Brands Will Take a Stand

#BlackLiveMatter initiated a movement that inspired brands to be vocal about a cause that they believed in. Remaining silent sent an unspoken message that brands were in support of the status quo. Similarly, the recent crisis at the U.S. Capitol prompted an unprecedented number of brands, CEOs, and business groups to speak out against the riots and take strong public positions.

Organizations that promote the values and principles that are important to them will attract customers who share their sentiments and likewise feel connected to the product. This trend will likely continue. However, from a marketing perspective, brands should be cautious and consider the ramifications. Brands should look back at where they stood historically before changing lanes and inadvertently contradicting themselves. Also, they should refrain from speaking out on a subject that doesn’t warrant their brand’s voice or might potentially offend stakeholders.

Sensitivity to the Public Plight

It was a difficult year overall but 2020 did have its bright spots. For starters, brands have embraced the voice of optimism while unveiling their more sensitive and caring sides. Also, they have forged a united front in support of inclusive, healthy, and safe environments both on and off the web. With this new cloak of sensitivity comes a healthy dose of nostalgia for things that we may have been taken for granted before 2020. The flavor of retro will prevail across the web as brands strive to connect with the good old days!

Voice Optimized Content is all the Rage

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When it comes to online marketing and technology, the strategy behind the game is ever-changing. Just when my clients were getting the hang of SEO, as it relates to keywords and keyword phrases we find out that Voice search has exploded and effectively blown up the old digital strategy making voice optimized content imperative. Last year 20% of online searches were conducted through voice searches and that number is expected to skyrocket over the next two years.

Google reports that 55% of teens and 41% of adults are using voice search at least once a day. This means that people are now using long search phrases and full sentences to look for products and services online. Marketers need to adjust their strategy accordingly and think in terms of natural phrases as opposed to the 3 and 4 word keyword phrases that have been popular for the past decade.  In fact, research shows that search queries beginning with “who”, “what”, “when”, “where”, “why”, and “how” have increased by 61%. That makes complete sense when we consider how one uses Alexa or Siri. The strategy is fairly simple in that the content on a website needs to provide the answers to questions that potential customers may be asking through a voice search.

3 Simple Reasons to choose WordPress.

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Many business owners find themselves in a quandary over which platform to use for their business website. There is no shortage of options on the market, from Squarespace, Wix, Weebly, and more. And then, of course, there is the almighty open-source platform, WordPress. While all of the above bill themselves as easy to use CMS (Content Management Systems), no two platforms are created equal. While today’s site builders do not necessarily require tech wizardry, there is a learning curve to each platform and some are more flexible and intuitive than others. Those choosing a platform for their blog or website may want to check out the arguments in WordPress vs Wix to see which best suits their needs.

Here are three simple reasons why WordPress is the most popular CMS in the world.

  1. WordPress is a free platform that comes with no strings attached. You can take your website and go home if you aren’t happy with the web hosting customer service. There are hosting platforms out there that offer WordPress hosting services so it’s easy enough to leave their services. With all of the other choices, you will have to start from scratch with a company change.
  2. The WordPress developer knowledge breadth is vast. Whether you are searching for a DYI tutorial or seeking a developer to do the work, all one needs to do is ask Siri.
  3. The design flexibility and plugin functionality available to WordPress are endless. Whatever the need, be it a login protected area, a bidding platform, or registration functionality, WordPress has a plugin to accomplish it all.

Spring into Action

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The snow is slowly melting away but winter has left an indelible mark on the landscape. It is likely that your company website is also looking a little tired and could use a pick-me-up. Here are a few tips to freshen things up.

  1. Jazz up the content with fresh seasonal material. If you have a blog this is the perfect vehicle to use use. Nearly every business has a subject matter that is more pertinent at one time of the year than another. Take advantage of seasonal opportunities by freshening content and images so that visitors have something new to engage them when they visit your website.
  2. Is your SEO working for you? It’s easy to fall behind in Google standings. Did your competition pass by you in search results when you weren’t paying attention? Perhaps it’s time to mix up your keyword phrases and page titles so they better target your local market niche.
  3. Get Chatty.  Don’t be a wallflower on social media platforms – be an engaging conversationalist who adds value to the discussion. Be sure to include social media links on your website and blog posts. It will help you to build trusting relationships with customers.
  4. Mobile Compatibility. No more excuses – websites MUST be mobile responsive. If you don’t have a mobile responsive website it is akin to have a flip phone. Google punishes businesses whose websites are not mobile responsive you will lose money.
  5. Credibility. If old holiday ads are still on your home page it is time to tuck them away for next year. Outdated material, misspellings, and bad links are a turn off for visitors and your competitor is only a click away.

Once you’ve completed the spring dusting and cleaning your analytics report should perk up a bit.

Stock Photography VS the Real Thing

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The fact that 68% of American’s carry smartphones means that most of us have access to cameras 24/7 hence, business owners no longer have an excuse to feature dreadful stock photography on their website. Let’s face it, even simple photos that are taken with a camera phone offer a quality that surpasses the awful stock photos that litter the internet.

It’s a Fact: Real photos are better for your business.

Real photography is more engaging and, by nature, supports your business marketing strategy. Original photos tell a story that allows a business to stand out from the competition. Even if the physical space of a business doesn’t lend itself to slick imagery – a little creativity can go a long way. It may be local scenery or nature shots that bring personality to a website or photo of employees at work.

Whether a professional photographer is called in to do the job or a few simple photography tips are used in order to take original photos – the effectiveness of the website will improve ten-fold when the photography is upgraded. If all else fails, take the time to search for quality shots. Thankfully there are a number of photography websites that have emerged in the last few years that offer quality photos for free no less. An organic search on Google will call them up.

Must Have WordPress Plugin: Flamingo

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While I have an aversion to contact forms in general, I concede that they have their place in website development. Over the years, I have used numerous contact form plugins for WordPress, many of which eventually fail to keep up with developmental upgrades. While some are superior to others, even the best of the bunch have their issues. Contact Form 7 is currently my default-free form plugin of choice. The plugin itself does not save submitted messages but, forwards them via e-mail. Since issues can arise on either the client-side or on the mail server side, submitted emails are at risk to be lost in cyberland. The chance of missing an email from a potential client should be avoided at all costs. Flamingo is a customer relations management (CRM) plugin that works with Contact Form 7 and is the perfect safeguard against lost emails. It requires minimal configuration and has two basic functions.

  1. It stores submitted messages in the WordPress dashboard.
  2. It archives email addresses from those messages that can be exported for email marketing purposes.

If you are using Contact Form 7 it is worth installing Flamingo along with it for added insurance. It makes managing your contact form messages a cinch.

Website Must-Haves for the Hospitality Industry

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There are many things you need to think about when running a business in the hospitality industry to ensure you get consistent sales and build a loyal customer base. As well as ensuring you have good face-to-face customer service and that your business has a good look and feel to it, you also need to think about the technology side of things. These can range from all the pos basic features required to having an eye-catching and informative website. When building your website, there are a few things you’ll need to consider:

  1. Build a website on a CMS platform such as WordPress. The content on a website for businesses in hospitality will and should change on a regular basis. Whether it is a menu of services/food/beverage, a blog, upcoming events, or seasonal specials, the business owners must be able to readily make content changes.
  2. Menus must be live, current, and contain pricing. While it is acceptable to have a pdf link with downloadable menus, the menu itself should be nicely displayed on a page that loads easily and is as delicious as the services or food you are offering.
  3. Showcase your establishment with a photo gallery – whether a website visitor is interested in coming to your establishment themselves or they are considering purchasing a gift card, a photo gallery will make the decision-making process easier for the prospective customer. Carefully select images that showcase your establishment and tell the story of your brand. There is no need to overload.
  4. Be sure that a contact phone number is prominently displayed. As obvious as it sounds, there are many restaurants and spas that overlook this detail. The phone number should be visible and clickable on every page of the website as should the location of the business.
  5. A mobile responsive website is a must for any business in the hospitality industry. That means that the website will adjust itself on a fluid grid on mobile devices. A website should be clearly legible on every platform – whether it is an iPhone, an iPad, and Android, or a desk top computer. This not a mobile website that looks entirely different from your main website. A mobile responsive website is one website that works on multiple devices.

Best Practices in Website Design

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As in any industry, there are many business owners who discount the value of abiding by today’s best practices in website design. In fact, some of the largest companies in the world make that mistake, just take a peek at Berkshire Hathaway Inc., a Warren Buffet led company and see for yourself. The must-have standards that I am referring to are really quite simple.

  1. The company logo should be clearly positioned in the top left corner of the website. Research shows that it is the best placement location for visibility as users click through browser windows, especially on mobile platforms. Visitors expect the logo to be in this position and when that is placed elsewhere they are often passed over.
  2. While the “hamburger” navigation menu is a valuable space saver on mobile devices, nothing beats a fully exposed navigation menu on a desktop computer. It allows visitors to make mental shortcuts and to easily peruse the information on a website. Some web designers have taken to including the “hamburger” navigation on full websites and it is a mistake.
  3. The most important products and call-to-actions should be positioned above the fold with easy to read buttons to beckon users. Many visitors don’t scroll down beyond what they see on the screen. Keep it simple and forgo competing messages and other distractions. This is a key point when it comes to website design and development so really focus on this when you’re creating your website.
  4. As of 9 months ago, a mobile responsive website is an absolute must. Without a website that is built on a flexible grid that re-adjusts components to fit properly on all mobile screens, a business might just as well post a “closed for business” sign.

Certainly appealing graphics and compelling content will add to the success of the website. You should use your website as a platform to get your message across. Include all of the things that any potential clients would find informative and appealing; don’t leave anything out. Not sure how to build your website around this? If you don’t, then looking at somewhere like this website design jacksonville fl company could help when it comes to the process of creating a website that is unique and professional. In turn, this will help to increase your client base going forward. Who doesn’t want to achieve this? Of course, every website wants visitors, especially if it’s a business website. Whilst enhancing web design will help to increase traffic to your website, you need to consider whether or not your website will actually be able to perform under this stress. With more people using your website applications, it can begin to slow processes down, which will impact the performance of APIs. Due to this, it’s advised that companies consider getting API testing done to ensure their websites are prepared for more traffic. This is important, or websites could begin to crash.

They are all important things to consider when enhancing your website. Regardless of whether you hire professional help, or if you do it yourself – if a website meets the four criteria detailed above, they will have a fighting chance at success.

WordPress Editing Tip of the Day

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Recently a client asked me how she might easily add symbols and special characters to her WordPress posts.  While this is a question that may belong in the WP101 textbook, the answer was not on the tip of my tongue. A simple Google search told me that a special plugin was not necessary to accomplish this task. The tool is readily available on the WordPress editing dashboard.  Simply click on the “Kitchen Sink” icon in the toolbar in order to expand the available options as shown in the example below.

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This will expose the Special Character Icon which, when clicked, will open the associated panel. (As shown in the image below.)special_character2

To think how often I’ve copied and pasted these characters into position when they were at my disposal the whole time. Filed under: #Goodtoknow!

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Declutter your Website

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A website needs a seasonal cleaning just like a garage or a closet. Although the task may seem daunting at first there are a few rules of thumb to follow that should simplify the process.

  • Categorize material as trash or treasure and discard accordingly. For example, photos that are dated can be replaced and stale content can be refreshed. The old Facebook feed is no longer necessary as a simple button will do the trick.
  • Make use of negative space – a little breathing room is a good thing! It draws attention to the elements that matter and will more likely prompt a call to action especially for those viewing a website on a mobile device.
  • Remember the 80/20 rule. That is that 80 percent of the effect comes from 20 % of the causes. Which 20% of the content on your business website is the most important?
  • Reduce the number of navigation links and pages. The main navigation menu should have no more than 5 to 7 primary links. The bottom line – less is more.