The Future of Websites
If you’re a long-time internet user, think back 5 or 10 years to the sites you used the most in those days – chances are you don’t visit most of them anymore. The websites you do still visit probably include search engines, email sites, or a favourite news or blog site that keeps drawing you back. This simple exercise makes one fact very clear: the sites we keep visiting are the ones that are simple, useful, fast, portable, and have a strong human element.
Future-Proofing Your Website
By using these principles when you design your website for the future, you gain the upper hand when it comes to technology changes. If your site’s design is completely reliant on technology, you could find it becoming obsolete when technologies change. On the other hand, a site that attracts users with great content and ease of use will be able to change its technology and keep growing its user base.
Keep it Simple
In today’s overworked societies, where time is precious and people are overloaded with information, a simple website is always appreciated. Understanding your target audience, being aware of their needs and knowing exactly what you want to offer them will help you greatly when it comes to keeping your site simple.
Make it Useful
When it comes to usefulness, content is king. Keep your audience fascinated with great content that really tells a story, while providing useful information that links to your website’s product or service offering. A website that entertains and informs will always draw new users.
Make it Fast
Websites that take too long to load are a big negative for internet users. To ensure that your website loads quickly, make sure it is kept simple. You can also run YSLow from Yahoo or Google’s Page Speed Online – two great tools that will speed up your site.
Portability
Mobile internet is the future. From tablets to smart phones, to digital screens that may be found all over in 5 years from now, your site will have to be mobile-ready in order to stay viable. If you’ve kept your site simple, this will go a long way in preparing the mobile version. Remember to keep your navigation simple and avoid developing Flash applications – focus instead on html or JavaScript.
The Human Touch
Internet users like nothing more than human interaction. Social media aside, you can make your site more human by making all your content accessible, remembering that great content tells a story. Pay special attention to bulk emails and error messages – making these more human can reduce your bounce rate significantly.