Optimize Your Website for the Future in 7 Easy Steps

Creating a website isn’t a one-and-done proposition. Website design and development are constantly in flux, and savvy developers constantly tweak the site for optimal performance, rank, and user experience. However, you don’t want to continually make your website unrecognizable to your frequent visitors. If they come back and see something drastically different, they’re likely to assume it’s not you anymore.

Carefully choose your basic design and incorporate these trends so it isn’t outdated by the time you get it online.

1. Optimize for Mobile Users

With 31 percent of all American shoppers using mobile devices, ignoring these users is virtual suicide to a business. Desktop users aren’t shrinking; there are simply tons of new users surfing, viewing, reading, and buying via mobile devices.

To stay relevant in the future, you’ve got to design a website that caters to both desktop and mobile devices. Also, view your site from a number of browsers. Internet Explorer is losing market shares to alternatives like Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and others. See how the site looks on various screens, devices, and browsers before you go live.

Image Source: Pixabay

2. Offer High-Quality Content

Websites that aren’t offering sound, well-written information aren’t faring well with Google’s latest algorithms, and additional punishments for poor quality are on the horizon. Make sure your landing pages are well-written and optimized for the keywords people are actually searching for. Stay ahead of Panda by offering up-to-date information that users really need and want to read.

3. Embed Images Strategically

New devices offer better displays than ever, so websites offering clear, lightweight images are going to fare better now and in the future. Use only the highest quality images, and place them in the website in a lightweight format for quick uploading, even on mobile devices. People using CLEAR home internet should see the images instantly with no wait time.

4. Don’t Ignore Reviews

User reviews are an important part of the buying decision. In fact, 72 percent of shoppers trust reviews as much as they do the advice of someone they know. Moving into the future, this is becoming even more true. Pay attention to the comments and reviews people post, both on your website and on other review websites. Address concerns and use the comments to your advantage.

5. Craft Catchy Headlines

As the Internet becomes more crowded, catchy headlines are the only thing that snags users’ attention in the chaos. Write headlines that stand out from the rest. Ask tough questions, make shocking claims, or offer vital information. Of course, the article has to fulfill the headline or you’ll lose the readers’ trust.

6. Provide an Intuitive User Interface

With an abundance of websites to choose from, users simply aren’t going to stick around to deal with a clunky or difficult user interface. Give them the information they want quickly and easily, lest they get frustrated and head to your competitor.

7. Realize the Power of Social Media

Social media’s influence is more powerful than ever. Give users buttons to share your stuff on Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social networking sites. It’s the only way to stay ahead of the competition, heading into the years ahead.

Never go with the current trends when setting up your website. Current trends become outdated quickly, comprising your website before it even goes live. Always look to future trends when designing, writing, and configuring your site.