Social media, e-commerce, apps, blogs, search engine optimisation, analytics, open source development platforms… The web is continually evolving, and in case you missed it, the ‘next generation’ of users has arrived en masse. They are brand-promiscuous, savvy, iThing-wielding surfers with the patience of a five year old and the ability to text with their eyes shut.
User experience has to be at the heart of any website. So, are you keeping up?
For organisations that need to engage with their audiences online, the pace of change can be daunting. Websites designed just two or three years ago can already look tired and worse still, can frustrate time-poor users into giving up and clicking elsewhere. Dated typography and colour palettes, poor or overly complex site navigation and a lack of social media integration or interactivity are just some of the signs that a website has had its day. If this sounds familiar, then it’s time for a re-think.
I CAN’s commitment to continued improvements
Remedy has been working with I CAN, the children’s communication charity, on their Adopt a Word campaign since it’s launch in 2008. The online fundraising site www.adoptaword.com allows users to adopt their favourite words for a year, and has generated over £100k for the charity. The success of the site can be partly attributed to the client’s commitment to continued improvements, resulting in several functionality updates and front-end facelifts over the past three years. Along with social media integration, this has ensured that site visitors keep coming back, spread the word amongst their networks and re-adopt their words.
Trafalgar Leasing gets a website upgrade
Recently, vehicle leasing specialists, Trafalgar Leasing, asked us to bring their website up to date. We designed their original website back in 2004 and were delighted to have the opportunity to work with them again.
The Trafalgar brand identity, also created by Remedy in 2004, had stood the test of time, so the new site was designed to complement the existing logo and colour palette. As part of the re-design, the entire site was moved onto the WordPress platform, providing the client with far more editorial control and a more user-friendly interface.
Trafalgar Leasing website design – before and after
Managing Director David Gould admitted some initial reluctance to updating the website, but after its re-launch was delighted with the results.
“… looking at my new website, it is light years away from the original one. I can now proudly direct others to my site as evidence of what can be achieved.”
So whether you feel your existing website has kept pace or not, there is one thing for certain – the web is going to continue to evolve, as will user expectations. Websites that keep up, will ultimately be more successful in attracting visitors and hanging onto them.
