2020 is coming to an end (finally). There is not much time left to complete your checklist. If updating your business's website is on it, then this article will definitely be useful to you.
Read through this article because at the end, we'll offer you a FREE 30 min virtual consultation, during which we'll analyze your current website and offer our solutions to improve it.
In 2021 when vaccines become widely available, strong economic recovery across all sectors may immediately ensue. This is great news for your business. Interestingly, we predict that the consumer habits developed during this pandemic, such as Zoom calling, online payment & virtual appointment, will stick around!
These are strong reasons for updating your website. And it's kind of urgent, because we know it's going to get busy soon. And you don't want to get overwhelmed. A modern website will help automate your workflow and keep you from missing out on potential customers.
If you want your business to be ready for the booming 2021, ask yourself these questions.Without further ado, here are the top 5 benefits of updating your website before 2021.
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| Artwork by our team at 1 Stop Coder |
The arguments for having payment function on websites have always been strong. But during the current pandemic, it has become a must-have. After all, comparing to getting a germ covered C note, your chance of contracting the Coronavirus through online payment is zero.
In 2020, website payment goes way beyond just a PayPal button. Thanks to modern web technology, developers like us are able to program any and all kinds of payments on your website. And we don't need to use any external links that will take the user engagement away from your domain.
We use Stripe for payment processing. On your website, we're able to program one-time payment, recurring subscription payment, order checkout page & even financing payments with flexible terms!
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Example of a checkout page
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Website design & user interface typically experience a generational change every 5 years. That's a short interval! If businesses don't make an active effort to redesign their websites promptly, consumers can get bored pretty easily. And in tech, there is really no such thing as "vintage". Newer is always better. I mean, do you still see people use Nokia phones...
To help you compare your website to the next-gen standard, here are 4 defining features of a next-gen design/user interface.
Dynamic. Things move on the most beautiful websites. Texts get animated. Icons get animated. Backgrounds get animated. Clicking, hovering, scrolling & selecting can all trigger animations. Thanks to modern JavaScript technology that made them possible. To experience this, just go to the home page of our website, and you'll find a bunch of really cool dynamic elements. A dynamic design is an eye-catching design, and that helps you attract visitors.
Interactive. Great websites retain their visitors by keeping them engaged. Nowadays users expect interaction when they hover over an icon, click on a button, scroll through a grid of elements etc. Take this article page for example. If you're viewing it on a full screen device, you should see a reading guide on the right. It automatically detects your screen position and highlights the section you're at. You can also click on any of the headings and go to the corresponding section. Features like this can wow your visitors and bring great convenience.
Minimalistic & Spacious. The leading consensus in the web development community is to make websites minimalistic and spacious. Look at Apple's, Google's & Facebook's website. Notice how they manage to space everything out so much, and keep screen content to a minimum. When you can use icons, don't use texts. When you can use a slideshow, don't dump out all the content. We find that consumers are increasingly growing sick of crowded and "noisy" sites.
Gradients, Drop Shadows & Grid Layout. The use of gradient colors instead of monotone colors. The use of drop shadows instead of plain borders. The use of grid layout instead of piling content one on top of another. These practices really solidified web design and user interface in the 2nd decade of the 21st century.
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| Gradient design |
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| Grid design |
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| Drop shadow design |
Things like mobile friendliness are so common, it's more of a minimum requirement rather than a trend.
Here is an example of a next-gen website: Stripe.com. Stripe is an industry leader in web-based payment solutions. We think their home page represents the pinnacle of website design, and it ticks all the boxes I listed above.
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| Stripe's home page as of 11/23/2020 |
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| Appointment booking widget |
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| A chat bot |
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| An accessibility widget |
