What’s New Online in 2016

There are some exciting tech trends predicted for 2016. I’m not referring to the “things” that most likely will happen, like HDR (high-dynamic range) TVs, virtual goggles, self-driving cars or wearables, but the things that small to medium-sized businesses should be looking at to make sure they are not left behind in the online world.

Websites

Outdated websites need to go! Google tells us that the first impression of a webpage happens in the blink of an eye (50 milliseconds) and that design, rather than content, shapes the perception of the website and, therefore, the brand it associates to.

The top three items that people look for in a website are:

1. Modern
2. Aesthetically pleasing
3. Easy to use

How do you know if your site is modern and aesthetically pleasing? Look at your competitors, the places that you like to visit and why you like those sites.

Mobile Websites

Do you remember Mobilegeddon? (and no, I didn’t make up that term) It was April of 2015 when Google let us know we had very little time to get our websites mobile-ready or they would be discounted by Google. By now everyone’s site should be mobile-ready, and if your site is not, you should do that as soon as possible.

How often are you on your smartphone? Tablet? Studies show that 87% of millennials admit to never being without their phone. Even more worrying for brands that don’t have a strong mobile presence is that 14% of millennials say they wouldn’t do business with a company that doesn’t have a mobile site or app. 14% in 2015 … what do you think that number will rise to in 2016?

Content on your website is still king.

Wait … didn’t Google just say that design, rather than content, was important? Not exactly. What they said was that design was the first impression. After people like your design and actually stay on your site, then they will read the content. Although keywords have been important in SEO (search engine optimization), content is becoming more important. Longer, more complex search queries are being performed on mobile devices. Everything is voice activated, and we are now talking in longer sentences when asking our devices to perform searches for us.

Content on a webpage will overtake keyword density this year as recent algorithm updates from Google has placed a premium on quality content over keyword optimization.

Everyone should have a WordPress site.

WordPress continues to be THE platform to use for your website. It is SEO friendly, easy to manage, robust and media friendly. Many of the top brands use WordPress to power their websites including, but not limited to, Time Magazine, Goodle, Facebook, Sony, Disney, LinkedIn, The New York Times, CNN, eBay and more. Don’t let a website designer talk you into anything else.

Videos

We know that pictures are worth 1,000 words … did you know that it’s been estimated that a video can be worth 1.8 million words? That’s what a recent Forrester study by Dr. James McQuivey has discovered. I’m really not surprised by that, are you? How many times do we visit a website to read an article and a video pops up. Videos are commonplace on your Facebook feed now, some videos starting to play before you even ask them to.

It’s not new to advise people to have a YouTube channel and then link those videos to your website from YouTube. Reminder: Google owns YouTube.

The Rise in the Important of Digital Assets – Facts:

1. Your website is your most important digital asset

2. Search Engine Optimization – organic search rankings can bring in 300% more traffic than social media

3. Social Media assets – grow and invest in your social network following – social media investments will double in the next few years

Unfortunately for all of us, that means spending money on ads throughout social media.

Ever wonder who controls your Facebook feed? A small team of engineers in Menlo Park.
While no one outside of Facebook knows exactly how their algorithms work (and they’re not talking), they have given us some insight into how posts get seen. Their master algorithm is really a collection of hundreds of smaller algorithms that make up what stories are shown to people. In addition, there are more than a dozen different versions of that master algorithm running in the world at any given time. Facebook has spent seven years working on improving its ranking algorithm, and I’m sure they’ll continue working on it. Forever.

An ad product is being developed by Twitter inserting tweets from everyday users into advertisers’ campaigns. This would be based on what Twitter is calling a “brand enthusiast gallery,” supposedly DM’ing the tweet author and asking permission on behalf of a brand to use their tweet. Discussions with Twitter are, of course, private.

Stay tuned for a new video editing software from Twitter, enabling advertisers to help create six-second video clips from any commercial and turn it into a Twitter ad. Also launched are “conversational ads” to target fans of a brand and entice them to interact with the advertising campaigns.

Is all of this confusing and frustrating? Utilizing a professional is more important than ever, and you should probably stop looking at advertising as an expense and start looking at it as an investment in the future of your online authority.

Nickey Hollenbach
Personal Touch Concierge Service, LLC
info@ptconciergeservice.com
www.ptconciergeservice.com