Author: Eric Bender

There are about one billion websites on the World Wide Web. Only about 200 million of those sites are active as most sites die after a couple months. As the number of websites continue to rise, as does the number of off-the-shelf website companies that promise to create a clean, modern website for your business for next to nothing.

At Clay and Group, we understand the impact and value behind creating a website that speaks to your brand’s mission and core objectives. Having a web page that stands out from your competitors is imperative to being successful. I have explored what you should expect out of top notch web pages going forward. Let’s dive into a few of the latest trends that will keep you ahead of the pack!

Sustainable, Functional Design

How often you should redesign your web pages? Most companies already have a webpage that represents them, but those same companies don’t always consider that the Internet evolves just as much as fashion trends. Making sure that your webpage is up to the latest standard is something that will help you stay on top of your game. These standards are things like creating more vivid and vibrant color schemes, using animation, having high definition photo and video, and keeping your website accessible. Your website should be redesigned or refreshed roughly every 3 years, or when you decide to make major changes to your company. You want to make sure that any company changes that you do at your company is reflected through your webpages.

Page Load Time

One thing to keep in mind when doing changes is that you want to make sure your webpage loads quickly. The more you continue to add to your webpages the longer it could take to load. 40 percent of users leave if a webpage takes more than three seconds to load, especially if your website isn’t mobile friendly.

Layout

There are endless ways that you can choose for website layout, but the best I’ve seen are informed by a robust user experience (UX) designer. You can go with the simple modular blank space look, where everything is white and simple but creative, or you can go with the bold colors to try to stand out. Either way, user testing and key insights from your site data must inform the layout. In general, using geometry and patterns are a great way to convey what kinds of emotions you want the user to feel depending on the design. As long as your layout represents your message in a clear way and is informed by data-driven assumptions, you have nothing but creativity at your disposal!

These are just a few of the key components of a great website. To learn more about what makes a great site, our team at C+G would be happy to chat. Drop us a line today.

There is a lot of buzz going on about Instagram’s new feature called “IGTV,” and if you’re anything like the team at C+G, you’re probably still warming up to the idea of using it. Video content isn’t anything new to the digital world.

So what sets IGTV apart from its competitors?

The Good

According to Instagram Press, it prioritizes the vertical video footage over the standard landscape videos. IGTV treats each profile as if it’s a channel on a television, giving the average user just 10 minutes of content per video. Verified users and large businesses are given up to an hour of footage per content created. It has created a way to let users create standalone video channels for longform video and have users interact directly with creators. That form of engagement is huge for users who enjoy the kind of interaction with (and access to) celebrities that Twitter possesses.

The Bad

It will be interesting to see how people use this platform to market their products and services. While IGTV opens potential opportunities to engage new audiences, YouTube is its unparalleled rival. Instagram also announced that it isn’t adding advertising components to IGTV right away, which seems like a missed opportunity to gain revenue as marketers are making larger investments in paid strategy.

The Opportunity

We don’t think IGTV was created to rival platforms like YouTube, but it does offer an alternative for behind-the-scenes content that feels for personal given how Instagram users interact with each other. Marketers should enjoy opportunities like having entertainment companies exclusively use IGTV as a source for its content, just like how Facebook is airing televisions shows from its site for its users. People can use this platform as if it they are running their own television network. As distrust in CEOs, politicians, and the media rises among Americans, it’s crucial to refine your strategy for owned and paid content as they may be the two most effective ways of reaching your target audience.

IGTV is still very new, and we’re interested in learning how others are using it. Let us know in the comment section below!

We’re about halfway into 2018, and one thing is clear: content remains king. What isn’t clear is the way entrepreneurs and small businesses go about crafting effective strategies given Facebook’s new algorithm and social media users’ thirst for minimal text. I recently came across an article describing 2018 content marketing trends and have pulled out three key insights.

Preserve content that works.

Having a robust amount of content is always a good thing, but the more content we produce the more time and money that will need to go into the project. Sometimes “old content” can be more effective than creating new content. It can reduce costs and time recycling ideas and assets.

Don’t waste your audience’s (already) limited time.

Consumers don’t have time to view a lot of content on websites. Having less is sometimes more from a consumer’s perspective. If I was a consumer looking at a website I would want to find the information I needed as quickly as possible. This is because I don’t have a long attention span and it’s safe to say a lot of others don’t either. Studies show that the more content there is the less engagement the project will have.

Visual content is worth a thousand likes.

Text-based marketing is starting to fade as new innovative ways to market are discovered. Think about reaching out to your customers with edited videos or live videos. Services like Facebook Video, Vyond, and Canva make it easier for non-technical users to create professional content. It is a daring move, but could be rewarding in your future projects. Also, how cool would it be to integrate voice searches with things like Amazon’s “Alexa.” Imagine someone saying, “Alexa, what is the best dog sitting company in my area,” then have your business come up in the search! Voice search has been big in 2018, and companies must partner with firms who know how to ensure their business is included in voice-activated search engines.