In an article yesterday on Mashable , five trends for web design for 2011 were highlighted, leaving many business owners, designers and marketing teams to think “Am I in a good position going into the New Year?”
Out of the list of 5, there were a few that stood out to me as incredibly important – things that need to be at the top of your holiday wish list (Santa, please deliver me websites better optimized for my Blackberry). Below are a few at the top of our lists.
#1 (tie) – Phase out Flash & Build Mobile Optimized Sites
If you aren’t already doing this, drop everything and do this now. While Flash sites look great, the biggest issue is that they aren’t compatible with mobile devices. Unless your business is in photography or videography, the “flashiness” of Flash can best be driven home by using other programming languages (JavaScript or CSS3). As the web becomes more and more accessible from smaller devices like mobile phones and tablets, making sure your site can be fully accessed.
If your business does have a Flash-only site, building out a mirror site in HTML is a non-negotiable. A simply built site in WordPress is what we suggest, as WordPress has numbers of plug-ins that will help optimize your site for a mobile device.
#2 – Website Overhaul
Have you checked out your website lately? Is it full of keywords? Can Google find it? You would be surprised to hear the answers we have heard. If Google isn’t finding your website, you need to get it found. Make sure photos on your site are tagged correctly so your site is being picked up in searches. If your total design needs a simple facelift, it is a lot easier than you think. There are dozens of affordable resources to accomplish elevating your website to a whole other level.
#3 – Social Media Plan
If you aren’t already engaged in a social media campaign, start thinking about it. Even if you feel you are not yet where you want to be to launch a full-scale effort, take the initial steps into securing your Facebook & Twitter name (squatters are out there!), and begin to look at your competition and see what they are doing. Their strategy may not be the same fit for you, but it will give you a good idea what others in your industry are doing. If you’re not ready to jump right in, at least suit up and dip a toe or two in.
What are some of your company’s New Year’s resolutions?
Elena is most excited about what Foursquare and WordPress hold for 2011. You can join her on Twitter @nittanycupcake
Good article, Elena. Thanks!