There are over 1.24 billion websites today. So, you really need to go above and beyond to get your website noticed. Continuous upgrading of your website is a must, but some enhancements are more effective for getting one over your competitors.
The Best Website Enhancements to Make in 2018
1. Personalization Booster
Personalization has long been the main user demand. Today, search suggestions and chatbots, which address the user by name, aren’t enough. You’ll need advanced personalization tools, which run a thorough analysis of user interactions to predict their behavior.
When choosing the tool, pick one that performs all these tasks in real-time, like Optimizely. Note that a great solution should offer suggestions based not only on browsing history, but also add demographics, additional data, and various contextual clues into the equation.
2. Improved Hosting
If you want your website to grow and improve performance, choose a scalable hosting service package. Investing in a higher-quality fast hosting is sure to help boost conversions, as this will improve the website speed and security.
When choosing a hosting service, don’t rely on ‘top hosts’ listings with short reviews. Instead, look up detailed comparisons based on real tests. This will allow you to see strengths and weaknesses of every service, and consider them from the perspective of your business’ needs. For example, by the majority of ratings, Bluehost will be considered top service, compared to SiteGround, as it has a long history and an established reputation. Yet, a test-based SiteGround vs Bluehost comparison shows the former outperforms the latter in every category that matters. As performance is what you need from a web host, investing in a top-quality one is a priority.
3. Conversational UI Integration
It looks like 2018 will become the year of voice-controlled tech. However, only a few websites have built-in interaction with platforms like Echo (Amazon) or Google Assistant. This offers a great opportunity for website enhancements that will pay off beautifully.
Hire a developer to integrate Alexa Voice Service and Google’s Cloud Speech AI into your product. This task is best handled by professionals.
4. Predictive Analytics Tools Integration
Today, any brand can afford predictive analytics tools. When choosing one, you need to consider:
- Functionality (the more functions, the better, as this will allow you to use one tool instead of several)
- Reports (check if they will contain the exact data your business requires)
- Adaptability and ease of use (use tools that don’t require specialized training to use)
- Visualization options (check the solution’s demo to see if their interface is convenient for you to work with).
Using advanced predictive analytics tools will also boost your website’s personalization. Be creative in their application and include your target audience’s interests into the campaign design. For example, have your pop-up suggestions adjust, based on weather.
5. Bridge Between Online and Offline Experiences
The ‘be active even offline’ trend is only starting today, so the technology enabling it isn’t very good yet. You’ll need to discuss this matter with experienced website developers, who can think beyond the Application Cache for HTML5. Look into the Service Worker Offline Plugin to get a better idea of the currently available functionality. This type of website enhancement will provide a great boost, as it makes your pages available, even to those with limited connectivity.
Another way of bridging the online-offline gap is connecting your website to your brick-and-mortar store. For example, place barcodes near products, which shoppers can scan to get a detailed product description on your website. You also need to set up update features to provide real-time info on new or out-of-stock items, active promotions, complimentary services, etc. Tie these to geolocation, so the important reminders pop up at the right times.
