Emerging technology to consider when developing your website strategy
Photo by Andrea De Santis on Unsplash
It feels like this week, all the world is talking about is Artificial Intelligence or AI and the impact it will have on the world.
But AI isn’t a new thing. It’s been slowly creeping into our daily lives and it’s definitely here to stay.
It got me thinking, which other emerging technology has become part of my everyday work on website strategy and content development?
Emerging technology shaping website strategy development
Here are a few elements that have been impacting my development strategies over the past few years.
Voice Search
Voice search has become part of my everyday life. Especially with the kid’s impossible questions - do fish pee? or who’s the oldest person in the world?
The normalisation of voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, means optimising websites for voice search is becoming crucial.
As we become increasingly reliant on voice commands, website strategists need to adapt our content and SEO strategies to capture voice-based queries and provide relevant results.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Like the idea or not, AI technologies are transforming website strategy development.
AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants are improving and enhancing our user experiences by providing instant support.
AI-driven analytics and data processing enable a better understanding of user behaviour, proving personalised recommendations to support the quick pivot in strategy to improve conversion rates.
AI can also assist with content creation and optimisation and automating tasks to improve efficiency.
Mobile Optimisation
With an increasing proportion of internet users accessing websites through mobile devices, mobile optimisation has to be part of the website strategy.
Responsive design, mobile-friendly layouts, and fast loading times are critical in providing a seamless experience across different screen sizes and enhancing user engagement.
User Experience (UX)
Finally, user experience is something senior leaders now include in their everyday vocabulary.
Websites have always needed to prioritise intuitive navigation, fast page loading, clear calls-to-action, and visually appealing designs. But now it’s something the client asks for, instead of being persuaded to consider.
UX research and testing methodologies, such as user feedback and usability testing are now part of every website development project.
Personalisation
Personalised user experiences are becoming increasingly important. Tailoring content, product recommendations, and offers based on user preferences and behaviour can significantly improve engagement and conversion rates.
Data-driven personalisation strategies, powered by AI and machine learning algorithms, help deliver relevant and customised experiences to website visitors.
Accessibility
Accessibility, inclusivity and diversity representation are becoming top priorities in web strategy.
As well as web strategies considering accessibility standards, such as WCAG guidelines, features like alternative text for images, keyboard navigation, and proper colour contrast, ensuring equal access to websites are also inclusive for unseen disabilities.
Sum up
In the 20+ years I’ve been working in marketing communications, I’ve seen the rise (and occasional fall - remember MySpace?) of technology trends. Each of these has had an impact on human behaviour and the way we interact and digest information.
Who knows what tomorrow will bring?
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