In the past, it might have been enough to simply put a webpage together, write some content, use a free template, and click publish. This works, right? Wrong. Today, web development is about so much more than just having a place to post your information online.
Most businesses know they need a website, but very few have the time or resources to develop a website that doesn’t just store information but adds real value. Websites today need to focus on the user experience as well as attracting the right customers. That’s where proactive web development comes in.
What is proactive web development? It’s a blend of technology, user experience, and marketing into a single project. Essentially, it’s an all-encompassing way to look at your web development as a business strategy from start to finish. In a world where users form an opinion about your website in 50 milliseconds, you can’t afford to optimize your development. How can you employ proactive web development for yourself?
Change Your Focus
Instead of thinking just about how your website looks, you also need to focus on how it works. More importantly, you need to ask how it strengthens your business. Yes, the design is important. A visually attractive website will help you attract the right clients and show professionality. However, it can’t stop the re.
You also need a website that’s functional. By functional, we mean a website that’s easy to navigate, easy to read, and prioritizes the information a customer is looking for. It also needs to load quickly and work correctly the first time.
Finally, you need to dive deeper to consider how your website helps your business. For instance, is there a clear call-to-action or does your website use other marketing tools like social media integration to make it more versatile in your overall strategy? These are all key mindset changes.
Create Value for Your Audience
A proactive web development process focuses on adding value. Once again, an attractive website is important, but that alone doesn’t offer value beyond the initial wow factor. What are you offering users that they can’t find anywhere else? How does it tie into your core values and goals?
One way to create value is to create content your users will connect with. For instance, you might have a frequently updated blog or an integrated email list that keeps your users engaged. In case you weren’t convinced, B2B marketers that use blogs are shown to have 67% more leads than those who don’t. You simply can’t afford to create quality content.
Think beyond on-page content. Offering downloads like lead magnets, free tools, and resources in your niche not only establishes you as an expert but also positions you to add even more value for your audience.
Use the Latest Technology
Last but not least, use the latest technology to your advantage. Users can tell when you’re operating an out-of-date website that lags behind the competition both in design and function. While it’s not realistic to expect 100% uptime, that doesn’t mean you can’t get as close as possible to this level of success.
By using Pingdom to set website alerts as well as working with your host regularly, you can ensure your website is performing properly. A sudden influx in traffic or spike in storage can send your website reading if you’re not prepared. Once again, it all comes down to being proactive, anticipating trends, and making the right technological changes.
Conclusion
Proactive web development is a new way to think about how your website exists as part of your entire business strategy. Customers today are savvier than ever. They can tell when a website has been quickly slapped together with a page builder or other simple system. That’s not to say you need to drop big bucks on a pricey design or hosting, but you do need to be forward-thinking with your efforts online.
Employing proactive web development takes all of the processes above. One alone isn’t enough to make an impact nowadays. Is your website proactive? If not, what can you do to change it?
