A web designer’s digital guide for 2019 and beyond
Web design in 2019
WordPress is still king of the CMS. Web design has stabilised. We know what works. In the beginning with the first websites there were technical reasons websites looked the way they did. Also a considerable amount of the first websites were designed by very technically minded people. Not so visually orientated. Bit by bit visually orientated designers got to take charge and UX standards were developed, websites have a common look now. Being responsive is a given. And while there will always be developments in web design, there will be no dramatic changes as there have been in the past.
This means brands need to do something to stand out. And if it’s not the website design, it needs to be the story telling.
SEO in 2019
SEO has developed in the last few years. There is a simple rule now for search engine optimisation, quality content over quantity or attempts at gaming SEO.
More and more of my websites have a few articles that are read many thousands of times per week, and eighty percent of the other blog content is virtually ignored.
So go back, and update the heavily read content from time to time. Re-post. Have a look at the older content that is not being read. Could it be improved, re-written, could a number of ‘failed’ posts be combined to create one successful, entertaining or enlightening post? If not, bin the dead wood, and concentrate on creating quality content in your niche.
One of the ways Google measure the quality is from, amongst other things, how long any visitors spend on the page. If people read it, Google will show it to more people.
Social media in 2019
Facebook is the tough one. The giddy highs of organic reach are a thing of the distant past. It’s a struggle to reach your own audience irrespective of the quality of your content. Facebook wants your money on sponsored posts.
Instagram still offers better value for money (for now), depending on your market. Linkedin is very niche. Twitter is very much hit or miss. I’ve noticed clients and companies I admire closing Facebook pages. I’m not sure it is so much Facebook that’s the problem, as being too thinly spread. It may be best to just concentrate on one social media you are comfortable in.
My advice, be ready for new social media companies appearing. There is so much more to develop in the social media world, it’s only a decade old. When new platforms appear, jump on them. The early period is where there will be the greatest results.
Iain Cameron is a web designer, graphic designer and illustrator. Here’s my portfolio.
