Looking ahead in 2013

The internet is evolving at an incredible pace and 2013 will be a year in which boundaries are pushed even further. We’ll look at the elements that will affect your business and give you the ‘need to knows’.

More internet devices than ever before

By the end of last year, almost a quarter of all internet use happened on mobile devices – a figure which is rising sharply and will continue to do so across 2013.

Whilst the desktop PC will always be an important tool, especially for those in offices, this trend means that mobile phones, iPads and tablets, and even TV screens are where an increasing number of people are going for their information.

Websites aren’t one-size-fits-all any more. What your customer needs whilst sat at his desk might not be the same as your customer who finds you on his phone. Your online presence needs to cater for everybody, or you risk turning away at least one in ten visitors – maybe as many as one in five by the end of the year.

Utilising video

Internet connections are getting faster all the time. Many cities now have 4G connections which means that even mobile downloads are lightning fast.

With this in mind, many websites are introducing video. It’s the perfect way to demonstrate your product. Text descriptions are important, and photos add another dimension – but a video of your newly launched car, office space to rent or delicious new food range will really whet the appetite and can easily change a potential customer to a paying customer.

More sales online

The amount of money spent online is rising rapidly, it’s an upward trend that seems to know no bounds. It increases every year and in December 2012, almost 3billion shopping trips in the UK took place online, and the internet accounted for one in every seven purchases.

Websites can no longer simply showcase a product, they need an ecommerce element which allows the customer to buy. Studies show that if your website talks about how great a product is but your competitor allows them to buy it, you’ll lose the sale to you competitor.

Better analytics

Websites aren’t just offering more to their visitors, they are getting better behind the scenes, too. Analytics are improving all the time – there are more tools than ever to let those who operate websites know who is visiting their site, why they’re there and what actions they took.

Sure, it’s great to know that your site was busy, but think how much more valuable it would be to know how they interacted – what’s working, what isn’t and what you can do better.

Services such as Google are offering ever-improving statistical resources, and by tuning in we can make your site work harder for you and produce better results every time a potential customer clicks on.