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The Latest Research for Web Designers, December 2020

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2020 has been an interesting year, to say the least. And although I’m sure many of you can’t wait until the calendar flips ahead to 2021, it doesn’t look as though we’re going to be able to say goodbye to 2020 so easily. Many of the changes we’ve had to make this year are now expected to stay with us — a least for the following year.

The latest research gives us some hints about what’s to come.

If you want to start preparing for 2021 now, then these reports and surveys from organizations like 99designs, Upwork, Content Marketing Institute, and McKinsey & Company are a must-read:

1. 99designs Reports on the Common Challenges Freelancers Faced in 2020

I don’t want to make 99designs’s Design Without Borders 2020 report sound like it’s all doom-and-gloom. Because it’s not.

That said, 2020 has been a rough year and it would be irresponsible for me not to acknowledge the challenges that all of us freelancers have encountered this year. This report is one of the few I’ve found that includes data on the major challenges freelancers have dealt with this year, including:

  • 36% have struggled to maintain a steady flow of work or a stable client base;
  • 27% had clients who cut their business budgets and, consequently, their freelancers’ workloads;
  • 26% had at least one project cancelled or indefinitely paused;
  • 22% have been ghosted by at least one client.

Beyond working more hours and hustling to find new clients all the time, what else can freelancers do to weather a business disruptor like COVID-19? There are a number of things.

For starters, it would be really helpful to have a crisis management plan for your finances. It would also be beneficial to refocus your efforts on finding clients who pay for the value you provide and not for the hours you spend building websites. Clients who see the value in what you do will be less likely to ghost or drop you at the first sign of trouble.

2. Upwork’s Survey Reveals Educational Opportunities for Freelancers

Upwork commissioned Edelman Intelligence to put together its very first Freelance Forward survey. The goal of the ensuing report was to shed light on the state of freelancing, how the pandemic has changed it, and what we can expect in the future as a result.

One of the data sets I think web designers should pay close attention to is this:

According to this survey, freelancers only spend about 52% of their time on billable work.

Now, one of the reasons why entrepreneurs and enterprise companies make so much money is because tasks are relegated to different team members. For instance, if a design agency owner is good at building relationships with prospects, they’re going to spend time on sales calls and managing social media. The day-to-day admin tasks would then get offloaded to virtual assistants and billable project work would go to designers, developers, writers, and so on.

But as a freelancer, you don’t have the ability to delegate and scale when you’re working solo.

Rather than burn yourself out trying to handle all these things yourself, the report suggests there’s something else you can do:

Although freelancers recognize how important soft skills and business skills are, the first data set suggests that not enough attention might be paid to them.

What I suggest is that you take a look at the division of your work hours. If you’re spending less than half of your time on billable work, it might be a good idea to strengthen your non-design skills. That way, things like marketing, contract preparation, and client management won’t consume so much of your time in the future and you can bill more.

3. CMI’s Annual Report Reveals Profitable Opportunities for Web Designers

Content Marketing Institute’s annual B2B Content Marketing Report is, once again, chock full of useful tidbits about the state of content marketing.

While a lot of the data is focused around marketing organizations and how they’ve pivoted during the pandemic, I thought this bit of info would be really helpful for web designers:

For those of you who design B2B websites, take note of where these companies plan to invest in 2021. If 2020 has been particularly hard on you, or you simply want to expand your horizons, there are some other opportunities worth jumping into:

B2B Marketing Investment => Web Designer Opportunity
Content creation => Blog graphic design, infographic design, and schema markup creation
Website enhancements => Website redesign, website audits
Content distribution => Social media ad design, Google ad design, schema markup creation
Getting to know audiences better => UX research, UX design
Customer experience => Chatbot/live chat development, support portal creation

4. McKinsey B2B Analysis Suggests That Digital Is Here to Stay

For those of you who’ve worked for a B2B sales organization before, you know how important in-person interactions are to them. It’s not as though they can just sell their products or services online the way B2C ecommerce companies can. The key to B2B success is through customer (and partner) relationship building.

Prior to 2020, this meant lots of in-person meetings, phone calls, and emails. But something has changed this year, on both sides of the fence.

This chart from McKinsey suggests that digital relationship building and customer service aren’t just a temporary solution for COVID-19. B2B decision-makers are coming around to the idea that this is going to be their “next normal” (as McKinsey refers to it).

These new “go-to-market models” include the following:

  1. Talk to prospects, customers, and partners via video calls;
  2. Digital self-service options for customers who prefer the DIY method.

As a web designer, you can help your B2B clients level up their efforts to achieve this next normal.

For starters, you can integrate scheduling into their websites. This’ll empower prospects to schedule video meetings (for demos, discovery calls, etc.) with your clients’ sales teams.

Another thing you can do is build out self-service elements like live chat or chatbots, FAQs pages, knowledgebases, and support portals. As consumers become more confident with doing business online, these self-service options will make a world of difference in their experience with brands.

Wrap-Up

I know, I know. 2020 sucked. But at least we have a good amount of research and experience that gives us a much clearer idea of what we’re getting ourselves into with the coming year. (At least, I hope so.)

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Branding 101: How to Get Your Design Business Online

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You’ve named your business. You’ve sorted out the visual branding piece. Now, it’s time to get your business online so you can start making money.

In this post, we’re going to look at where your web design business needs to set up shop online and how to get it up and running quickly.

Step 1: Set Up Your Website

As a web designer or developer, having a website is non-negotiable.

Not only does a website provide prospective clients with all the information they need about you, it can help you automate many of those annoying tasks that get in the way of your actual paid work.

So, let’s start here:

Buy Your Domain Name

If you haven’t done so already, use the business name generator exercise to come up with a domain name. You then have a couple of options for buying it.

To Do:

  • Buy it from a domain name provider like GoDaddy or Domain.com;
  • Or buy it from your web hosting company;
  • Check the next step to see which option makes the most sense for you.

Choose a CMS

Use the same CMS as the one you’ll use to build your clients’ sites. That way, clients don’t wonder why you’d use something like Squarespace for your site, but then recommend WordPress for theirs, for example.

To Do:

  • If you use a self-hosted CMS (like WordPress, Drupal, or Joomla), hold on this until you purchase your web hosting;
  • If you use a hosted CMS (like Wix, Squarespace, or Shopify), you won’t need to do the next step. Instead, just sign up for your website builder and buy your domain name now.

Buy Your Web Hosting

If you’re wondering what the difference is between the various types of web hosting, read this post.

Basically, this is what you’re looking for:

  • A hosting company with a good reputation that provides expert and timely support;
  • An affordable starter plan — either shared or cloud hosting;
  • Server locations near you (at the very least, in the same country as you);
  • Top-notch security features at the server level as well as the physical hosting facility;
  • Caching and other speed optimizations built into the server and on-site equipment;
  • Compatibility with your CMS (look for one-click install, too).

Also, look for add-ons like SSL certificates, CDNs, and, of course, a free domain name.

To Do:

  • Sign up for the hosting plan you want along with your domain name and SSL certificate (this is a must for SEO);
  • Install your CMS from the control panel once you’re ready to go.

Build Your Website

Ultimately, you have two goals here:

  1. To build a website that convinces prospective clients that you’re the real deal;
  2. To build a website that prospects would want for themselves.

So, there’s no need to go crazy with outlandish features or futuristic animations and design. Keep it simple. Keep it neat. And give prospects an honest portrayal of who you are, and what you can do for them.

Design It

The first thing to do is take all that work you did to create your visual branding and use it to design your website.

If you’re building a WordPress website, consider starting with one of these multipurpose themes.

Build Out the Pages You Need

A theme will automatically create the pages you need (most of them, anyway). If you’re not sure which ones to start with, these are the ones your prospects are going to be looking for:

You may also want to add separate pages for Testimonials and Case Studies once you’ve accumulated enough of them to show off. For now, you can include samples of your work in the Portfolio page and testimonials on the Home page.

Fill in the Content

Even if writing isn’t your strong suit, that’s okay. So long as the content you write for your site is free of spelling and grammar errors, your prospective clients are going to focus on what you’re telling them, not on how proficient a writer you are.

That said, if you’re nervous about this piece of your website, here are some tips to help you out:

1. Be concise, it’s not just minimal design that goes over well with modern audiences. Minimal copy does, too.

2. Be transparent. Tell prospects what exactly they can expect when they work with you and why your web design services are going to be different from the competition.

3. Consumers don’t trust companies that use meaningless buzzwords and make empty claims. Instead, focus on writing about the real and very competitive skills you have. According to research from NIDO Student, these are the skills employers look for when hiring a designer:

4. Let your images tell some of the story for you. Just make sure you use (or create) images that will impress your audience.

5. After you’ve written your content, take a step back and tackle the structure and formatting from a designer’s POV.

6. Before you hit the “Publish” button, run your copy through Hemingway Editor to ensure your content is error-free.

Add the Right Features

When I talk about features, I’m referring to anything outside the main design and content on your website. These are usually sales and marketing tools like:

  • Chatbot/live chat
  • Contact forms
  • Pop-ups or notification banners
  • Discovery call scheduler
  • Cookies consent notice

Only add the features you absolutely need. In other words, the features that will automate the marketing and sales tasks you’d otherwise have to manage on your own.

Step 2: Optimize Your Website for Search Engines

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a very important part of the work you do to get your business online. Here’s why:

After you launch your business and website, the next thing you’re going to focus on is getting clients. This can take a lot of work as you pore over the following resources for referrals and leads:

  • Your existing contact list (i.e. family, friends, old employers, colleagues, etc.);
  • Freelance job boards;
  • Industry-specific job boards;
  • Social media posts, pages, and groups;
  • Google search results for “we’re hiring”;
  • And so on…

And when you’re not busy cold-emailing prospective clients or talking to them on the phone, you’re probably going to be working on your business’ processes. Running a business is very time-consuming.

So, what happens when you finally start working on website projects? It’s not like the client search ends there. It’s an ongoing thing. Which is why your website needs to be optimized for search.

Once your site gets indexed by Google and starts to generate authority, your pages will rank better and the increased visibility will start generating leads without you having to actively make the first move.

SEO is a huge topic, so I’m not going to cover it here. However, the links below will do a good job of guiding you towards your next steps.

To Do:

Step 3: Get Active on Social Media

Your website is going to play a lot of roles:

  • Digital business card;
  • Authority builder;
  • Marketing vehicle;
  • Sales platform;
  • Content marketer.

But there’s one very critical thing it can’t do and that’s directly converse with your audience and grow your network. This is why you need to spend time building out your social media once your website is good to go.

As for which social media platforms to use (as there are way too many), here are my thoughts:

Become an authority on Twitter.

Twitter is a good place to share daily thoughts and interesting content you’ve found on the web.

Get discovered on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is useful because it’s another place to get noticed by potential employers, so make sure your relevant work experience and portfolio are up-to-date.

Connect with other creatives on Facebook.

It’s really hard to get noticed on Facebook unless you pay to play. Instead, use it to find groups that you can turn to for support, referrals, and brainstorming.

Share your work on Dribbble.

While you could use Instagram or Pinterest to show off your work, you might get more traction on a design-specific platform like Dribbble. Serve as inspiration for others and potentially get discovered by prospects looking for designers there.

Down the line you might decide to expand your business into recurring revenue opportunities like online courses. In that case, a platform like YouTube would be great. For now, focus your efforts on the main ones above.

To Do:

  • Create your social media accounts;
  • Brand them to match your website — both the visual component as well as the bio;
  • Start sharing content on a regular basis. You can automate sharing with a social media management tool, but remember to log in at least a couple times a week so you can engage with others, too;
  • Be careful not to commit these social media faux pas.

Wrap-Up

I realize this is a ton of information to throw at you. However, if you want to get your new business online and for it to succeed, you need to maximize the opportunities that are available to you.

I hope this three-part guide to starting a new business has been helpful. If you have any questions on the tips provided along the way, let me know in the comments.

 

Featured image via Pexels.

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Source de l’article sur Webdesignerdepot

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SAP conforte sa position de leader dans les indices de durabilité du Dow Jones

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WALLDORF – Pour la 14ème année consécutive, SAP SE (NYSE : SAP) a été désignée leader du secteur des logiciels au Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI). SAP a dépassé ses scores des années précédentes et a creusé l’écart par rapport à ses pairs du secteur, malgré les défis causés par la pandémie.

SAP a obtenu 74 points sur 100 (2019 : 69) au score global, soit cinq points de plus que l’entreprise classée en deuxième position. SAP a amélioré sa valeur de percentile dans 15 des 20 catégories par rapport à 2019, notamment en matière de « sécurité de l’information/cybersécurité et disponibilité des systèmes », d’« attraction et de rétention des talents » et de « rapports environnementaux ».

Cette évaluation souligne les efforts déployés par SAP pour mettre en place une stratégie de cloud fiable et conforme, en valorisant les employés comme son atout le plus important et en améliorant ses capacités de reporting interne. Cette année, 83 entreprises du secteur des logiciels ont participé, soit plus du double par rapport à l’année dernière. SAP a également amélioré sa notation dans les trois dimensions principales :

  • Gouvernance et économie : 65 (2019 : 61)
  • Environnement : 87 (2019 : 83)
  • Social : 81 (2019 : 73)

« Nous sommes fiers de notre classement au Dow Jones Sustainability Indices. Cela nous prouve une fois de plus que nous avons une responsabilité particulière en tant que leader de la durabilité dans l’industrie du logiciel », a déclaré Luka Mucic, directeur financier et membre du conseil d’administration de SAP SE. « Cela nous pousse à redoubler d’efforts auprès de nos clients pour leur fournir des solutions destinées à leur transformation durable, afin que nous puissions tous ensemble construire une économie plus inclusive et plus régénératrice ».

Créés en 1999 par la société de gestion d’investissements RobecoSAM, les DJSI sont les plus anciens indices de référence mondiaux en matière de durabilité. Ils sont cotés en bourse depuis leur création. Basé sur l’évaluation de la durabilité des entreprises (Corporate Sutainability Assessment, CSA) de SAM, le DJSI fournit une analyse des performances économiques, environnementales et sociales des entreprises. Ils comprennent des critères de durabilité généraux ainsi que spécifiques à chaque secteur pour chacune des 60 industries définies selon l’Industry Classification Benchmark (ICB).

En 2020, la solide performance environnementale, sociale et de gouvernance (ESG) de SAP a également été reconnue par d’autres notations ESG. SAP est restée présente dans la série d’indices FTSE4 Good Index et dans les indices Euronext Vigeo Eiris (Europe 120 et Eurozone 120). SAP a de nouveau été reconnue comme un leader ESG par MSCI Inc. (anciennement Morgan Stanley Capital International), qui lui a attribué la meilleure note, soit « AAA ». Et pour la première fois, SAP a figuré dans le nouveau classement du Wall Street Journal des 100 entreprises les mieux gérées sur le plan du développement durable.

Reconnaissant l’importance croissante des performances ESG non seulement pour son activité, mais aussi pour la réussite de ses clients, SAP fait du pilotage et du reporting holistique un domaine d’action essentiel. Grâce à son programme Climate 21 et à d’autres programmes axés, par exemple, sur l’économie circulaire, SAP propose des offres qui aident ses clients à améliorer leurs propres performances en matière de développement durable. Le rapport interne de SAP reflète sa conviction que les entreprises peuvent mesurer leur succès de manière plus globale grâce à de nouvelles pratiques comptables qui relient les impacts économiques, sociaux et environnementaux. SAP a également rejoint des initiatives internationales telles que celles de la Value Balancing Alliance e.V. et des initiatives locales telles que QuartaVista, un projet financé par le gouvernement allemand qui vise à standardiser les mesures générales de l’impact des entreprises.

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SAP lance SAP Upscale Commerce pour permettre aux PME de créer rapidement leur boutique en ligne

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Levallois, le 25 novembre 2020 – SAP France annonce aujourd’hui la disponibilité d’une nouvelle plateforme e-commerce, nouvelle génération, destinée aux PME souhaitant développer rapidement un site e‑commerce : SAP Upscale Commerce. La solution permet de déployer rapidement des vitrines intelligentes sur mobile et sur le web pour chercher de nouveaux revenus et créer de nouvelles expériences clients.

« SAP Upscale Commerce apporte une solution efficace pour les petites et moyennes structures dans un environnement social et économique bousculé par une crise sanitaire. Une ou deux semaines maximum suffisent pour mettre en ligne un site e-commerce pensé pour un usage mobile et omni-canal. Avec cette solution, nous souhaitons accompagner les PME dans leur transformation numérique dans une période critique », explique Lahcen Binoumar, Directeur des Ventes PME, SAP France.

Flexibilité et rapidité : deux attributs essentiels de la solution SAP Upscale Commerce.

Partant du constat que les consommateurs accordent de plus en plus d’importances aux expériences simples de consommation et s’attendent à pouvoir faire leurs achats sur tous leurs appareils ou canaux, SAP a développé une plate-forme agile qui permet aux marques et aux commerces de créer des expériences d’achat simples, rapides et à moindre coût.

La solution SAP Upscale Commerce, solution en mode SaaS, permet à ses utilisateurs de lancer des nouveaux produits, tester des marchés et boutiques éphémères grâce à des applications optimisées et intuitives pouvant combiner des achats en ligne et en magasin pour des expériences d’achat multicanales. SAP Upscale Commerce bénéficie d’une gestion avancée grâce à l’Intelligence Artificielle permettant aux clients de profiter d’une expérience d’achat unique et engageante tout en maximisant la rentabilité et les ventes pour la marque ou le détaillant. La solution offre un « mobigramme » : une vitrine personnelle alimentée par l’intelligence artificielle qui optimise dynamiquement l’assortiment de produits pour chaque visiteur.

Les principaux avantages sont :

  • La création et le déploiement de boutique en quelques clics, sans code.
  • Une approche de commerce multi-canal pour offrir une expérience contextuelle, personnalisée et transparente, et ainsi maximiser les profits.
  • Une expérience de boutique connectée au back-office, tout en testant de nouveaux concepts de commerce rapidement, à moindre coût.

 

Une expérience optimisée permettant de réaliser des profits.

La solution est construite à l’aide de la technologie cloud-native sur une architecture de micro-services pilotés par API. Cette configuration permet une grande flexibilité dans son déploiement et une adaptabilité à tous les environnements. Ainsi, elle peut être autonome, déployée comme une extension complémentaire avec d’autres solutions existantes, via son propre système de gestion de commande ou encore par un système de gestion de commande existant. SAP Upscale Commerce permet de réduire le temps de déploiement sur le marché et le coût total de possession, et de proposer des expériences d’achat à profit optimisé grâce à :

  • Un déploiement rapide et sans code pour proposer des expériences d’achat réussies.
  • Un environnement SaaS multi-tenant, toujours en service et continuellement mis à jour.
  • Une technologie intégrée permettant un merchandising intelligent, une personnalisation, une gestion des commandes distribuées et la vente en continu.

 

SAP Upscale Commerce : un accompagnement sur-mesure en période de crise sanitaire.

SAP accompagne depuis des années les PME, les startups dans leurs développements et s’intéresse particulièrement à l’impact de la crise sanitaire tant sur ses collaborateurs que sur l’expérience utilisateur**. Pour chaque étape du parcours, SAP met à disposition une assistance technologique à distance et un portail en libre-service composé d’experts sectoriels, de consultants et d’ingénieurs support afin d’offrir à l’utilisateur un plan de soutien et des supports complets, des stratégies d’innovation et de connaissances techniques et sectorielles approfondies. De plus, les utilisateurs se concentrent sur leurs métiers et la relation client grâce à la gestion du centre de données réalisée par SAP.

** Etude retail, Odoxa x SAP,  Customer Data Platform

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Vers une vraie logistique responsable ?

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Comment assurer des livraisons dans des délais toujours plus serrés, tout en maîtrisant son impact sur la société et la planète ? Une meilleure exploitation des données peut aider à allier les impératifs d’agilité, de résilience et de responsabilité environnementale et sociale.

Dans le secteur du transport, les impacts sociaux et environnementaux restent encore mal pris en compte. Et pourtant, les travaux du Grenelle II auraient dû favoriser l’émergence d’une industrie du transport plus vertueuse.

« Ce texte misait sur la bonne volonté des acteurs du secteur, mais sans mettre en place le minimum nécessaire de contrôles, d’obligations, voire de sanctions, regrette Philippe Mangeard, président et fondateur de l’agence de notation du transport TK’Blue. Résultat, moins de 15 % des opérateurs du secteur jouent aujourd’hui le jeu. »

Problème, les donneurs d’ordres que sont les entreprises oublient souvent le maillon transport dans leur calcul d’impact environnemental et sociétal. « Et pourtant, le transport peut représenter entre 10 % et 40 % de l’empreinte globale d’une entreprise », rappelle Philippe Mangeard.

Prendre en compte l’expérience client

Avec l’économie d’expérience, la logistique ne peut être mise de côté. En effet, même si une entreprise fait le maximum pour satisfaire son client, une livraison mal réalisée (retard, produit abîmé…) réduira tous ses efforts à néant. La problématique est d’autant plus difficile à résoudre que le client devient de plus en plus exigeant : il veut être livré rapidement, mais tout en disposant d’informations claires sur les méthodes de livraison, lui permettant ainsi – s’il le souhaite – d’opter pour un mode de transport responsable.

« Du côté des entreprises, des technologies permettent d’optimiser le chargement des camions, les trajets et les plans de transport, même si l’on peut regretter qu’elles ne soient pas encore très répandues, analyse Alexis Fournier, directeur AI Strategy chez Dataïku. Mais côté client, la technologie ne suffira pas : des initiatives globales sont nécessaires. »

Sous l’impulsion des clients, des acteurs de la grande distribution, certains industriels et des géants du web, comme Amazon, commencent à se pencher sur cette question. Un standard est en train de naître, lequel permettra de définir un cahier des charges précis dédié au transport.

Savoir exploiter les données

L’optimisation du transport passe plus que jamais par la data : les ordres de transport, bien évidemment, mais également des données de terrain, comme la position des camions, la télémétrie des véhicules, voire de l’IoT, pour suivre avec plus de précision encore les colis. Bien exploitées, ces données vont permettre de maximiser le remplissage des camions et d’optimiser les plans de transport.

À ceci s’ajoutent des données tierces : calendrier des vacances scolaires, données météo, conditions de circulation… « Ces informations viennent nourrir le jeu de données d’origine et permettent d’améliorer la qualité des prévisions », explique Alexis Fournier. Le Machine Learning peut alors aider à anticiper la variabilité de la demande ainsi que les difficultés de livraison. Et éviter ainsi que certains camions ne rentrent partiellement chargés, un phénomène redouté lors des opérations de livraison à domicile. »

Afin de maximiser le remplissage des camions, une logique de réseau doit également voir le jour, pour mettre en commun les capacités de transport, y compris entre compétiteurs. Mais pour concrétiser cette notion de mutualisation des moyens, il est impératif que la donnée circule.

Débloquer les données des opérateurs

Grâce à des solutions intelligentes, comme celles de SAP, Microsoft ou Dataïku, les entreprises sont prêtes pour une exploitation des données de transport. À condition toutefois que celles-ci remontent ! Les grands opérateurs du monde du transport tardent en effet à ouvrir leurs données.

Comment une entreprise peut évaluer ses émissions globales, si elle ne connaît pas le mode de transport utilisé ? Entre un camion et une camionnette, les nuisances peuvent en effet être multipliées par 40. De plus, 20 % à 30 % des camions tournent à vide et un pourcentage non négligeable de véhicules s’avère trop polluant face aux normes actuelles. Sans ces informations, le producteur, comme le consommateur, avancent à l’aveuglette.

Mais le marché s’est subitement renversé en 2020, avec une offre de transport devenue supérieure à la demande. L’occasion pour les donneurs d’ordres de choisir leurs transporteurs en fonction de leur capacité à faire remonter des données de terrain. « Libérez la data, plaide Philippe Mangeard. Les plates-formes de traitement des données sont en place et la conjoncture fait que les entreprises sont aujourd’hui en position d’exiger la remontée de ces informations de terrain. Lorsque ce sera le cas, tout le monde sera gagnant, prédit le président de TK’Blue. »

En savoir plus sur la gestion de la chaîne logistique

 

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How to Make Hyper-Personalization in Web Design Work For You

Personalization; it’s probably one of the most important design trends to emerge in recent years.

As consumers in all industries become more demanding, they’re increasingly searching for online experiences that are customized to suit their individual needs and expectations.

Today, personalization exists in virtually every digital interaction, from adverts on social media to PPC campaigns and email marketing efforts.

Used correctly, the manipulation of demographic, behavioral, and other in-depth user-data can help designers to create dynamic, highly customized content for each website user. At the same time, these unique websites ensure that designers really make an impact on behalf of their clients, outshining the competition and driving amazing results.

What is Hyper-Personalization?

Basic personalization in web design involves making changes to a design based on what you know about your client’s target audience.

For instance, if you knew that you were designing for an audience that spends more time on their smartphone than their computer, you’d concentrate on building hyper-responsive experiences for small screens. For instance, the Canals-Amsterdam.nl website is specifically designed to support people using smartphones to swipe, tap, and scroll.

If you’re aware that your customer’s target market is other businesses, you might put more testimonials, free demo CTAs and other enticing components on the website to encourage investment.

Hyper-Personalization is an emerging trend for 2020 that focuses on going beyond the basic understanding of a target audience, to look at genuine customer data. Hyper-personalization is all about leveraging in-depth omnichannel data to drive more advanced customer experiences on every page of a website.

For hyper-personalization to be genuinely effective, designers need access to virtually unlimited data, from CMS systems, sales teams, marketing experts, and more. When you have that data handy, you can use it to:

  • Design websites that showcase dynamic CTAs, featuring content relevant to each user;
  • Implement sign-in screens for customers vs. demo requests for new leads on home pages;
  • Showcase products similar to past pages when repeat customers return to a site.

Why is Hyper-Personalization Important?

Personalized experiences have always been important to the sales journey.

However, in an era where companies are constantly competing to grab user attention, you can’t just cater to your site designs to a group of people anymore. Increasingly, users are expecting specific interactive moments on websites, made just for them.

Amazon is an obvious example to consider here. As one of the world’s leading online shopping sites, Amazon’s efforts with website personalization are incredible. The Amazon website uses tools integrated into the back-end of the marketplace to watch everything a customer does on its platform.

As users browse through the website, the site jots down each category that you look at, and which items interest you. Thanks to this, Amazon can suggest which products you may be most interested in.

Websites like Madebyhusk also offer an incredible insight into hyper-personalization, allowing users to browse for the products that appeal to them based on in-depth filters like edging and color.

The result is a higher chance of conversion.

When customers feel as though they have complete control over their buyer journey, and that each step on that journey is tailored to them, they’re more likely to buy.

Better Converting CTAs

A call to action is an excellent way to move things along when you’re encouraging the buying process with your target audience.

Used correctly, your CTAs can encourage more than just cart conversions. They can also convince people to sign up for your newsletter via a subscription form, take a survey, or begin a free demo.

Regardless of the CTAs that you choose to implement, personalization will quickly make your requests more effective. According to studies, CTAs that are personalized are 202% more effective than generic alternatives.

For instance, Byhumankind.com uses a crucial statement: “Great personal care products don’t have to come at earth’s expense.” Followed by an engaging CTA to drive positive action from their audience. The company knows that they’re appealing to a customer interested in saving the planet, so they make the benefits of “Getting Started” obvious immediately.

Using data provided by clients, designers can figure out exactly how to position CTAs and offers for customers. For instance, notice that Humankind has a green colored CTA button.

Most buttons take advantage of bold colors like red and orange, but the green shade for Humankind further highlights the nature-driven personality of the brand.

Relevant Product Recommendations

Repeat customers are infinitely more valuable than people who purchase just one item from your site.

However, convincing a standard customer to become a repeat client isn’t easy. Sometimes, clients need a push to determine what they want to buy next.

Fortunately, as a website designer, you can help with that. Using dynamic modules in the product pages of your customer’s website, you can show individual end-users what they might want to purchase next from a specific brand.

These dynamic modules can use information about what each customer has purchased in the past, to suggest a new product or service. Amazon do particularly well in this regard, leveraging a vast marketplace and treasure trove of information to make quality recommendations. But you don’t need to be designing a considerable website for a global business like Amazon to take advantage of dynamic suggestions. Any business with a focus on hyper-personalization can benefit from this strategy.

Increased Time on Site

Any form of personalization on a website can significantly improve the amount of time a customer spends in that digital environment.

Imagine walking into a restaurant that seems as though it was designed specifically for you. The décor, the seating arrangements, and even the menu are customized to your taste. You’re more likely to spend your time and money there than on any generic food place you find on the street.

The same rules apply to website design. The more hyper-personalized you can get with your client’s design, based on what you know about their customers, the easier it will be to keep customers engaged.

For instance, the WarnerMusic.no website entices visitors with various high-quality images of popular bands and artists, before providing them with endless information about the brand and what it does. The designer of this site knew that it needed to appeal to the visual demands of the audience first, before offering useful information like featured artist lists, News, and blog posts to keep the users on site.

Hyper personalization is all about figuring out what kind of end-user you’re designing for, so you can build the digital environment that’s more engaging and compelling to them. Some designers even create dynamic pages that change depending on whether a customer is a repeat client or a new visitor.

Improved Loyalty and Affinity

Finally, it’s human nature that we all want to spend time with the people that treat us best.

We all value excellent customer service, which is why customer experience is the most significant differentiating factor for any organization today.

Web-based personalization works in a similar way. When you use your design tools to make the site experience that you give to each visitor warm, individualized, and welcoming, then your clients are sure to see a boost in customer loyalty.

Around 89% of consumers say that they’ll only consider buying from brands that care about them. As a designer, you can convince every website visitor that they’re going to get the experience they deserve. Just look at how TheHappyHero.com instantly lets clients know that they can expect a fun and friendly interaction on every page.

Accessing useful data from the companies that you’re working with before you begin developing and designing a website could be the key to creating happier customers and higher conversions.

The more delighted end-users are with the experience that a website gives them, the happier that your client will be with you – increasing the impact of your design portfolio.

If you can create customer loyalty and affinity for your client, then you will be able to develop the same feelings between yourself and your client. This could mean that you earn more recommendations as a designer and build your position as a leader in the industry.

Hyper-Personalization is Crucial for 2021

As companies continue to worry about how they can safely use data without crossing the line when it comes to customer privacy, hyper-personalization has stayed just out of the mainstream. While it may be a while before we see every website designer starting their process with piles of in-depth data, it seems that we are heading in that direction.

Customers in 2021 and beyond will undoubtedly want a more advanced and customized experience from the brands that they interact with – particularly in an era where it’s becoming much easier to deliver meaningful moments online.

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L’expérience client future : les valeurs déterminent la valeur

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La transparence numérique transforme les décisions des clients (autrefois considérées comme des choix personnels ou esthétiques) en choix moraux.

L’essor des décisions d’achat morales

Avant, les clients prenaient des décisions en fonction de critères comme la qualité et l’utilité. Aujourd’hui, ils se basent de plus en plus sur les valeurs et actions de l’entreprise.

Considérons cela comme l’essor des décisions d’achat morales.

Les réseaux sociaux et plateformes numériques permettent aux entreprises de savoir de manière rapide et transparente ce qui importe le plus aux clients. Les nouvelles tendances mode, par exemple, se propagent à travers le monde en seulement quelques heures, et non plusieurs jours ou semaines. Les réseaux sociaux aident aussi les clients à interagir facilement les uns avec les autres, où qu’ils soient dans le monde, du moment qu’ils partagent les mêmes croyances et idéologies.

Les plateformes technologiques ont donné naissance à une prise de conscience mondiale sur des problématiques internationales comme le changement climatique, la violence et les droits de l’Homme. Parallèlement, les réseaux sociaux et technologies numériques offrent une transparence toujours plus grande sur les opérations des entreprises, permettant ainsi aux clients de se renseigner plus facilement sur leurs valeurs. Les clients se tournent ensuite vers les marques et produits qui incarnent leurs valeurs.

Accroître la transparence numérique aide les clients à évaluer les valeurs des entreprises à travers trois grandes catégories :

Les valeurs esthétiques

Elles influencent le plaisir et le mécontentement que nous procurent différentes choses comme la musique, la mode et le design. Les plateformes sociales diffusent les choix esthétiques des gens plus loin et plus vite, ce qui accélère comme jamais les tendances en matière d’esthétique.

Les valeurs personnelles

Elles déterminent les sentiments relatifs à la santé, au mode de vie et aux relations. Les clients s’attendent à ce que les entreprises adaptent leurs produits à leurs valeurs personnelles, d’autant que la personnalisation est de plus en plus facile.

Les valeurs morales

Comme l’honnêteté, l’équité et la compassion. Elles définissent ce que les individus pensent être bon ou mauvais. L’alignement des marques sur les valeurs morales joue un rôle de plus en plus important dans les décisions des clients.

***

Les plateformes sociales sensibilisent davantage aux défis humains à travers le monde, tels que l’accès à la nourriture et à l’eau, le changement climatique et la violence. Cette prise de conscience donne plus de poids aux valeurs morales dans les décisions des clients. Par exemple, si l’on choisissait avant nos chaussures pour des raisons esthétiques, aujourd’hui, nous entendons davantage mettre fin au travail forcé et marquer une différence.

La transparence incite les entreprises à prendre position. Les clients réalisent que, grâce à leur pouvoir d’achat, ils peuvent inciter les entreprises (voir « Des marchés aux communautés ») à soutenir clairement les valeurs qui leur tiennent à cœur. Les deux tiers des consommateurs affirment qu’ils soutiendront les entreprises qui, selon eux, font une différence positive dans la société (1). Et un nombre croissant de consommateurs condamnent les entreprises dont ils ne partagent pas les valeurs –(2). Il ne fait aucun doute que, pour les entreprises, les enjeux sont énormes et ne cessent de croître.

Pour aligner votre entreprise sur les décisions d’achat morales :

Comprenez les valeurs morales du marché

Les entreprises doivent intégrer en profondeur les valeurs morales de leur marché cible dans la conception de leurs produits et fournir aux clients des moyens de partager ces valeurs en faisant des déclarations. Mettez en avant et exprimez vos valeurs à chaque étape de l’expérience, de l’emballage ou des matériaux indiquant l’origine du produit, jusqu’aux scorecards numériques reflétant l’engagement de l’entreprise à l’égard de causes majeures.

Appliquez les valeurs morales à toute l’entreprise

Les clients savent si les entreprises sont sincères. Tirez parti des technologies émergentes pour assurer la transparence sur les sources d’approvisionnement, les conditions de travail, l’impact environnemental et la gérance adaptée des communautés locales. Par exemple, la blockchain peut aider à garantir la conformité au sein des réseaux de fournisseurs.

Prenez position ensemble

Revendiquez des positions claires et publiques sur des questions qui préoccupent collaborateurs et clients. Élaborez des programmes qui encouragent les partenariats sur une mission commune, et utilisez des plateformes numériques pour accroître l’impact. Par exemple, les compteurs intelligents des services publics entendent aider les clients à économiser l’énergie. Les programmes de type « Buy one, give one » intègrent le partenariat directement dans la transaction.

Faites de vos clients de vrais héros

Communiquez le succès en mettant l’accent sur l’impact produit par les clients et sur le rôle de soutien de votre entreprise. Développez des plateformes qui permettent aux clients de voir directement leur impact. Par exemple, les capteurs IoT sont capables de surveiller l’utilisation d’un produit de sorte que les clients puissent partager leurs accomplissements sur les réseaux sociaux.

Publié en anglais sur insights.sap.com

Références :

(1) Raphael Bemporad, « Brand Purpose in Divided Times » (La mission d’une marque en ces temps incertains), BBMG, 5 octobre 2017, http://bbmg.com/brand-purpose-in-divided-times/.

(2) Britta Wyss Bisang, « Five Key Sustainability Trends for 2018 » (Cinq grandes tendances en matière de développement durable pour 2018), Ethical Corporation, 12 mars 2018, http://www.ethicalcorp.com /five-key-sustainability-trends-2018.

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Achats essentiels, circuits courts, canaux digitaux : les grands gagnants de l’étude Retail Covid-19 réalisée par SAP et Accenture

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SAP et Accenture dévoilent, dans un contexte de crise sanitaire, les résultats d’une étude comportementale pour décoder l’état d’esprit des consommateurs, identifier les évolutions concrètes en termes de circuit de distribution, de parcours d’achat et de critère de choix des produits et comprendre les attentes des Français vis-à-vis de leurs enseignes de distribution.

Les Français privilégient les dépenses essentielles

Depuis le début de la crise sanitaire, une réduction budgétaire s’est imposée. En effet, 78% des répondants reconnaissent être inquiets à propos des divers impacts de l’épidémie sur leur quotidien : une inquiétude d’abord sanitaire mais également économique. Cela explique que près de la moitié des répondants (48%) a réduit ses achats depuis le début de la crise.

L’étude révèle également que 57% des consommateurs expriment leur intention de reconsommer « autant qu’avant », parmi lesquels, près de la moitié déclarent toutefois vouloir « consommer mieux ». Un quart des Français ont au contraire exprimé l’intention de réduire leurs achats sur le long-terme, portés par une majorité de répondants ayant subi des répercussions professionnelles. Les intentions des Français concernant les catégories de dépenses varient : les dépenses « essentielles » comme l’alimentaire seront maintenues alors que les dépenses « non essentielles » comme les voyages seront réduites.

Les circuits de distribution alternatifs et les canaux digitaux sont de plus en plus plébiscités par les Français

L’étude souligne une transition partielle vers des achats en circuits courts, en commerces de proximité ou de seconde main. En effet, un quart des répondants ont modifié leurs comportements d’achats depuis le début de la crise sanitaire en modifiant leurs circuits de consommation privilégiés. Pour les achats alimentaires, ce sont les commerces de proximité et les circuits courts qui gagnent l’adhésion des consommateurs ayant changé de circuit préféré : +20% pour les commerces de proximité et +100% pour les circuits courts.

En termes de canaux d’achat, l’étude observe un transfert partiel vers des parcours d’achat en ligne, motivés dans un premier temps par des contraintes sanitaires et réglementaires, cependant l’achat en point de vente physique était et reste le canal d’achat le plus utilisé par les français : respectivement 70% et 52% des répondants le déclarent comme leur canal d’achat privilégié, pour l’alimentaire et le prêt-à-porter, après la période de confinement. Le choix des Français vers la livraison à domicile a quant à elle augmenté de 46% et celui du drive de 100%. Ces nouveaux utilisateurs déclarent changer de canal par crainte des contacts en point de vente, et par volonté de gagner du temps et de la flexibilité dans leurs achats alimentaires.

Malgré une motivation de changement principalement contrainte, 40% des consommateurs ayant transféré vers des canaux en ligne déclarent avoir découvert un canal plus adapté à leurs besoins, ou leur permettant d’accéder à une offre de produits non disponible via leur canal habituel, entraînant un besoin de modifier durablement les parcours d’achat pour les retailers.

Au-delà des bonnes intentions, le prix reste le maître mot des Français

La crise du COVID-19 confirme l’importance du prix pour les consommateurs, qui font des avantages clients leur attente prioritaire envers les enseignes. Depuis le début de la crise du COVID-19, 29% des consommateurs ont changé ou pensé changer d’enseigne. Sur l’alimentaire, la 1ère cause de changement citée est l’incapacité de l’enseigne à garantir une stabilité des prix (21%), devant l’absence de solutions / parcours d’achats alternatifs (17%).

L’étude révèle que 40% des consommateurs font des avantages fidélité et des promotions une attente prioritaire vis-à-vis des enseignes. Les 3 premiers critères de choix sont les avantages clients (fidélité, promotions…) (40%), le choix de produits (40%), et l’effort consacré au soutien de l’économie nationale (33%). Malgré une prédiction d’émergence du « mieux consommer » à la suite de la crise sanitaire, il ressort de l’étude qu’en cette période de crise sanitaire l’engagement des enseignes pour les sujets environnementaux et sociétaux est moins prioritaire pour les consommateurs français.

Enfin, le prix ressort comme facteur principal de décision d’achat dans la sélection des produits – pour l’alimentaire et le prêt-à-porter. Pour les achats alimentaires, en plus du prix, les habitudes familiales ressortent comme critère principal de choix, pour les différentes catégories de produits (frais, secs, liquides, et hygiéniques). Pour les achats de prêt-à-porter, c’est la qualité qui ressort comme 2ème critère de sélection, pour 70% des répondants.

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How to Design a Contact Page That Drives Engagement

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How can your customer reach you? If a client arrives on your website after searching on Google, what can they do to take the next step in a relationship with your brand, without buying anything?

One of the primary aims of any website is to drive conversions. However, it usually takes between 5 and 8 touchpoints to generate a viable sales lead. People don’t want to convert straight away.

Since building a relationship with customers is crucial to success, it makes sense that the contact page would be an essential part of driving results. Unfortunately, a lot of website owners pay virtually no attention to that page. They ask their designer to create a page with their address and phone number on – and that’s it.

What many business owners don’t realize, is that the contact page is the door to deeper, more lucrative relationships with potential prospects. The design of this essential website element needs to be fantastic to drive results.

So, where do you start?

Defining a Well-Designed Contact Page

Let’s start with the basics, what makes a great contact page?

The complete answer to that question depends on the target audience. Some customers will want to see fun and friendly contact pages, complete with social media sharing buttons. Others will want to see a map that shows them exactly how to reach an office or business.

There are a few golden rules to keep in mind, of course. Contact pages should be:

  • Easy to find: Don’t hide the link to the contact page on the website footer. Make it easy for customers to find out how they can get in touch.
  • Simple: Don’t put too much content on this page or it will overwhelm your audience. Just let them know where they can go to get answers to various questions.
  • Professional: Even if you have a friendly brand personality, your contact form still needs to be grammatically correct and well-designed to show a professional edge.
  • Convenient: Make your phone number clickable so customers can use it on Skype. The same can apply for your email address. Provide easy access to social media profiles, and if you have a contact form – keep it short and sweet.
  • Informative: Include all of your contact information in the same place. This may include your address, a map to your location, social media pages, email addresses, and even forums.
  • Accurate: Ensure that the information on your contact page matches the information listed elsewhere. Check directories and Google my Business listings to be sure.
  • Attractive: Yes, a contact page needs to look good too. Plenty of white space will make essential information stand out. A good layout will guide the eye through the page.
  • Consistent: Make sure the contact form on your website matches the brand personality that appears on all of your other pages.

Take a look at the Tune Contact page:

It’s beautifully laid out, with clear information that’s easy to read. The company shows exactly why customers might want to get in touch and how they can reach out. As you scroll through the page, you’ll find additional office locations, email addresses for different teams (sales and support), and links to social media accounts too.

How to Drive Engagement on a Contact Us Page

A good contact page needs to look fantastic, showcase the company’s personality, and capture audience attention. However, there’s a big difference between a contact page that gets the job done, and one that convinces your audience they have to connect with you.

Here are some excellent ways to make your contact us page stand out.

Step 1: Using Color Correctly

Color and color psychology have a massive impact on user experience.

Studies constantly demonstrate the conversion powers of having the right shades on certain pages throughout your website. For instance, changing a CTA button from red to green can increase click-through rates by 27%.

However, every audience is different. The colors that drive engagement on a contact page for your company will depend on your target customer. A/B testing color palettes that match your brand personality is a good way to get started.

One interesting example of colors that make the right impact on a Contact Us page comes from Hubspot. Here, the brand maintains it’s brand color (orange), but it also introduces some new shades that convey trustworthiness and professionalism.

Blue is the most calming and credible color for any brand, The gradient that Hubspot uses here blends perfectly with its brand identity, allowing for a stunning contact page, with CTA buttons that still stand out.

Experiment with colors that can generate the right emotional response from your audience, but don’t ignore the golden rules of color in web design. You still need to showcase your brand identity, and you still need a way of making crucial information stand out.

Step 2: Humanizing the Customer Service Team

Some of the customers that arrive at a contact page are interested in your product or inspired by the potential of your service. Other customers will be looking for assistance because they’re frustrated with something or stressed out.

If you’ve ever had a problem with a product and wanted to reach out to the brand about it, you’ve probably noticed how annoying it is to find a blank contact page with nothing but an email address. The lack of effort and humanity in the contact page is enough to convince you that you probably won’t get a response.

But what if you add some happy smiling faces to the page?

Research indicates that brains are fine-tuned to recognize and appreciate human faces. Having a picture of your customer service team, or just any human being on your contact page makes you instantly more approachable. Your customers start to feel like they’re reaching out to a person – not an empty website.

Look at how engaging and personalized this contact page from Amber McCue looks:

Although you can show any human face on your contact page and potentially get results, showing your actual agents will be more likely to drive positive results. It’s a great way to showcase the authenticity and humanity of your team.

Step 3: Making it Easy to Find

A surprisingly large amount of the time, companies shove their contact information into the footer of their website, forcing customers to spend forever looking for them. However, your audience might not want to spend an age searching for your details if they’re in a hurry to get answers.

Stowing a contact page in a footer is also a problem for those visiting your website via mobile, as they might not be able to see all your footer details and links as well.

A Contact Us page doesn’t have to be a massive part of your website navigation if you don’t want it to be. However, it should be one of the first things your audience can see. Putting the information on the header of your website, or even sticking it to the top of the page as your users scroll is very helpful.

Zendesk makes it easy for customers to get in touch in multiple ways. First, the Contact section of the website is clear at the top of the page. Secondly, if you start scrolling through the Zendesk website, a “Get Help” button pops up, so you don’t have to scroll back to find assistance:

Remember, aside from making sure that your contact page appears in the right part of your website, it’s also worth ensuring that it’s easy to understand. Don’t use unusual terms like “Chat”, or “Chill with us”. Stick to tried-and-true options like Help, Contact, or Support.

Step 4: Making the Experience Relevant

There’s a reason why it’s practically impossible to find a one-size-fits-all contact page.

It’s because different customers need different things from your brand.

Some customers will be looking for the answer to a question; others will want to discuss something with your sales team. That’s why many companies are using adaptive contact pages that can change to suit the situation.

For instance, you may start by asking customers what they need help with. Zapier takes this approach with its Contact page:

By asking the client what they need straight away, Zapier can make sure that the visitor finds the right information, and the right number or email address for the appropriate agent. You can even scroll down the help page and look for something in the available help centre, using the search bar. Or you can click on View our experts to hire a Zapier pro.

Creating a dynamic and customized experience like this does a few things. First, it ensures that the customer will reach the right person to help them first-time around. This reduces the number of inappropriate calls your employees have to deal with, and the number of transfers.

Secondly, you deliver a better experience overall for your client, because they don’t have to repeat their issue to multiple people or start a massive email thread. They get the support they need immediately.

Dynamic contact pages can even save you some money and time. If clients decide to solve an issue themselves, using your resources, that’s great for your busy agents.

Step 5: Direct People to the Right Place

The central focus of your contact us page needs to be the available contact options. Centralizing the contact options on a page is an excellent way to make sure that they get the right amount of attention. Centralizing also means that your customers can spend less time searching for the contact details that they need, which is great for usability.

The Melonfree.com website uses a contact us form that’s centralized to immediately pull attention to the customer’s options for getting help.

Centralization isn’t the only way of using design principles to guide visitors on a contact page. According to Ray Hyman and Edmund Hick, increasing the number of choices on a page often increases the time it takes for people to make a decision.

When it comes to connecting with a brand, the right option for each customer will depend on the person and the situation they’re trying to overcome. For instance, a customer that needs to reset their password will probably be able to get the solution they need from an FAQ page.

On the other hand, someone who needs help using a new feature might need the guidance of a professional. To help guide customers to the right solution, Basecamp gives customers a variety of steps to follow to get the right solution fast.

The main purpose of the contact page is to help customers get the right answer with an informative form. However, there are unobtrusive alternative options available too. If all you’re looking for is a way to help yourself fix a problem, you can click on the help guides link before you ever scroll down to the form.

Step 6: Support the Contact Team Too

The best contact us pages aren’t just a great way to improve customer experience. Well-designed solutions also help the customer service team to save time and stay productive.

One of the primary metrics that companies consider when evaluating the success of a service team, is the number of replies required before an issue is resolved. However, if the initial question from a customer doesn’t contain enough information, this number often increases.

Using the design of the contact form to access the right information helps with:

  • Automatically routing people to the right team member: Companies can set up segmentation rules that automatically send certain emails to different employees based on keywords. You might have questions that go to the sales team, and separate queries that you direct straight to the customer service team.
  • Show appropriate support options and FAQs: Remember to give the audience a chance to help themselves before they reach out for extra support. Links to an FAQ page or self-service options can really reduce the pressure on a team. Some companies even add automated chatbots to the mix to help with self-service.
  • Prompt for extra context: Although not every customer will take advantage of an opportunity to add extra information to a form, some will. Adding a box to your contact form for “anything we need to know?” is a great way to generate more information. Ban.do includes a simple “question” box where customers can add as much detail as they like. An option to add screen shots or documents might be a nice touch too.

Building Your Own Contact Us Page

Every customer has their own specific set of needs. The right contact page for another business might not be the right one for you. That’s why it’s so important to take some time getting to know your customers and speaking to your support team.

When you’re planning your contact page, it helps to ask yourself some basic questions about what you want to achieve. For instance:

  • What kind of channels will our customers want to use to connect with us? Look at things like social media messaging, email, or phone calls. If you’ve got a relatively tech-savvy audience, then they might want to use things like instant messaging with chat bots too.
  • How can we direct clients to the appropriate channels in as little time as possible? Having a system in place to automatically route your customers to the right agent will reduce the time to resolution for your customers. The faster you solve problems, the better your reputation becomes.
  • What can we do to set customer expectations and build confidence before they speak to us? Designing a professional-looking contact page will increase customer confidence, while an FAQ section shows that you’re ready to answer common questions.
  • How can we showcase a unique brand personality without making the page complicated? Everything from using distinct brand colors on a contact page, to adding images and illustrations reminds customers that they’re in the right place.
  • What can we do to reduce the friction points in a customer’s path to contact? Avoid adding too many input options to a contact form and ensure that it’s easy to reach out when your clients have a problem.

Understanding exactly what your audience needs from you, and what they’re looking for when they come to your team for help reduces the effort involved for your client when they reach out for help. Remember, today’s digitally-savvy customers expect their interactions with companies to be as streamlined and simple as possible.

Make the Most of Your Contact Page

Contact pages are frequently an afterthought in the website design process. However, they’re one of the most valuable tools your company has. With a good contact page, you ensure that your customers can always reach you when they have problems. What’s more, you boost your chances of people wanting to reach out to the sales team too!

Good luck creating a contact page that encourages engagement from your target audience. Don’t forget to track your results from each design, and A/B test for optimization.

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