The COVID-19 pandemic delivered a rude awakening call to humankind. Who would have thought that a virus would threaten to wipe out mankind? After all, we live in times with significant advances in medicine and technology.
The impact of the virus has been profound. No aspect of life went on uninterrupted. Lives and livelihoods were, and continue to be, at threat. A 2021 WHO report shows that the number of deaths has exceeded 3.3 million worldwide. There has been massive destruction to health and economic sectors.
Yet, out of the bad, there has been some positivity. There was a paradigm shift, requiring new thinking. People had to learn to embrace a new way of living. Remote working, for instance, kept companies and employees afloat. Thousands turned to online platforms to sell their skills.
And, those in marketing, PR, and advertising had to reinvent themselves. Digital marketing provided an effective way to engage and interact with audiences. But, even the tone of the conversation and content had to change.
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1. The online experience must be top notch
We spoke to a web designing company named Chromatix to collect insights on web design and development. One of the critical points that came up is the need for a top-notch online experience.
The number of digital customers increased during the pandemic outbreak. Due to the very present danger that continues, the trend is not shifting anytime soon. That means the online space may very well replace physical stores.
As a business person, the level of attention you pay to your brick and mortar store now has to shift to the online space. The customers need a high-performing website that is easy to navigate.
Pages should be fast-loading, attractive, and well-arranged for easy browsing. Web designers focus on content that is relevant and responds to an identified need.
2. Greater innovation in web design and content
Digital marketers must contend with the fact that the online space is an open market. There is a need for greater innovation to break above the clutter. That means higher creativity and strategic practices to outdo the competition.
That in itself comes with its challenges. The teams must take time to research the market and operating environment. There are a lot of uncertainty surrounding businesses in the post-COVID-19 times.
Digital marketers must deal with factors like reputation management. They must also keep up with churning out new products and services. The modern customer has higher expectations and access to information. It makes it more difficult to meet customer needs.
Without creativity and innovation, the marketing team will not achieve any ROI. All their efforts will be a waste of time and resources.
Business owners can use a logo maker to create a captivating design for their brand name. Embedding this logo with their website can create a lasting impression with visiting customers.
3. New customer demands must be addressed
People living in the post-pandemic era are more demanding of specific things. The focus is on health, safety, and sustainability. Content digital marketers have no choice but to respond to these new demands.
The campaigns must be purpose or mission-driven. The teams must find a way to engage with audiences that have a lot of media exposure. Capturing and grabbing attention with all the online ‘noise’ can be difficult. It may mean letting go of some of the practices that may have worked well before.
So, the web designers will need to focus on much more than attractive web designs. The shift would be to have relevant content that addresses living in the post-Covid times. Finding the best way to deliver such content is also key.
Video streaming services have the ability to capture and engage better than text. Mobile optimization is critical in e-commerce web design. It ensures wider reach with the marketing messages.
4. PR needs to play a more active role
Hard sell content may no longer have a place in the Covid world. That means the PR teams have to look for third-party endorsement.
Participating in community events can yield positive mileage for the company. Media relations and reputation building with informative content will capture audiences.
Newsworthy press releases can bring more traction than the best product descriptors.
A commentary from the company CEO has more weight than flowery advertising language. A link in an authority website brings credibility and shows the company is an authority in the field.
5. New content marketing trends need to be embraced
Content marketing in the post-Covid world plays several roles. There is a sharing of information. The teams can also use content to educate and entertain audiences. The digital marketer has the task of creating interest, as the main way to get people to buy.
Modern web design and development companies are incorporating new content packaging. Take the example of the growing popularity of podcasting. Audiences are looking for new content. It relieves boredom as they maintain social distance, by staying at home.
Voice search provides convenience and quick access to information. If your website is lacking in this, it is time to write a new brief for the web design company. Reports show that over 27% of individuals use voice search on mobile devices.
Over 58% of customers use it to search for local businesses. And, voice search results account for 75% of the top 3 results on search engines. Digital marketers must keep up with trends by optimizing the site for voice search.
Visual search is also gaining traction amongst online users. They use image recognition tools for this. It may very well become a significant factor for SEO soon. Industry notables like Amazon, Google, Pinterest, and Microsoft are already using visual search.
Final thoughts
Web design and content marketing post-Covid need a paradigm shift. The concerns of audiences are on health, safety, and sustainability.
Digital marketers must address these key points in whatever they put out. Only then does the communication become relevant to living in the Covid times.
The web design must be functional and high-performing. That means greater attention to factors like easy navigation. Others are fast-loading pages and content that respond to an identified need.
The teams must also find new ways of communicating with customers. Audiences do not want to hear hard-sell marketing language. PR departments will have a more active role in developing the marketing messages.
There is no doubt that third-party endorsement is more powerful than any advertising. Other content marketing trends taking center stage are podcasting, voice, and visual search.