Corporate branding

It’s hard to believe, but it wasn’t too long ago that the capabilities of our mobile phones were limited to phone calls, text messages, and maybe a game or two. Today, our cell phones and mobile devices are just as capable as laptop and desktop computers; in fact, with the new year in 2014, mobile commerce is expected to generate an estimated 16% of all online sales. Additionally, web browsing activity on mobile devices is expected to surpass web browsing activity on desktop PCs in 2014, too.

The trends of the Internet, and the way it’s utilized by its users, is constantly changing. Consider the recent study by Econsultancy — their study found that 40% of web surfers will abandon a web page if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. Internet users are becoming less and less patient as the speed of processing web information has improved over the years. It’s trends such as these that force businesses and organizations to hire web developers who specialize in custom web design services, in order to keep up with the every-changing dynamic of the Internet. Because the Internet, and the trends of its users are constantly changing, the best website designs are constantly changing too. There’s an old saying among web developers — change or die — and it couldn’t be more true.

Other trends, such as 90% of people in the U.S. simultaneously searching the web on multiple screens force businesses and organizations to feature responsive web design that adheres to the changing aspects of the web. Many businesses, especially those that have been around well before the Internet became so useful, are timid to hire web developers. This could become a huge mistake — change or die, remember? It’s all about adapting to your surroundings, and when your surroundings involve the Internet, you better keep up with it.

It’s understandable when businesses fail to realize the importance of keeping up with online trends; after all, we tend to avoid concepts that we don’t fully understand. But the issue here, is that when you hire a web developer to customize your website or manage an online marketing campaign, you’re making an investment to improve your business, and more often than not, it works! Take search engine optimization (SEO), for example. SEO is an online marketing tactic that works to improve the online visibility of a website in order to generate more website hits, and ultimately more sales. According to Econsultancy research, 62 percent of companies with a website optimized saw increased sales.

These are legitimate investments that will allow businesses to see incredible improvements to their overall sales productivity, yet too many businesses fail to even entertain the idea of investing in online marketing. If your company isn’t considering an online marketing strategy, or hasn’t updated the design or functionality of your website in even a year or two, it’s in your best interest to consult with and hire web developers to get your online presence up to speed.