by Marelise da Silva | Oct 5, 2020 | Website Design
There’s no doubt that the coronavirus has changed the way we do things. In particular, the online shopping world is booming thanks to its instant, no contact concept. The ever-changing world of website design and development is to thank for this solution, but just how big of a role is it playing in today’s world?
With everything from groceries and beauty essentials, to other items like books and even children’s inflatable pools, online shopping seems to be the answer to the pandemic’s clampdown on social distancing.
Even more interesting than that is the fact that online shopping has been around for years, yet it only recently became mainstream. A great example is Amazon, an online shopping company that’s been around since 1994. In 2010, online shopping in the US made up just 6% of retail sales.
Now, online sales as a total percentage of sales in the UK jumped from 2.8% in November 2006 to 18.9% in February 2020 and skyrocketed again to 30% in April 2020 due to the pandemic. In May 2020, sales from online retailers in the US went to 30.8% from the same time last year.
What once was a novelty has now become an increasingly popular way to get your goods without the hassle of leaving your house. So, how did we get to this point?
Where it began
The first person to buy anything online was a 72-year-old grandmother named Jane Snowball from Gateshead, England in 1984 from the comfort of her couch via her TV remote; buying margarine, cornflakes and eggs. This was done via the Videotex system developed by English inventor Michael Aldrich, according to Jonathan Reynolds, associate professor in retail marketing and deputy dean of Oxford University’s Saïd Business School.
The technology was used to generate a shopping list on Snowball’s computer which was phoned into her local Tesco, and the items sent to her door. According to Reynolds, the service was created for the elderly and disadvantaged but gained momentum.
The next milestone took place in 1994 when a 21-year-old web development wizard called Daniel M Kohn created an online marketplace called NetMarket. This was the first digitally secure transaction, with the first buy being a Sting CD that cost $12.48 (£10). After that, the early internet became more and more common in households.
At this early stage in what we now know as e-commerce, only a handful of companies were involved in what was considered cutting-edge technology at the time. Pizza Hut was one of those companies. In 1994 the US franchise sold pizzas online via their PizzaNet portal. It was basic, with a grey colour scheme and fields only for a customer’s address and phone number. 1994 was also the same year Amazon began, and at the time sold mostly books. eBay launched soon after in 1995. Japan’s major e-commerce site Rakuten launched in 1997 followed by China’s Alibaba in 1999. These companies were trailblazers in the online shopping space and took web design to new heights. Globalisation and a more connected world are also to thank for this major jump in the web development world.
Gaining momentum
2017 was also a landmark time in e-commerce. Smartphone ownership reached 80% globally, which has been a useful tool in how easily we shop online nowadays. Data from 2019 shows e-commerce makes up for 16% of sales in the US – that represents a staggering $601.75bn (£489bn) of spending! Global e-commerce giant Shopify also reported that globally, online sales reached $3.5tn (£2.8tn) the same year.
Those numbers rose more than 14% in the first quarter of 2020 from the same period of 2019 (before the pandemic, surprisingly). However, the pandemic has accelerated online shopping’s natural growth, with marketing professor Barbara Kahn from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business stating that the pandemic accelerated online shopping adaptation by two to three years.
The main items were, unsurprisingly, groceries. In the US, between March 2020 and April 2020, e-commerce sales jumped 49%, and online grocery shopping led with a 110% boost in daily sales.
Is e-commerce here to stay?
Although the natural flow of adaptation to e-commerce and the need to shop from our own homes due to the pandemic has shown massive growth in e-commerce and web development in general, it’s also jumped due to how quick and easy it is to simply shop online. It’s also important to note that consumers are trying to spend less money due to money worries brought on by the pandemic, even with the necessity of online shopping in current times.
We could also see more hybrid shops like Amazon, which offers both online shopping and storefront options with Amazon Go. The company tracks your online buying patterns and has groceries ready for you to pick up at a physical shop.
Keeping up with the times via e-commerce and web development
Although online shopping became necessary for social distancing measures, the nature of online shopping identified a gap in the market long before and has steadily grown since it first began. It seems likely that we will continue to see steady growth in the use of e-commerce for both companies adapting to change and consumers embracing change. If you’re looking to take your company to the next level via e-commerce, contact WSI OMS for cutting-edge web design and development services.
by Marelise da Silva | Aug 3, 2020 | Website Design
You’ve worked hard to build your business, but if you want customers, then you will need a website for them to visit. Hiring a web designer or a digital marketing agency is as important as hiring any other professional like a plumber or accountant. Web designers know how to make your site ‘sticky’ by creating simple navigation, providing valuable and up-to-date content, and reducing clutter.
Here are three reasons why you should consider hiring a professional web designer to build your website:
Looks aren’t everything
You can waste hours using a DIY web design program to create a visually appealing website, only for it not to work functionally. A web designer produces a website that aligns with your brand and optimises user experience to keep your customers on your website. They will do all the tedious and time-consuming work for you, such as researching your competitors’ websites, generating a content marketing strategy aimed at your target audience, and designing a high-quality site.
Responsive design
Have you ever accessed a website with your smartphone and found that it isn’t user friendly or doesn’t work at all? Responsive design ensures that your website is optimised for different devices so that you don’t have to choose between desktop or mobile sites. Google is also focusing on mobile-friendly websites, as more people tend to use their mobile devices to search the internet.
SEO knowledge
A web designer knows how to optimise SEO because only a successful website will have a good search engine ranking. A web designer will ensure that the content, keywords, and links on your site will be search engine friendly while also visually appealing to get a better ranking.
Web designers have the knowledge, tools, and access to more technology to create an attractive and dynamic website, and essentially saving you time & money.
Contact us today for more information on web design and other website services WSI OMS offers.
by Marianna Muscat | Jul 24, 2020 | SEO, Website Design
If you want the best eCommerce website, you need to ensure that quality web design, quality images, and excellent product descriptions form part of your content marketing strategy. Your product descriptions need to tantalise your audience with emotive language that highlights the details, features and benefits of your products while keeping it easy to read.
Aspects to consider when crafting product descriptions for your eCommerce site:
Write for a specific buyer persona
Create a buyer persona by breaking down the characteristics of your potential customers and define the product features they would be most interested in.
Show some personality in telling your product story
Telling the product story should fill any gaps the customer has about the product. Write where and when the product should be used, how it works and what benefits it will provide.
Watch your tone
The product description should use natural language, like a conversation you would have with someone else. The tone must also be natural and in line with the general tone of your brand.
Make it digestible
Make the product description easy to scan by using short paragraphs, bullet points, different size fonts and lots of white space.
Never forget SEO
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is one of the best ways to attract new customers to your pages and product. Use great keywords for quality SEO.
Amp up the quality of your visuals
A great image draws the eye faster than a great product description. Use quality images to show the customer the key features of the product and complement the product description.
While web design and content marketing go a long way to present your products and information in a readable and visually pleasing manner, your product descriptions are essential to convincing the audience to buy your product. For more information, visit WSIOMS to create an eCommerce website that has web design, SEO, and content marketing at its core.
by Marianna Muscat | Jun 23, 2020 | Website Design
You have spent a lot of money on in-store advertising, brochures, flyers, and other forms of promotion. You probably thought that your marketing was 100% sorted before the global COVID-19 pandemic made its presence known. Even if your business has reopened, there will still be a need for social distancing, meaning that fewer people are likely to visit your store in-person. As a result, your offline campaign will not generate the results that you had hoped for.
How can you remedy this? The answer lies in creating a website with a web design that is both functional and attractive.
Below, we highlight the main reasons why a website is still an essential marketing tool, even if your offline marketing strategy is up to scratch.
A website adds credibility to your brand
If a potential customer wants to learn more about your business after seeing one of your flyers or brochures, the first place that they will go is online. Not having a digital presence can be a black mark against you and can make your business seem behind the times and unprofessional. However, having a great website mirroring your offline campaign message can be the push needed to encourage the potential customer to take action and convert, visit your store, or get in touch.
A website boosts customer support
If your customer has any questions about your business, campaign, or offering in general, they will head over to your website to access your contact details. However, if you have decided to implement a simple chatbot in your web design, they might get their answers that way instead.
A website increases sales
You will need to embrace the world of e-commerce for this to be the case. The beauty of e-commerce and online sales is that customers are not restricted to business hours should they wish to make a purchase. The process of buying and selling will be easier for the customer and for you.
Are you looking for a digital marketing agency that can assist you with web design to support your offline marketing campaigns? Choose WSI OMS. Along with expert web design for businesses big and small, we also specialise in SEO, content marketing, PPC, and social media marketing. Contact us today to learn more.
by Marelise da Silva | Apr 24, 2020 | Website Content, Website Design
Quality content connects customers and businesses. It creates business value by creating value for your customers. To increase the chance of your website being recognised as a content-rich site by search engines, consistently add relevant, quality, keyword optimised content to your website. The process of content creation includes three steps, and we briefly discuss it below.
Step 1: Analyse Business Objectives and Target Market
The basis for creating any content is identifying your business objectives and target market. It is a good business practice to review these two aspects yearly, simultaneously reviewing your website and social media marketing plan.
If you have an existing website, the structure, content quality, inbound links and searches must be evaluated to establish whether they still relate to your business objectives or need a visual upgrade. Current website traffic and trends must also be analysed.
Step 2: Keyword Research and Content Implementation
Research is done on target markets and industry sources, including a general internet search, with a final keyword analysis. Quality content that includes identified keywords is written and edited. Blogs and a social media presence increase the quality of your website and site visit numbers.
Building links through newsletters, blogs, forums and relevant industry websites will boost the quality of your SEO (search engine optimisation). Videos can be created and posted with inbound links, whilst podcasts can be created for audio marketing.
Step 3: Managing Content and Measuring Results
Once the new content is uploaded to the website, an analysis can be done on website activity and search engine rankings. This analysis can be included in a monthly report that shows how the website is improving. Recommendations on increasing the website’s content quality can also be made.
WSI OMS’s copywriting services not only include website content or blog posts, but also articles and press releases. Contact us if you want to review the quality of your website or require the creation of new content.
by admin | Apr 8, 2020 | Website Design, Website Development
The latest WSI website design project has gone live! We are extremely proud to have been granted the opportunity to create a stunning and functional website for leading personal injury lawyers, Sokoloff and Weinstein. This reputable law firm has been operating since 1993 in both Royal Palm Beach and Vero Beach, Florida, USA.
About the personal injury lawyers
WSI felt honoured to be able to partner up with such formidable personal injury lawyers. These attorneys boast impressive educational backgrounds and several areas of specialisation when it comes to personal injury law in the USA. The team is comprised of Elliot J. Sokoloff, Esquire and Seth T. Weinstein. The form focuses on Workers’ Compensation personal injury claims, as well as wrongful death lawsuits, with many years of experience in Worker Compensation Case Law.
Personal injury example cases
The personal injury lawyer examples cases page has been designed to provide potential clients with insight into the various cases that the firm has handled successfully in the past. Some of these cases include:
Personal injury articles
The website has also been populated with a broad array of personal injury articles and resources created to provide individuals with answers and information relating to common questions and concerns.
For example, potential clients may access resources and articles discussing topics such as:
Interested parties are urged to contact Sokoloff and Weinstein directly for more details regarding the type of cases covered.
