WEBSITE TRENDS 2023
Website Design “ It used to be an exciting and unique website design would help you stand out ,” said Brett Morris , or Dealer ’ s Digital . “ Those days are gone . It ’ s about ease of use for website visitors .” The look of your website , adds Morris , must match the look of your business .
The most important element of website design today centers on the mobile experience . Mobile phones account for as much as 60 percent of all website traffic . “ The trend I ’ m seeing ,” said Tim Berman , Innovation Manager at Constellation Dealer Group , “ is that the mobile user experience is driving design .” Websites today need a “ responsive ” design , that means the site ’ s look and content “ responds ” to the size of the screen on which you ’ re viewing it . That will alter the appearance and function of your site . ( See screenshots of IngeniumPowerandSport . com on previous page .)
The next most important part of your website design is the content itself , the pictures and words on the site . This includes everything from “ About Us ” and contact information , to the features and specifications of products you sell . This is , of course , why people visit your website . The general wisdom is that your website should have a lot of content that is well organized and frequently updated . Let ’ s focus on that last part .
Content Management “ I can change my own oil if I want to ,” said Morris , “ but I tend to pay my neighborhood shop to do it for me . We are starting to see that more business owners want to be involved with editing and content .” At Dealers Digital , Morris and his team build dealership websites on the Wordpress system . More than 40 percent of all websites in the world are built using this open-source software platform . That popularity brings more advantages than disadvantages , and Wordpress users can make content changes on their own if they desire . “ Most people have the ability to do their own website updates , but they might not have the time or inclination . And OPE dealers have a lot of other stuff to do ,” said Morris .
In our survey with OPE Business readers , a few dealers said they made website updates recently because they wanted more control over content . Making content changes yourself gives you quick control , no need to wait for a website agency to assist you . But it still takes time that you or your staff could spend on other tasks .
“ I began looking for website alternatives that would give me more capability for updating content myself ,” said Alan Carroll of BT South , an OPE dealer in Greensboro , N . C ., “ and I found the Webflow tool . I ’ m not a web programmer , but I don ’ t need to be .” Carroll has made website updates recently that give him more control around the presentation of pricing in particular . ( See screenshot of BTSouth . com above .)
Marketing Mastery A website , like your store itself , is good only if people can find it . Now we ’ re talking search , the primary function of Google . The search giant regularly , and somewhat mysteriously , changes the algorithm that determines how your website appears in search results .
Businesses can spend truckloads of money trying to manipulate search . But one of Google ’ s latest updates makes “ helpful content ” a search priority . According to Google , your website content should , among other things , “ clearly demonstrate first-hand expertise and a depth of knowledge ( for example , expertise that comes from having actually used a product or service or visiting a place ).” The search giant also says that website visitors should feel “ they ’ ve learned enough about a topic to help achieve their goal .”
Google adds that you should create content “ for people , not for search engines .” I take that to mean that your website should be filled with pictures , data , and stories that are honest representations of your work and services .
E-Commerce Trends Covid boosted online shopping drastically . According to the U . S . Commerce Dept ., e-commerce sales were $ 870 billion in 2021 , a 14.2 % increase over 2020 and a 50.5 % increase over 2019 . Online sales of furniture , building materials , and electronics lead the way . While the Commerce reporting doesn ’ t break out OPE specifically , it does show that e-commerce sales in the “ garden equipment ” space increased by 105 percent , and “ motor vehicle and parts ” e-commerce activity increased by more than 50 percent .
This is the hot topic in website trends today , and business trends in general for OPE dealers . Dealers I spoke with did not hold back their opinions on e-commerce .
www . OPEBusiness . com April 2023 OPE Business 17