Responsive, AMP, PWA, Social, Vlogs – confused? How to decide which features your website needs
Last updated on
Responsive design, AMP pages, Web Apps, Progressive Web Apps, SEO and optimization, Schema, content writing, Social Networks, Pagespeed, blogs and vlogs. Confusing right?
What are they and do you really need them on your site?
Here’s a simple explanation of each feature to help you decide.
Features your websites should have
Responsive design
Responsive design means that your website adapts to fit the size of your screen. It allows your site to be viewed from any device from a large desktop PC to a tiny Smartphone. Essential
SEO
All websites should have been search engine optimized (SEO) by your developer from the go. This allows Google to understand your web pages, helping your site rank well in search. Essential
Schema.org
Schema is an advanced SEO technique that should be used by your developer to mark up your code from the go. Essential
Page speed
Page load speeds are a big deal – users abandon slow websites, and Google factors in speed when ranking your site. Essential
Content writing
If you want to rank well in search, you should have unique, informative and well-written content on your website covering your main selling points and products. Find out why content writing is important. Essential
Blogs
Like content writing, blogging can increase your reach, and bring new users to your site. You should blog if you have useful content to share. For example product guides, events, latest news, industry commentary. Essential
Social Networks
If your business uses them, social networks should integrated on your site. Add follow links and like boxes to your site to attract new followers. Share buttons help to increase your reach. You can also add feeds such as your Twitter stream or Instagram photos directly into your website. Essential
Non-essential website features
The following are only beneficial in the circumstances outline below.
AMP
Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) are a very simplified version of your web pages for Mobile users only that load almost instantly when opened on the phone. AMP can help boost your visits from mobile users.
Generating AMP versions of your key articles is not essential, but can be beneficial if your website is slow loading, or your users are in an area of poor internet connection. Nice to have
Progressive Web Apps (PWA)
A website can reach anyone, anywhere, on any device (phone, tablet, PC, even smart TV) – but only when they are online.
Native Smartphone apps are available offline, have an home screen icon to act as a daily reminder to the user that the app is there, and allow the App owner to send push notifications (alerts) to the user to generate interest and market products. But native apps are only available to Smartphone users who have downloaded the App.
PWA combines the wide reach of websites with the visibility, push notifications and offline availability of Native Apps.
Think of a PWA as an App version of your website that can be installed anywhere – Smartphone, tablet or PC. It is available offline, and you can send push notifications to users, for example every time you launch an product, publish a new post, or have a special offer on. Powerful stuff!
Consider PWA like having an extra marketing channel. It has extra set-up and running costs. To take advantage of PWA, you need to be sending regular push notifications to generate interest. A useful extra channel
Vlogs
Vlogs are videos shared regularly on your website – like a blog on film. They help you reach and relate to your audience, growing your follower base.
Consider making a Vlog part of your marketing strategy only if you have something interesting to do or say and have the time and resources to produce good quality video. Certain circumstances
Get expert advice
Choosing the right features for your website will play a big part in your success.
If you have any doubts at all, ask our experienced team to guide you to the right choices quickly and efficiently so you can get on with running your business.
