Maximizing UX with Google Web Core Vitals
Web design is inextricably linked to User Experience (UX): the experience your website or online store provides to users. Google Web Core Vitals are quality metrics used to assess UX, and website speed is particularly important. In the past, there were other methods to optimize that speed, but Google Web Core Vitals is now a very important metric. Scoring well on these three points improves your ranking and discoverability and increases the likelihood that visitors will stay on your website longer. This makes it an important SEO and web design trend for 2022. Google Web Core Vitals focuses on three aspects:
- Loading (LCP): interruptions caused by having to wait for a website to load.
- Interactivity (FID): delays caused by slow website response times, such as when you try to click a button.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): how stable the content on the website is. For example, content should not shift unexpectedly.
These metrics have been around since 2021, but they’ll make an even bigger difference next year. There’s also a good chance that new elements will be added. You can check your scores using Google PageSpeed Insights. See which pages are performing well and which ones still need improvement. Improving these three elements involves a lot of technical work. There
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2. Provide immediate answers to questions with featured snippets
Featured snippets are what are known as “featured snippets.” This is the information you see below the ads and above the organic search results. When a visitor asks a question on Google, they immediately see the answer in the featured snippet. Take a look at our example:
A featured snippet improves your click-through rate (CTR). This is because visitors are often looking for more information. It also confirms that your website is well-structured and that the search engine understands your content. Furthermore, it demonstrates that you are an authority in your field. Finally, it helps you better prepare for Voice Search—more on that later.
3. Help your customers even more with Augmented Reality
Augmented Reality (AR) lets you add virtual elements to the real world. That might sound a bit vague, so here’s an example. Imagine someone is looking for a new sofa for their living room and wants to know if it will look good in the space. They take a photo of the living room with their phone and then use AR—for example, via an app—to place the furniture exactly where they want it. This way, the customer can be sure they’re making a good purchase.
We order almost everything online these days. By adding AR to your website, you can help your customers even better. The barrier to ordering online becomes lower. Moreover, customers who initially find your physical store too far away will also be more likely to make a purchase. For AR in your online store, you need a 3D model of your products.
4. More interaction with customers via WhatsApp for Business
WhatsApp for Business has gained popularity this year. This growth is expected to continue next year, making it a key component of web design and SEO trends in 2022. With WhatsApp for Business, you can assist your customers more quickly and in an accessible way. Plus, creating an account is free. Want to learn more about this tool?
Read more.
5. Find products online using Voice Search
Voice Search lets you search the internet using your voice. We’re using this fast and easy search method more and more often. While Google might have had trouble understanding your search query a few years ago, it now works very smoothly. A voice search requires different content than a text-based search. So, if you want to focus on Voice Search, you’ll need to adapt your content. How?
You can read about it here.
6. Visually appealing with dark mode
More and more apps now offer the option to switch between light and dark mode. Think of Google or social media apps. In dark mode, the screen’s background is dark and the text is light. Dark mode gives your website a unique look, since most websites and apps have a light background. If you have an OLED screen, this mode also helps your phone’s battery last longer.
By enabling dark mode on your website, you’re meeting the needs of your visitors. You can set up this mode by tweaking your website’s CSS. Support is already available in browsers like Google Chrome, Safari, and Firefox.
JKC will get your website ready for 2022
Would you like to implement one of the above trends in web design or SEO, but have no idea how?
Contact us and we’ll get to work for you. We’ll also conduct a no-obligation website review for you, during which we’ll provide you with free advice. That way, you’ll know where your website stands and how you can keep up with the trends for the new year.
