Why do seasonal updates matter for your website?
Well – why do shops put up a Christmas tree in the centre of the store at Christmas? Why do cafes raise their pancake game in the run-up to Shrove Tuesday? Because they know that cashing in on holidays attracts customers and clients and shows off their spirit and skills.So how can you do the same with your website?
First, let’s think about what holidays might be worth updating your website for.
Online stores, graphic designers, illustrators and many more businesses can cash in on a wealth of holidays.
Christmas, Halloween, Easter, and Back-to-School as well as special, lesser-known days or holidays that tie in with your brand (the summer solstice maybe, or National Book Day) are a great excuse to give your site a lift and show consumers or clients how your brand, products or services suit their needs.
Seasonal updates also show your customers that your site is up-to-date and fresh, as well as being visually pleasing to look at. Adding bunny themes at Easter, fireworks around Bonfire Night or snowflakes at Christmas will resonate with people who view your website and help them enjoy their experience on your site because it helps them get into the swing of the season.
Why not give your company logo a little sprucing up in line with the season? You needn’t go overboard, and there are plenty of ways to give a nod to the holiday while still remaining loyal to your brand. Some companies who are pros at matching their logo to the season are Twitter and YouTube, who added a little bird in a Santa hat and a gift box, respectively, to their logos for the Christmas period. And surely you’ve noticed the Google logo changing regularly to celebrate a famous birthday or special occasion? It certainly adds a little oomph.
You can also change your menu buttons to reflect the season in question. This can be as simple as you like – if your menu options usually go a different colour when the mouse scrolls through them, change the colour to red for the festive season or orange for Halloween.
One of the easiest things to change from season to season is your website banner (the image or video which appears at the top of your webpage, usually displayed just below the menu, though it varies from site to site.)
If you’re a graphic designer, photographer or illustrator, this is a brilliant way to display your own work and show clients what you can potentially do for them to make their branding more in line with the season, too.
If you’re in a different line of work, you can find some brilliant stock images on various free sites to fill the gap and give your site the seasonal spirit it needs.
If you want to make things extra-special, consider adding special effects to your site, and give your visitors a real experience. Valentine’s Day is around the corner – why not have playful love hearts following your curser?
Similarly, when it comes to Easter, a little colony of rabbits hopping across the screen offer viewers something special to look at, and snowflakes or icicles dropping from the menu bar at Christmas would add a quirky touch.
If you need a little inspiration for a website overhaul, here’s a list of 95 of the coolest website designs – should keep you going for a while!
Posted by The Secret Businessman