How Choosing the Right Full Stack Web Developers Create a Business Advantage in any Economy
Today’s news in America is practically non-stop gloom and doom about the economy. Inflation is raging. Gas prices are climbing to unprecedented levels. Consumer confidence is shrinking. And, for the cherry on top, all this has led to predictions of a recession within the next year almost everywhere you look.
There is seemingly no end in sight to the negative outlook shared by economists and armchair experts alike.
Before we go too far down that road, I want to make one thing clear: This is not an economic projection blog. I am not forecasting any particular economic climate.
But, is a blog that’s responsive to the times. It’s written to help business owners and marketing leaders understand how to use digital resources — and more specifically, their website — to gain business advantages, and maybe even some peace of mind.
So, what do you do if you’re a consumer business? How can you be prepared for both the worst case scenario? And, more importantly for those with a positive mindset, how can you capitalize on the best case?
Our Web Development Process is Designed to Facilitate Business Growth
In our experience, the best websites are results of the best process. A strong process very often leads to strong profits for website owners. And, in our case, that process is centered around a few key principles:
1. Establishing the Key Buying Action: Our web design process begins first and foremost with a discovery meeting to identify the key buying action you need your users to take in order for your website to be able to help your business grow. In some cases, that’s a direct purchase. In others, it’s scheduling an appointment. In others still, it’s signing up for a newsletter. Whatever that key buying action for your business is, the best websites are designed to not only spotlight it, but to funnel users toward it. It is the center of the universe.
And that is why websites that focus on the key buying action from square one make the biggest impact on the bottom line — no matter what the economy is “doing” that day.
2. Adding Value through Digital Services and Experiences – The most effective web development processes ask questions about business needs and challenges. Invariably, that means gathering valuable insight into how customers are served, and what would improve their experience with the business. Understanding existing shortfalls or problems creates the opportunity to solve with them by innovating new digital services or experiences to close the gap.
Case in point: When the pandemic first set hold in 2020, almost every smart car dealership launched automated pick-up and drop-off scheduling tools for their service department. This enabled web users to select where they wanted their car picked up and dropped off, and when. One particular version we built and launched was dubbed “Valet.” Was it a necessity for many dealers to survive? Yes. But was it also a new way to add value and convenience to the customers through digital tools? Absolutely. And that’s something that creates an advantage and loyalty in any economy— as indicated by the fact this service has now come to be the norm in the market.
3. Using Technology to Facilitate Transactions at Scale – This is arguably the most critical point when it comes to protecting a business in a downturn. By nature, technology has strong economies of scale. That means if and when things get tight, it can both help keep overhead low, and generate incremental revenue at low or no additional costs — great for profit margin. That means everything from game-ifying incentive or discount options — such as the popular “spin to win” pop-up, which collects email addresses in exchange for email addresses and phone numbers, to forms that capture and send information to the business even when the user does not finish or “send” the form, and automated reminder emails or texts for when a user has left something in their shopping cart.
This is only scratching the surface of how technology helps facilitate the “next step” in the sale process for nearly any business. And they are steps that work well in any economy.
4. “Snappy” UX – This point is no secret, but it’s so often overlooked in the process. Speed and ease of use win — always. Those two attributes also are the main contributors to a strong User Experience. We plan our User Experiences to be fast, frictionless and facilitating next steps from the start. And that’s a major part of what creates winning websites.
Choosing the Right Company for Web Development Positions You for Success in All Scenarios
Between competition, market saturation and economic concerns on the horizon, the stakes have almost never been higher for businesses that rely on their digital presence to succeed. Unfortunately, too many websites are commoditized, short-sighted, and simply miss the mark when it comes down to facilitating next steps that truly move the revenue needle, increase customer loyalty and grow the bottom line.
But when you choose a web development company that truly understands your needs, your key differentiators as a business, and your customers’ perspective, you’re much more likely to gain a value-additive website that does not just serve as the face of your business — but one that helps you deepen customer connections and create new paths to opportunity growth. In short, you gain a website that positions you for success in all scenarios.
That’s exactly what our proven web design framework and process at Lincoln Digital Group is designed to do. Ready to move toward victory? Schedule a discovery call today.
