It doesn’t really matter whether the end user is coming in to get that information; it needs to be one place where that is stored and that’s where headless really comes in.
Jerome Tam is the Founder and Director of Rush Hour Digital, a trusted, mission-driven digital agency and consultancy focusing on creating world-class user experiences in web and mobile-based applications. Since its inception in 2012, it has helped over 150 clients embark on a digital future, from ideation, digital strategy and the user experience to application development. The agency was named one of the top 20 startups by Hong Kong Business magazine.
Tam, who derives much of his inspiration from his family, has also served as a visiting lecturer for interface design at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
In this episode of Velocitize Talks, Jerome Tam shares his thoughts on the future of websites, headless and SEO.
(Watch a previous episode of Velocitize Talks with Jerome Tam here.)
Branding, Rebranding & Everything in Between
The rebrand exercise is about showcasing who we really are and modernizing and bringing the audience up to speed as to who we are today, as opposed to who we were a few years ago.
Rush Hour Digital, which was once Rush Hour Media, helps clients present their digital content across devices while showcasing their brand identity. At times, this may involve rebranding in order to reintroduce yourself to your audience. One notable example was when Dunkin’ Donuts rebranded itself to Dunkin’ in 2018, mostly to appeal to a younger audience.
Rush Hour Digital works closely with their clients to discover what sets them apart and makes them special. “Branding on a visual level or a communication level really is about authenticity and showing who you are and what you are there to provide for your clients or know your consumer,” Tam says.
In a recent project, Rush Hour Digital partnered with leading brand builder Jebsen to rebuild their WordPress platform which included award-winning design and development. Jebsen represents 200 of the world’s premium brands, such as Porsche and Bollinger Champagne. They were able to do this by emphasizing their authenticity while keeping Jebsen’s brand values front and center.
The way a customer feels about a brand strongly impacts whether they buy from that brand. According to Edelman, over 80% of consumers say they have to trust a brand before making a purchase. Personalization plays a huge role in gaining consumer trust.
High Performance
All this information can be in one place. No matter what device your user is accessing it from, it all comes from the same place, same database and same information.
As a content strategy, headless allows Tam’s team to use more cutting-edge technology and see improvement in terms of page load speed. “We are converting advocates of the approach,” Tam says. “It is about educating our clients to explain why the budget is bigger than previously but I think that ultimately the end product is a lot better in terms of speed performance.”
The use of headless technology like WP Engine’s Atlas allows companies to take advantage of new tools that can easily publish content beyond the website and across multiple platforms, streamlining the customer experience. With headless, however, extra development time and resources may be necessary to address slow site performance due to a high amount of content and number of pages.
Put Your Money Where Your Business Is
The money should go where it drives the most impact.
All brands want to know the same thing. Where should they invest their marketing resources in order to accelerate their overall digital presence? That depends heavily on the type of business. For e-commerce and consumer brands, for example, that could mean focusing on a seamless checkout and transaction process. For B2B or B2C, you might prioritize social media advertising.
A mobile brand, meanwhile, may be focused more on the content strategy or brand aesthetics. For example, Rush Hour Digital worked with Hong Kong lifestyle website Sassy Media Group to make the overall brand and content more dynamic while improving its mobile experience.
In Search of Websites
The website is still the most direct and the easiest way for consumers and end users to find information. I don’t think that’s going to change anytime soon.
People have predicted for years that websites would eventually become obsolete and replaced by apps. However, WordPress CMS and other website platforms continue to thrive.
A major reason is because there are clear SEO benefits to having a website. For one, higher Google rankings. As Tam points out, websites are on search engines where apps are not. “Being on the first couple pages of Google, the first few search results, is going to make a huge difference to your business,” Tam says. “It’s a huge benefit of having a website.”
“To keep all of these digital transformation projects is really about setting a goal and objectives at the very beginning,” Tam says.
For more information on Rush Hour Digital, check out their website and follow them on LinkedIn and Twitter at @RushHourDigita1. To stay up to date with Jerome Tam, follow him on LinkedIn.