Just a few weeks ago, we said “goodbye” to 2018 and gave 2019 a warm welcome. It seems every year comes with plenty of change, whether that be website design, social media trends, marketing tactics, or services we offer.

To kick off the new year, we decided to sit down with team members from our different departments to see what they anticipate for 2019.

Katie, Senior Designer

What website design features do you predict will emerge in 2019?

“In 2019, I think user convenience will become more of a priority. People don’t have the time or patience to interact with web pages that don’t function properly, are confusing, take forever to load, or are overflowing with information. It’s important that your website be clear, concise, logical, and free of glitches.

Because users can access your site from a variety of places, it’s important that everything is equally accessible/understandable on both desktop and mobile devices. With that said, since users are often accessing websites via mobile devices, using a thumb-friendly design is more important than ever.

To stay relevant during an age when digital consumption is at an all-time high, it’s important your website leaves users feeling satisfied. When users feel content after interacting with your website, the relationship they have with your brand/firm is maintained and they will continue to view you in a positive light.

Achieving a positive user experience requires you to focus on the little things. Beautiful, professional imagery can leave a huge impact. The use of video can be captivating. Creative or well-written content will help keep users engaged. Even the font and font size choices you make to display content can have an impact on how it’s received.

In areas of your website where you want users to take action (like filling out a form, clicking on a button, or hovering over an image), make sure your website is prepared to respond to these actions.”

What website trends do you hope will be left behind in 2018?

“Sacrificing legibility. Unique fonts might seem like a good idea but if they aren’t legible, what’s the point? This goes for regular text content and logos that are displayed on a website.

Slideshows and carousel imagery can be left behind too. Your user’s time is precious. Don’t make users stop and wait as your slideshow cycles through six separate images and messages. It’s likely they won’t wait and will miss all that hidden content anyway.

I’m also not the biggest fan of parallax scrolling and animation for no purpose other than being visually interesting. Users are craving clean and simple design. Don’t distract with unnecessary bells and whistles that add no value. Also, removing such complexities could reduce load time.”

What’s the future of online obituaries?

“Online obituaries will continue becoming more like social media platforms — encouraging interaction and serving as an online community for friends and family of the deceased.

I predict that there will be increased options for personalization — creating more ways for funeral homes/families to customize online tributes for the deceased and creating ways for friends/family to leave more personalized condolences, memories, etc.”

Sam, Social Media and Video Specialist

What social media trends do you predict this year for the funeral profession?

“I predict that funeral homes will update their Facebook Pages regularly and join Instagram. Facebook continues to prove it’s the best place to reach Baby Boomers online, so I predict funeral homes will continue to increase their Facebook presence and utilize Facebook Live and Facebook Stories to reach their audience in new ways.

I’ve been really impressed with some of the funeral homes I’ve seen on Instagram. As they continue to do well and reach younger audiences, I think we’ll see even more funeral homes join Instagram.”

What do funeral homes need to do in terms of social media in 2019 to stand out?

“To really stand out in 2019, funeral homes need to utilize more social media features! Don’t be afraid to start a Live video on Facebook or Instagram or add to your Stories. Plan out what you want to talk about and use the opportunity to engage with your audience.

Some ideas for Stories or Live videos are introducing your staff, showcasing some of your memorialization products, and answering common questions you get about funeral services. If you and your staff don’t want to be on camera, you can create interesting content for Facebook or Instagram Stories with apps like Canva or Stencil.

Another great way to stand out on social media is to post regularly. We’re working on a new way to help funeral homes be more active on social media, so stay tuned!”

What social media tactics do you hope will be left behind in 2018?

“Putting links in Instagram posts. I see a lot of links in Instagram posts and, unfortunately, these links aren’t clickable. So, leave that habit in 2018, and put the links you want people to click on your Instagram profile! Don’t forget to tell people to click the “link in bio” on your posts.”

Sam, Marketing Manager

What marketing trends do you predict this year for the funeral profession?

“I predict video marketing becoming even more prevalent for funeral homes. Video tours of their facilities, live Q&A sessions on Facebook, and introductory videos of your staff will all be great ways to connect with your community in 2019.”

What do funeral homes need to do in terms of marketing in 2019 to stand out?

“Funeral homes need to do more to differentiate from their competitors. It’s time to get more creative with your advertising and create more personalized ads that represent your brand. Don’t create something that any funeral home can create, create something that really represents your firm and your ideals.”

What previous marketing tactics can carry on into 2019?

“Print advertising is something that will continue to be relevant. Surprisingly, it reaches every generation and is still one of the best types of advertising in terms of return on investment. With everything going digital, it’s nice to have something tangible every once in a while.”

Key Takeaway

“Overall, 2019 is the year your funeral home should try to stand out. Don’t rely on cookie-cutter marketing tactics. Give your client families a reason to choose you instead of your competitor on the other side of town.”

Audrey, Tribute Insurance Assignments Operations Manager

What do you see for Tribute Insurance Assignments in 2019?

“In 2019, Tribute Insurance Assignments is looking forward to increasing our client market. We will be continuing to update our submission process and improving our technology to better serve our funeral homes. We are currently working on growing our Tribute Insurance Assignment team to accommodate the additional clients that we are excited to bring on board!”

CJ, Sales Consultant

What do you anticipate for Tribute Pay in 2019?

“Every year, more people rely less on cash or check as a regular method of payment, and I see this trend continuing in 2019. This is due to the convenience and safety of paying by credit card. Over the past few years, slowly but surely, we have seen the funeral profession start to follow suit. This is why all Frazer-powered websites come equipped with credit card processing — to allow those who prefer not to pay by cash or check to be able to make funeral payments.

Along with the option to make a payment, our state-of-the-art Tribute Pay platform also allows families to raise donations from their community via crowdfunding, offer financing options via Tribute Loans, as well as process insurance assignments easier and faster than ever using our Tribute Insurance Assignment feature. Tribute Pay was designed to help ease the transition into an electronic payment world so you and your staff can rest easy knowing you are ahead of the curve.

In 2019, we will continue to offer these services and make them even better for our clients!”

What do you hope to see from us in 2019? Share your thoughts in the comments below!