Delightful Web Stories (Web-Story | HueLike Shorts) | HueLike Web Archives

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Web Stories are a new format of stories that has emerged because of the spread of mobile technology and increasing use mobile phones to access internet and do internet transactions through them. These web stories are primarily targeted at the mobile phone users and not the usual desktop / laptop user. If you’ve used Instagram, you’d know what an Instagram Story is. The Web Story is something similar that incorporates that concept to make the mobile viewing visually appealing and keeping the text to the essential.

Google Web Story
Web Stories as a Marketing Tool
How To Create Web Stories?
Possibilities for Web Stories
Examples of Web Stories

Google Web Story

The “Web Story,” as the word suggests is meant for the world wide web / internet. And it has been introduced and is powered by Google, so it is Google Web Story.

The focus of Instagram stories are limited because as a platform it is more into images, and short videos, and “reels” (which is also a form of video/remix video. The Instagram stories are accessible only to the logged in users. And it is here that the concept of Google Web Story (GWS) gains significance. The GWS is text, still images, slide show, video – all rolled into one. This gives it greater flexibility as a concept and also wide variety of presentation options to the content creators.

GWS is openly available on the wider internet without any limitation of using any specific app or platform. So, these would be available without the need of any app, would open in the usual browser, and would be part of the Google search! The flexibility of the GWS is tremendous as it has a variety of options for creating the web stories. As these stories do not need anyone to login or register, the reach of the content should be much more compared to specific site like Instagram. Besides, if the site admins want, they can also keep the stories private only for the logged in users.

A very important aspect of GWS is that they can be edited even after publishing. This is quite unlike other apps where once the story is published, they cannot be edited. Also, GWS is considered AMP pages by Google, which is good for SEO.

Web Stories as a Marketing Tool

Through Google Web Stories, the creative souls can exhibit their creative stories through immersive stories that contains text, images, background music, videos. But it is also a useful marketing tool and can incorporate links, and call to action. In a way, GWS is better than a “Landing Page,” and for a mobile user, more efficient than a “Click Funnel,” as after watching a few slides, the users/viewers it’s very much possible for users to click on the buy button that takes them to the Buy page, or at least send out a Query about the product/ service.

Given the presence of the Google ecosystem on the internet, it is possible that this would become a favourite digital marketing tool for both online and offline service providers and advertisers.

How To Create Web Stories?

Google itself provides the story making service for free at Stories.google.

For WordPress users, it is very easy as Google has coded a plugin specially for the WordPress CMS. But even those website that don’t use WordPress, there are plenty of options to create web stories. Those who want to make web stories and would rely on other services, other than Google, are spoilt with choices as there are many third party sites providing the web story making service for free. These include MakeStories.io , NWS.ai , Unfold.com , Join-Stories.com , Ampstor.co , ProductStories.pro , Storyfyme.com , RebelMouse.com , Tappable.co , Tick.co , Viqeo.tv , VisualStories.com These sites are also listed on the Google Page

Possibilities for Web Stories

Using this tool, there are many spinoffs possible, and many businesses can think of new ideas by which to put the Web Story to make them sell their product and services and make them money. It is a field play for digital marketers, particularly when their objective is to capture the screen-space of the mobile phone. It is equally a big opportunity for many creative people who can now become experts in making web stories and bundle their creativity with internet expertise of the necessary keywords and SEO that can drive the web traffic at the desired direction. This can be their own business, or the business of their clients.

An interesting thing to observe shall be how it impacts the usage of Instagram (and similar) apps who offer similar abilities. Moreover, this move can be a game changer as it may force to make apps like Instagram to open themselves up. Interestingly, Google via YouTube already offers the “Short Video” segment. Even from the Digital Corporate competition space, the arrival of this tool is going to be an interesting watch as how the competition of Google brings about their own innovations to deal with this.

An equally interesting thing to watch shall be the users of apps like Instagram or Facebook, who use those social media apps more like their blog. That is the area in which those apps are most likely to continue to dominate. In contrast, the Google Web Story, not being restricted to certain apps, is more likely to influence the bigger market of the internet.