There seem to be a million and one things to consider when it comes to building a website – and no matter where you look, everyone is throwing digital marketing terminology around making the whole process feel very overwhelming. There are so many different ways to build a website that even though you think you are making a sound investment, it’s very possible that something vital will be missed.
The main things you need to remember, is to make sure your website is:
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Easy to understand
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Easy to use
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Easy to find
Easy to understand
Think of your website like the digital shopfront for your business. You need to strategically place information about your business in the shopfront to draw in customers… and you need to make sure that information puts your best foot forward. Therefore, your website should cover the following:
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Who you are (your brand)
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Who do you work with (your target audience)
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What you do (your products and services)
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Where you operate (location, or accessibility)
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How you do what you do (what makes you special)
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Why you do what you do (what drives you, why they should choose you)
When you write the information for your website, or engage someone to do it for you – these are the key categories of information you must include to really connect with your target audience. But that’s not all.. You also need to consider your imagery. A website with too much text isn’t engaging, and will have people leaving just as quickly as they came.
Easy to use
So you’ve written all your information for your website and are ready to put it all into a website page.. But there’s one final and arguably the most important thing to consider. The usability of your website is essential in delivering a great experience to your customers, and getting them to buy your product or service.
First things first – it must be responsive, or optimised for mobile. This is non negotiable.
Next – check out your competition, and any other websites you use regularly. What do you like about them? What don’t you like? This will then help you in directing your web design partner in the right direction. Designers are not mind readers… we’re close, but still need a little direction on what you like / don’t like before creating your masterpiece.
Easy to find
What good is having a website if no one can find it? Or in turn, find information about your business? Search engines such as Google receive 3.5 billion searches per day, and that number continues to climb. If your business isn’t easy to find in the digital age, then there’s a good chance you’re missing out on customers.
Some of the main ways you can make sure your company website is found are:
Search Engine Optimisation is the process of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic by increasing a websites visibility to search engines (Google). Check out this image is from MOZ that breaks down each of the key areas of consideration.
Social media marketing
Other digital channels such as Facebook and LinkedIn allow you to directly communicate with your audience. These days, people expect access and transparency from companies – Accessibility and transparency build trust. Social Media may not always have a clear return on direct investment, but it does encourage better business and brand awareness – and will drive traffic to your website.
Contact us as Pascal Satori about building your new website.
