Your website is your online portal to your business. It is important that you give it a lot of time and attention so that it functions effectively and portrays your business in the best light possible. Remember this could be the first instance in which people are introduced to you so it’s important you get it right. Here are some top tips for creating that all star website.
Invest in a quality web design and build
As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words and the same principle applies to your website. If a visitor lands on your website and is impressed by what they see, they’re likely to take a look around if your website is relevant to their needs. For example, if your images are striking and eye catching, your branding colours are powerful and your layout is clean and functional, then a visitor is much more likely to stay on your website as opposed to if your website was messy and cluttered and immediately off putting.
Of course, it’s not all about how your website looks; the way it functions is also really important. You need to ensure your website is structurally sound. One factor that has become critical during the build, is ensuring that your website is mobile responsive. With the majority of people now searching the web from their smartphones, it’s really important your website functions well on mobile devices, otherwise you’re likely to lose a lot of traffic and potential business.
With so little time to capture the attention of those searching on the internet, a good web designer and developer really is worth their weight in gold.
Create effective content
Quality content as opposed to a load of waffle, is going to appeal to those interested in finding out about your products or services. In recent years, Google has placed unprecedented importance on the inclusion of quality content on your website. This is a time you need to be familiar with the term SEO (search engine optimisation), the process by which your website attains listing spots as a result of searches carried out on Google. If your website contains quality content that is being updated on a regular and consistent basis, then you will be assisting your SEO and Google will be more likely to list you in the top spots. Of course, SEO doesn’t end there: read our earlier blog on SEO to learn how your website can attain higher ranking.
Develop a powerful marketing strategy
Of course, if you have invested time and money on getting the look and function of your website spot on, then there’s just one more thing you need to be doing to give your website that little something extra…. And that’s getting it noticed. Digital marketing now offers businesses like yours, huge opportunities to increase their website reach, potential customers and even tap into a new audience. Currently, some of the most effective digital marketing strategies include Social Media Marketing, PPC (pay per click advertising) and SEO as mentioned above.
Note – if you are spending money on your marketing, it is a good idea to track your return on investment and monitor which strategies are working effectively and identify those that are not. Google Analytics, is an important reporting tool to have installed on your website to help you track the activity.
Of course, in this blog entry we have only briefly touched upon the means by which you can create a powerful website platform. If you would like a more in depth and personalised consultation tailored to your individual business needs, then please do not hesitate to contact our friendly team at Carrick Creative today.