kinetik IT blog spot

It used to be that the recipe for high search engine visibility was a simple one: have lots of keyword-rich content on your website and develop tons of inbound links.

Over the past few years and Google algorithm changes, those rules have changed a little bit. Content is still important, but your approach to sprinkling in search terms has to be more nuanced. And, Google is a lot more discriminating about which links it will count when considering the authority of your domain.

However, while some SEO consultants and business owners have taken this to mean that links don’t matter anymore, that’s not the right conclusion. In fact, links are more important to domain authority than ever before; you just have to have the right ones pointed at your website.

For that reason, today we're going to share five simple link-building tricks you can use to make your content stand out on Google and the other search engines…

#1 Create Link-Friendly Pages and Posts

The best way to generate links to your website is by posting fresh content that appeals to your target audience. Don’t just settle for putting articles on your blog, though. Make sure they have short titles, sustained page previews, and images that are easy to share.

Follow these rules and you'll make it much more likely that your readers will decide to link to your content from their own blogs and social media profiles.

#2 Promote New Content Releases

You can’t have links until you have visitors to your website. So, as you add fresh pieces of content – and particularly blog articles like this one containing industry news and insights – be sure to promote them. Post about them on your social media accounts and in your email newsletter. Consider adding buttons that generate instant inbound links.

The more viewership you get, and the more convenient it is for people to link to your content, the bigger online footprint you’ll generate with every update.

#3 Expand Your Reach with Guest Posts

Guest posting, which involves writing articles for someone else’s website or publication, has fallen out of favor in recent years. That’s because Google doesn’t treat links from low-quality forums with as much weight as they used to.

However, if you can place a post on a well-known site with a high Google page rank, the resulting back link is going to have quite a bit of SEO value. Additionally, it could help you drive more traffic to your website if readers like your ideas.

#4 Generate Media Attention

One of the simplest ways to get high-quality back links to your website is to get attention from the media. In particular, local news outlets and industry publications might be open to reporting on a new product, promotion, or special event you want to talk about.

You can earn this type of visibility by sending out press releases, or just by contacting editors who cover businesses like yours.

#5 Build Corroborating References for Google

Google uses multiple sources of information to determine things like a company’s location and reputation. So, by creating and maintaining accurate profiles with local business directories and industry guides you can give search engine users the information they need to find you online and decide to work with you.

Our firm can help you use automated software to establish and maintain these profiles and just a few minutes. That’s a small effort with a big payoff.

Want More Help With SEO and Online Marketing?

At Kinetik IT, we don’t just help businesses across Arizona to manage their technology – we can help you get the most from your website, too. Contact us today to set up an audit of your pages so we can see what Google does and make recommendations that will bring you more customers!

Did you know that Google assesses over 200 different factors when determining whether your website is a good search result or not? While business owners tend to understand that content inbound links are important to their search visibility, many underestimate the impact of several technical factors that also come into play.

That’s bad news for business owners who don’t pay attention to things like website performance. However, it’s great news for those to want an easy way to get an online marketing edge over the competition.

Let’s look at seven technical issues that can cause Google to ignore your website, and what you can do to fix them…

#1 Slow Web Page Loading Times

Google likes websites that load quickly, and so do its users. If your layouts take a long time to display, particularly on mobile devices, you’ll have a hard time attracting traffic.

Luckily, slow website performance is usually easy to fix. By improving your web hosting package and optimizing images and text you may be able to shave seconds off of your delivery time.

#2 Non-Responsive Website Layouts

More than half of all web traffic comes from phones and tablets. If your website isn’t compatible with mobile devices than Google won’t present you as a viable result.

It’s not difficult to upgrade to a responsive web design that adapts itself based on screen size and browser type. But, it’s not a change you should put off if you haven’t made it already.

#3 Broken Links or Missing Pages

When you have links on your website that go nowhere, that’s a sign to Google that your content isn’t well-maintained or that your website has structural problems.

It can be surprisingly easy to overlook these kinds of problems if you’re examining a website with the naked eye. However, a good web design partner can use automated tools to spot any problems you might have.

#4 Page Redirects or Missing Referrals

In the same way, links or referrals to content that exists on your website (or beyond) has to be updated. If it isn’t, then your pages can’t be considered a reliable or useful resource for visitors.

This is another area where a web design partner can use detailed tools to identify problems and correct any issues that are hidden within the code in your website.

#5 Missing SSL Security

Over the past year, Google has started prioritizing websites with SSL (Secure Socket Layers) connectivity that encrypts any transfer of information. It’s just safer for users who might be sending things like email addresses or financial information.

SSL is inexpensive and can be added through your web hosting package with the help of a web design partner.

#6 Apps or Plug-ins that Don't Work

Over time the apps and plug-ins you've added to your website to increase functionality or marketing power might go out of date, conflict with one another, or simply stop working altogether. When that happens, Google reads it as an error on your site and a potential security risk.

As part of a website audit we can help identify problematic apps and help you to update, remove, or replace them.

#7 Content Duplication Errors

If your website has text or other content that has been “borrowed” from other websites – even your own – Google treats that as a signal that your pages aren’t unique results.

Of course, you can always write new content for your website, or work with online marketing specialists who can help you to craft a message that appeals to Google and real-life buyers.

Is Your Website Being Held Back or Pushed Ahead in the Search Engine Listings?

As we’ve already mentioned, these technical SEO factors can drag you down the search rankings or give you a boost that propels you ahead of your close competitors. If you don’t think you’re getting as many visits from Google as you should be, contact Kinetik IT today so we can arrange for a detailed website audit and get the answers you need.

Your website probably has a lot of different purposes. You might use it to recruit talent for your team, for example, or to spread news about events. However, its primary purpose is likely to generate sales, leads, and subscriptions. In other words, you likely judge the success or failure of your online marketing efforts on your ability to generate conversions.

Despite what a lot of marketing gurus might want you to think, pulling those conversions out of thin digital air isn’t always as simple as they make it out to be. It often takes a substantial investment of time and/or money to make an impact on your bottom line.

There aren’t any shortcuts to this process, but there are some proven practices you can follow. Today, let’s look at three tricks top online marketers use to generate massive conversions…

#1 Tailor Your Content and Campaigns

The classic mistake business owners and web designers make when trying to generate conversions is building a site (or ad, landing page, etc.) that is supposed to appeal to everyone. That just leads to the site promoting a generic marketing message that isn’t particularly effective for any group of buyers.

If you want to generate massive conversions, your first step is to figure out exactly whom you want to convert from your website and what it is they really need from a company like yours. Then you can tailor your content, and all your campaigns, in a way that feels like a meaningful one-on-one interaction between you and the customer.

Don’t market your products or services to everyone. Instead, zero in on the buyers who are most likely to respond to your offers and remain loyal customers for years to come.

#2 Mix Hard and Soft Offers

It’s no secret that different buyers respond to different cues. That’s why you should have a mix of so-called “hard” and “soft” offers on your website, your social media accounts, and other marketing platforms.

In this context, hard offers are ones that force your prospect to make an immediate choice. A pop-up ad is a good example of this: your visitor can either do what you’ve asked or click away. A soft offer, on the other hand, is an embedded link, a button, or an image that takes them to a targeted resource. It remains in the background, ready to be used, but isn’t intrusive.

If conversions are your goal, you should implement and experiment with both types of offers.

#3 Create Multiple Conversion Opportunities

No matter how well-designed your website is, you aren’t going to win most of your conversions on the first attempt. The majority of online searchers and buyers are going to require multiple exposures to your offers or brand before they’ll respond.

Luckily, you can give yourself second and third chances to generate conversions by using tools like retargeting and email autoresponders. By putting them to use you can not only improve your conversion rates, but also generate subsequent conversions (such as turning an email download into an in-person appointment).

When you create multiple conversion opportunities, your results will almost always improve significantly over time.

Need to Generate More Online Leads or Conversions?

If you aren’t getting conversions from your website, then your website isn’t doing its job. And neither is your web design and online marketing team.

In this business results matter more than anything, and the team at Kinetik IT in Arizona knows how to get them. Contact us today so we can schedule a free consultation and evaluate your current website and approach to online marketing together.

Many marketers think about web design in terms of what they want potential customers to see. That perspective is important, but it’s equally important to consider what it is you want prospective clients to feel and do. That’s where user experience (or UX for short) comes into play.

UX is a huge topic in web design, and there have been a lot of books, videos, and even entire seminars devoted to the topic. Assuming you are a business owner or executive who just wants to improve online results, though, most of what you need to know can be boiled down to five simple rules…

#1 Audience Awareness Gives You a Big Web Design Advantage

Good UX, like good web design, is highly subjective. The way you would build a page for a group of executives might differ very much from the layout created for an audience of teens.

Knowing that, it’s important that you and your design team think very carefully about your target audience. In fact, you should be aware that there might be several audiences (including decision-makers, researchers, and influencers) who all have their own distinct needs and preferences. Then you can create pages and content that appeal to your specific prospects.

#2 Website Loading Speed is a Top Priority

One thing that is virtually universal about providing a pleasant online user experience is the need for webpages that load quickly. This is underscored by the fact that numerous surveys have shown that the average visitor will leave your page in just a few seconds if they don’t see what they’re looking for.

There are a lot of ways to speed up your website, including upgraded web hosting, more efficient website coding, and image optimization. If yours aren’t moving fast enough, you should take steps to correct the problem.

#3 Your Most Important Information Comes First

In the old days, newspaper editors knew that the lead story had to fall “above the fold” so people passing by could see the headlines and decide whether to make a purchase. The same principles apply to your business website.

Whatever is most important for visitors to know about your company should fall within the areas that will load immediately on a user’s screen – even (or especially) if they are using a mobile device. That’s not a lot of space, so you should use it wisely.

#4 More Clicking Means Less Engagement

There are a lot of different ways to organize information on a website, but you and your web design team should pay close attention to the “depth” of your content. That term refers to the number of clicks or layers a visitor has to navigate in order to find the information they want.

As a rule of thumb, the deeper a website is, the less engagement you’re going to have. You don’t necessarily want to put everything on one or two pages, but you also have to be careful that things like product details or event registrations aren’t difficult to locate.

#5 Visitors Should be Guided in the Right Direction

If you have a conversion goal you want to achieve, you should do everything you can to guide website visitors in the right direction. Make sure all of your pages and calls to action lead to a specific point.

This is good for your marketing efforts, of course, but it’s also good UX. When you funnel visitors in the right way, you show them what they can do to get more information and never leave them stranded.

Is It Time to Boost the Results from Your Business Website?

If you feel like your business hasn’t been making the most of trends like UX, mobile marketing, or custom web development, it’s time to start getting the personal advice you need. Talk to the creative minds at Kinetik IT in Phoenix today to see how we can help with web design, online marketing, technology management, and so much more!

We get the chance to meet with new business owners and executives every week. Often, they have been referred by their friends and colleagues. That gives us a big edge over the competition, of course, but many still ask the question that’s really on their minds: why should they work with Kinetik IT instead of another Arizona technology service provider?

There are a lot of answers we can give based on a client’s needs and situation. However, the most compelling answers can be summed up into four major benefits we bring to the table. Today, we are going to tell you why we think you should choose us for your outsourced IT needs.

We Keep Your Business Running Smoothly

The biggest reason clients go looking for outsourced IT provider is that they are tired of dealing with hardware and software problems, along with unplanned service outages. In other words, they just want their technology to work the way it’s supposed to.

Our team of specialists knows how important it is for you to be able to concentrate on your company, not the latest software update or cybersecurity threat. So, everything we do is designed to make your life easier and stress-free.

We Do More Than Fix Hardware and Software

While there are other IT companies and in and around Phoenix with similar technical skills and qualifications, few can match the consulting services we provide. That’s because they are used to fixing IT problems rather than seeing the big picture in a client’s business or organization.

You want an IT firm that can understand your goals, help you plan for the future, and even establish accurate technology budgets. With that kind of help you can turn IT from an expense to an opportunity and not only get exactly what you need to move your business plans forward, but do it while saving money.

We Offer Plans For Every Group or Need

Some IT companies will try to lock you into a much bigger monthly contract or agreement then you need. Or, they’ll charge big fees if you find your company is growing or shrinking and your technology needs change.

Our business has been around for decades, meaning we’ve gone through those same changes ourselves. Along the way, we’ve learned that everyone is happier when our clients have the flexibility to add or scale back services as needed. And, we make a point of customizing plans and billing options for every situation. That’s the way we would want to be treated, so it’s what we give our clients.

Kinetik IT Has an Unmatched Reputation in Arizona

One of the big challenges business owners have in choosing an outsourced IT company is that so many pack up and go every year. That’s unfortunate, because there is nothing enjoyable about having to bring in a new team of technicians, get them familiar with your hardware and software, and explain the ins and outs of your business or industry.

The Kinetik IT team has been serving clients around Arizona for a long time, and we don’t plan on going anywhere. That stability, along with an unmatched reputation for service has made us the choice for business owners who want real value in a tech support vendor.

Ready to Work With the Best?

If you’re tired of working with technology support companies that charge too much, play games with their pricing, or don’t deliver on their promises then we would love to hear from you. Contact Kinetik IT in Phoenix today to learn more about our work and get a free estimate for the maintenance, advice, and security services you need.

Surveys show that almost 90% of buyers will read an online review before they make a purchase, appointment, or walk-in visit to a business they don’t already know. And, Google currently gets more than three-quarters of all search traffic in North America. Put those two facts together and it’s obvious that Google reviews should be a cornerstone of your online marketing effort.

That’s straightforward enough, but gathering feedback from customers isn’t always so simple. Even though buyers like reading reviews, they rarely take the time to leave them. When they do, it’s usually because they are dissatisfied, not because they want to share a great experience with others.

Knowing that, how can you get customers to recommend you on Google? Today, we are going to share five simple tips you can use to boost and improve your Google review profile right away…

#1 Ask Them for Their Testimonials

Sometimes the clearest solution is the most effective one. Often, even your most committed customers might not realize just how important it is for your company to get good reviews and testimonials. By simply asking them to go online to your Google business profile and say something nice, you might be able to convince some of them to take a moment to do so. This can be especially effective with your happiest customers, who in turn tend to leave the best reviews.

#2 Give Them Hassle-Free Customer Service

If you’re smart you can turn a negative into a positive by handling any customer service request quickly and efficiently. Make it a point to correct every problem and clear up any misunderstandings within a very short period of time. Buyers won’t just be impressed when you exceed their expectations; they’ll often tell the world about it.

#3 Hold a Contest or Raffle

You can get into a lot of trouble paying for positive reviews for your business. However, there’s nothing unethical or problematic about incentivizing buyers to leave honest feedback. You could hold a raffle, contest, or drawing for reviewers so long as there isn’t any necessity for them to give up a certain star rating or perspective in return. People love free things, and a giveaway can be great for your review profile.

#4 Make Your Google Business Page Prominent

Sometimes, the easiest way to get more reviews is to simply make sure buyers know where to leave them. In other words, by filling out your Google business page with details like photos, logos, current addresses, and website links, you make it easier for customers who have worked with you to find your business and share their opinions. At the same time, taking these steps makes it more likely new customers will find you, too.

#5 Add Links to Your Google Business Page

Even when you aren’t necessarily making a big push to get more reviews, you should have lots of links to your Google business page for customers to find. You might include them on the home page of your website, and your social media feeds, and even in your email signature. You don’t want buyers to have to hunt for your information, and some of them might decide to leave a testimonial after they’ve been prompted to do so a half-dozen times.

Is Your Online Reputation as Strong as it Could Be?

If you get the feeling that your online reputation – the reviews and feedback buyers have left about your business – isn’t helping your business as much as it could be, then it’s time to make a change. Contact the online marketing experts at Kinetik IT in Phoenix, Arizona today to see how we can help!

Words are powerful things. With the right ones on your website, you can attract search engine visits, separate yourself from your competitors, and even convince visitors to place an order or share their contact information.

Contrary to what you may have heard in the past, it isn’t impossible to create the kind of content that leads to epic sales growth. Neither does it necessarily require you to hire a high-priced copywriter. Instead, you just have to know and follow a handful of proven principles.

Want to know what they are? Here are five steps you can follow today to write hard-hitting content that drives customers to take immediate action…

#1 Write to a Person, Not a Marketplace

Do you know who your perfect customers are? If so, picture them in your head every time you sit down to write a webpage, blog post, or online ad.

Instead of thinking in terms of demographics, picture a single individual who is sitting in front of you. That will help you to avoid platitudes and focus on what matters to the kind of real person who will be making decisions to buy your products or not.

#2 Narrow in on Pain Points and Tangible Benefits

In the world of selling there is an old piece of advice that goes like this: “talk about benefits, not features.” That applies to writing great web content, too. Instead of thinking in terms of technical specs, tell your customers about the things your products and services actually do for them. Focus specifically on the headaches or worries that can be taken away.

In other words, think about why someone should buy what you have to sell and make it as pointed as possible. That will give your web content an unmistakable edge.

#3 Get Emotional with Your Language

As humans we like facts and figures but make decisions based on our emotions. That’s why we are drawn to things that make us feel younger, more energetic, and sexier instead of more rational purchases at lower prices.

You don’t need to go over the top with your web content, but you should use emotional language whenever possible. That’s what resonates with buyers and leads to epic sales growth.

#4 Create a Sense of Urgency

Buyers love to get information but often have trouble making decisions. If you can give them a little bit of a nudge – possibly through limited-quantity supplies or deadline-driven coupon codes, for example – you can dramatically increase conversions.

There’s a fine line between “nudging” and resorting to high-pressure tactics, of course, but you have to find the right balance. Otherwise, you’ll find that many of your customers will think about purchasing from you endlessly without ever taking the final step.

#5 Refine Your Content Until Conversions Rise

As long as your website keeps growing your content should keep improving. You should be open to testing new headlines, messages, and offers on a month-by-month basis.

Even creative industry professionals like us can’t predict with perfect accuracy what buyers will or won’t respond to. So, we use split testing, track our web analytics, and keep aiming for bigger and better results. It takes time and patience, but it’s the only way to guarantee we are going to squeeze as many sales as possible from every online marketing campaign.

Let Us Supercharge Your Online Marketing

At Kinetik IT, we don’t just work with interesting web design and online marketing concepts – we help our clients to grow their businesses in ways that can be measured on the bottom line. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and let us show you what we can do for your company.

Are you sick of seeing visitors come to your website without completing a purchase, signing up for your newsletter, or otherwise taking action to further a sale? Do you have plenty of searches and social visits, but too many bounces and too few revenue-generating results?

If so, you might need one of our seven proven tactics for massive website conversions. Let’s look at some tools you can put to use in your business today…

#1 Better Traffic-to-Landing-Page Alignment

Wherever your web traffic is coming from, visitors have something on their minds when they arrive on your website. Keep those “pain points” in mind as you put your landing pages together. The more a potential customer identifies with your marketing messages, the easier will be for you to persuade them to take the next step.

#2 Instant Discount Codes

It goes without saying that price is a big consideration for a first-time customer. They want to get as much as they can for the lowest possible price. By offering instant coupon codes for new customers you can sometimes nudge otherwise-reluctant buyers forward so they feel comfortable placing their first-order on your website.

#3 Customer-Focused Information Offers

In situations where there is a big purchase or decision to be made, you can’t always persuade a prospect to take a huge step all at once. What you can do, though, is offer a very targeted piece of information (like a downloadable e-book or video) that helps them to see the value of what you have to sell. That gives you a way to follow up with them again later and get them thinking about your solutions.

#4 Targeted Video Testimonials From Customers

Online marketing can present you with a catch-22 situation. On the one hand, your content has to be compelling if you want to generate results. But on the other hand, if your content is too good buyers will be skeptical of your claims. By showing them video testimonials from other real customers you can break through their hesitation and allow them to move forward confidently.

#5 Money-Back Guarantees on Your Products

Just like testimonials, money-back guarantees help prospective customers to remove some of the perceived risk from a transaction. If they know they can recover any cash that has been spent in the event that they aren’t 100% satisfied, then there isn’t much of a reason for them to hesitate in buying.

#6 Dynamic Content and Individualized Offers

It’s easier than ever to integrate dynamic content into your website. These could be pages, offers, or even pop-up ads that change based on browsing history, shopping cart behavior, etc. Given that no two buyers have the exact same needs, integrating that kind of individualized approach to your marketing can be a huge boost to conversion rates.

#7 Retargeting Ads That Give Buyers a Second Chance

Internet marketers are starting to realize what great salespeople have known for decades: that “no” usually isn’t a final answer. With retargeting ads, you can give buyers additional chances to come back to your website even after they’ve failed to convert on the first visit. In some businesses these campaigns can triple or even quadruple conversion rates.

Ready to Boost Your Website Conversions?

If you want to see more visitors coming to your website – and turn more of those visits into sales opportunities – you need a creative team that understands what it takes to generate real-world results you can see in your bottom line. Contact Kinetik IT in Phoenix today to schedule a free consultation!

Branding is a big topic. It’s such a big one, in fact, that amidst all the talk about logos, identities, and style sheets, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that it isn’t an abstract concept. The fact of the matter is that building your brand can help you boost sales. We know because it’s a story we’ve seen play out again and again.

Wondering exactly how the money you spend on improving your brand and image could come back to you in terms of new sales, accounts, or appointments? Let’s look at a few of the most obvious ways…

Branding is about Instant Impressions

When you have a great brand in place, you'll make a sharp first impression on potential customers, colleagues, and even employees. That means you have an immediate advantage and people are more apt to decide to work with you. That’s because they began the relationship assuming you are competent, professional, and trustworthy.

Conversely, when your branding is vague or underwhelming you don’t begin with any of these advantages. That makes it harder to establish the right tone later.

People Recognize Brands over Products and Prices

Business owners often assume customers buy based on price. That's certainly a factor, but it’s definitely not the only one. Just look at the way many people will pay premiums for certain types of clothing, food, or luxury items even though more cost-effective choices are available.

When people know and like your brand, they are more likely to buy from you even if competitors sell similar products or services for less.

Strong Branding Builds Trust

The real goal of your branding effort should be to establish an identity in the marketplace that is instantly recognized by anyone within your customer base. That is, when they see your logo they know exactly who you are, what you’re about, and why they should work with you instead of taking their business elsewhere.

All of this comes back to an issue of trust. When you have a strong brand, it means buyers implicitly trust your marketing messages in a way they don’t trust others.

The Right Branding Campaign Can Increase Referrals

Although we’ve touched on the advantages of branding in a one-to-one setting, it’s also true that you can increase positive referrals and reviews with a strong brand. Buyers feel more comfortable recommending businesses that are known to others. Furthermore, we all have a subconscious bias towards being associated with winning and success.

When your brand is strong enough people will want your prestige to rub off on them. That means more introductions, better candidates for your job openings, and bigger opportunities to expand.

Good Branding Improves Conversion on All Marketing Campaigns

Your brand doesn’t exist in a vacuum. The more well-known it gets, the more effective the rest of your marketing is. When people know your image and message they are more responsive to email, online ads, and even print offers. That, in turn, boosts your brand even more.

The bottom line is that a strong branding effort tends to be self-fulfilling over time. The more you put into it, the bigger rewards you’re going to get out of the process later.

Need Help With Your Company’s Brand?

At Kinetik IT in Phoenix, we have helped hundreds of companies to establish themselves as leaders in the marketplace. From logos and visual identities to brand development and style sheets, we know what it takes to separate your business from the competition.

Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and see what we can do for you!

Web development is something of an interesting topic in business circles. To some owners and executives, it essentially amounts to website design. To others, and particularly those in the online marketing industry, development has more to do with functionality and user features than it does visuals and layouts.

These two areas of business website creation tend to overlap quite a bit, of course, but the point is that you probably want an online presence for your company that does more than show pictures of your team and products. In this day and age, you want pages and applications that give information, automate data collection, and perform lots of other features that help your bottom line.

The good news is that all of that is very possible. The bad news is that it won’t happen by accident. If you want a website that’s as versatile as a business tool as it is an online brochure, you’re going to have to plan ahead.

With that in mind, let’s look at a handful of key questions you should ask yourself when planning the perfect web development project…

What do You Want Your Website to do?

You can think of this question in a couple of ways. The first points at the specific features you’d like to have included on your site. Maybe you want to have real-time inventory and pricing data. Perhaps your customers can benefit from shipping information or currency calculators. It could be that a live customer chat feature would help you get more orders and decrease returns.

In a bigger picture sense, though, we would invite you to think about what it is you want your website to do for your business. How could it impact your bottom line by helping you to improve sales, increase your margins, or cut costs? Often, the goals you have for your company can help lead you to the right features to integrate on your pages.

Until you know what it is you want your website to actually accomplish, it’s difficult to create a plan that will meet your needs.

How Do You Want Your Website to Look?

This is the part of the process business owners and executives love. And, even though we are emphasizing the functionality and business power of a web presence, aesthetics are still important.

That’s because your website shouldn’t just “look good.” It should reflect your value and unique selling proposition by positioning you correctly against your colleagues and competitors. And, it should be designed in a way that grabs the attention of your most important prospects and customers. It should almost literally jump off the page and make them want to interact with your content.

Make no mistake: your website has to do a lot of things, but it also has to look like something buyers want to use. If it doesn’t, then all the features in the world aren’t going to help.

What Existing Apps Can Help You Meet Your Business Goals?

When it comes to web programming, not everything has to be built from the ground up. In fact, they’re so many apps and plug-ins out there that work alongside WordPress, Drupal, Magento, and every other major platform that you can often get by with little or no custom development.

It’s worth pointing out, however, that it’s easy to overload your website with extraneous plug-ins that add little to user experience while slowing down your website or adding security risks. Think of them like ornaments on a Christmas tree – you really stand out, but too many can tip the whole thing over on its side.

This is another area where a good development team can help you to not only find the right solutions, but to figure out what you really need on your website in the first place. They can help you find the fine line between giving visitors lots to use and keeping your website working quickly and cleanly.

Is Your Web Development Project Worth the Time and Expense?

Just like anything else in your business, there should be a cost and benefit analysis attached to website development. You might not want to pay for all the features you have in mind, and some ideas may turn out to be unprofitable in the long run.

In most cases, the biggest risk associated with spending money on web development is putting too little into a project. That might sound counter intuitive, but a truly innovative website sets you apart from your competitors. If you have functions and features they don’t, customers will come your way. But if you cut corners when having your site developed, it can come off as generic, glitchy, or hard to use. In that case, the money you’ve spent will have been wasted.

If you have a great idea for a web development project that can take your business to the next level, then commit the right resources to the job. Good programming costs less than you would imagine, and it almost always pays for itself in the long run.

What Plans Do You Have to Update Your Web Programming?

The golden rule of coming up with custom software – whether it’s going to be used on the web or locally through a computer or phone – is that you have to plan for future updates, patches, and new releases.

Obviously, doing a bit of planning with your project and hiring the right company is going to cut down on the revision work that is needed, and will stretch out the time between new versions. Eventually, though, your needs for your site will change. Or, web browsers and HTML standards will shift. Either way, you’ll have to release something new to keep up or watch your business fall behind.

The good news here is that updating a well-programmed website is hardly ever a big or expensive project, even if it contains custom code to run specific features. However, if you ignore this part of the process, you’ll have a hard time maintaining a positive ROI as your competitors catch up and then surpass you.

Web Development Made Easy

When most business owners and executives decide they “need a website,” they don’t have any of these issues on their minds. And even when they have thought about a website in terms of programming and functionality, it’s easy to lose track of important priorities when they are sorting through layouts, logos, and content.

That’s why it’s important to choose the right creative team if you want a website that has advanced features. The right firm will take the time to get to know your business, ask you about your needs, and even make suggestions that can help your company rather than creating a generic web presence for you as quickly and cheaply as possible.

If that sounds like the kind of service you want and expect, then maybe it’s time to talk to the experienced marketing and programming minds at Kinetik IT in Phoenix. Drawing on what we’ve learned building websites, software, and online marketing campaigns for dozens of organizations around Arizona, we can answer your questions and point you in the right direction.

Reach out today to schedule your free consultation!