Do you need a new website for your business? Does your
existing web presence look dated, or is it no longer helping you to support
your bigger business goals?
Often, the decision to have your website redesigned is an
easy one. However, choosing a company to work with, and figuring out what your
new site should look like, is not always so simple. The last thing you want to
do is waste your time and money on a fresh website that won’t bring you any
closer to the new sales you are looking for. Unfortunately, it’s easy to feel
like you’re spinning your wheels on the Internet when you don’t have the right
focus or plan to work from.
To help you get moving in the right direction, today we want
to share for easy ways you can get bigger bottom-line value from a redesign of
your business website…
#1 Analyze Your
Existing Website Thoroughly
Often, business owners come to us because the websites they
have just “aren’t working.” However, they can’t always put a finger on what’s
wrong, or why it’s happening. That’s why we like to begin every business
website redesign project afresh. That means we examine the existing site – in
terms of its layout, coding, content and even analytics – to better understand
the situation. We advise you not to skip this step. Until you know how your
current website is performing, it’s difficult to make the right decisions to
move ahead.
#2 Get the Right
Website for Your Business
It’s easy to fall into the trap of wanting a website that’s
just like a competitor’s, or is very similar to something you’ve seen in
another business or industry. However, even though other websites can give you
a good starting point for inspiration, it’s important that you have the right
web presence for your business. That means putting your unique selling
strengths front-and-center, and paying attention to the opportunities or
restraints that factor into your long-term business planning. What’s “good” for
one company might not be ideal for another. Different businesses need different
buildings and retail spaces; web design works in the same way.
#3 Emphasize
Appearance and Horsepower
For a website to have real value to a business, it needs to
stand out in a couple of important ways. First, it has to be appealing from an
artistic standpoint. If your website doesn’t look great, or at least
well-organized, then you aren’t going to seem credible and professional to
customers. The second aspect has to do with functionality. You can use plug-ins
and programming to add all kinds of features to your website. You don’t want to
overdo things, but neither should you overlook the importance of your websites
horsepower. It doesn’t matter how great the layout is if your pages don’t allow
your business to run more smoothly.
#4 Have a Strong
Online Marketing Plan in Place
Unless you already have a very strong online following,
buyers aren’t going to find your website if you don’t promote it. From the
moment your pages go live, you should have a plan in place that incorporates
things like search engine optimization, social media marketing, email
newsletters,
pay- per-click ads, and more. Putting them all together in a
profitable and cohesive way is the key to increasing online sales and walk-in
traffic. That’s central to the success of your website and your company as a
whole, so make online marketing a focus from the start.
Remember, getting a new website doesn’t always mean getting
a better website. There are a lot of companies out there who will be happy to
design fresh pages for you, but aren’t all that concerned about whether you see
positive ROI from your investment.
Avoid the most common mistakes by keeping these four pieces
of advice in mind. Or, for expert web design and online marketing assistance
that’s tailored to your company and
challenges, contact our creative team today to set up a free consultation and
website review.