Website Development – Steps for Success

 

Question… If you were to ask people you know if they use the Internet?
I’m pretty sure the answer would be “YES, OF COURSE”!

Now, if we were to ask the 7.9 BILLION people from around the world if they mainly use their computers, tablets, or cellphones to search the web, would it matter – no! What matters is what they’re doing and looking at. It could be websites, funny videos, shopping, or reading informational blogs? Maybe they’re trying to connect with friends or other businesses on social media. What they all have in common is that they’re all online! Whether it’s Google, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, you name it! Knowing the number of people that are online daily is quite remarkable when you think about it. Most of them are using these resources to research products and services which in turn creates endless opportunities for your business. You simply need to know how to get them to view, read, watch, and shop on your website.

• Is your company positioned to capture these opportunities?
• Do you have an effective online presence, or do you need to create one?
• Do you currently have a website, or do you need to start from the ground up?
• Are you with a company that desperately needs an eye-catching outreach vehicle?
• Does your company’s following fully represent what you’re looking for in a customer?
• Do you find it tricky to acquire the right customers and partners that fit your business model?

 

Brandit Marketing Solutions has the answers and we’re here to help every step of the way…

 

As buying habits continue to change and more people turn to the internet for answers, you need to be playing in this sandbox if you are going to compete. People resort to the internet because it’s a quick way to get answers to their questions. And… YOU can take YOUR piece of the pie if you market and position your business correctly! For a small business, you especially need an online presence to stay relevant and accessible. When someone searches for your service on Google, you want YOUR website on page one! That’s why Website Development and Digital Marketing are so important and Brandit can certainly help! As you develop your website, yes, imagery is important as is the ease of navigation as well as the flow of your site. You need to be cognizant of what your website is doing for your business and how it functions while you’re doing other things such as sleeping. Think of your website as your number one sales tool telling the story of your company and how you solve everyday problems for your customers. Do you have clear calls to action? Are you providing your visitor’s answers to their questions? Are you educating them? Always focus on providing your audience something they can’t get somewhere else, if you do, they will certainly come back. They will make the decision to engage and ultimately become a loyal customer. As you build your website, you must also remember to include on-page SEO (search engine optimization) and provide an ample amount of content so that you’re positioned to start an effective digital marketing campaign when the time is right for you. You don’t need to do everything all at once but what you must do is build your website once and prepare for tomorrow! In one of our previous blog articles “Sharing Your Videos with the World“, we talk about how video content is a massive contributor to your brand and how your message is being viewed. This is where Digital Marketing comes in. It begins with creating your image and making it consistent with YOUR brand! You want people to see YOUR COMPANY, and the services YOU provide! When you work with Brandit, we can guarantee we’ll have your consumers “ooh-ing” and “ahh-ing” about YOUR business by devising the perfect plan for YOUR WEBSITE!

ALSO READ: The Power of Color in Web Design and Brand Marketing

Having an idea to create a company website is only the beginning of a long, thought-out process. There are several steps to take from the initial concept to the final execution and finally launching your new website and it won’t stop there. A successful website requires a great deal of behind-the-scenes work that can often be overlooked. A website is the base communication tool between you to your customer so be sure to set yourself up for success by aligning your message with how your company is structured. When your website goes live, it doesn’t mean the work is done. You now need to focus your energy on keeping the site current. As you grow, so should your website. Having an active and engaging website will provide the information and resources your customers are looking for. You need to educate them and get your information in front of the right audience on a regular basis. Do not have the set it and forget it mindset. Utilize the multitude of strategies available to you so that you can capitalize on the opportunities out there. Need to know what those strategies are? Just contact one of our team members and we’d be happy to explain them to you. As you look to build your new website, you’re probably going to say to yourself, Where do I begin? Well, here are a few things you need to keep in mind… • What is your site going to say about your business? • How are you going to get your customers’ attention AND get them to engage with your content?

Remember to follow these steps…

Claim your Domain – Keep it simple yet elegant, easy to spell, and something people will remember. Do a little research before diving into naming your domain. You won’t want to choose something too similar to another active site. Make sure it represents YOU and YOUR BUSINESS all while keeping SEO tricks in mind (addressed in our SEO Blog). Lock-in Domain Hosting –Not only do you have to name your new website, but you may want help keeping it safe from malicious internet bots. They aren’t very nice, and they can act fast… The good news is that Brandit hosts websites on our own dedicated server, and we’ll act faster.

Visually Represent Yourself – Catch peoples’ eyes in the first couple of seconds, and they will stick around for more. This is called having a “sticky” site. While users should be able to cruise through your site with ease, a good-looking website can help you promote your brand and increase the confidence of your website visitors in your business. Always try to have your navigation one or two clicks away from where your visitors want to go. Too many clicks will probably frustrate your visitor resulting in them leaving your site and looking elsewhere.

Research and choose the best Content Management System (CMS) for you – Earlier in this article I posed a question which was if we were to ask the 7.9 BILLION people from around the world if they mainly use their computers, tablets, or cellphones to search the web would it matter? This is where it would matter and why. Brandit can make your site responsive which will ensure it looks good on all devices. A non-responsive website will in most cases result in visitors leaving your site to find the information they are searching for elsewhere.

Research the Competition and Your Target Audience – To do this you must first understand who your top competitors are. Then you’ll need to see how they are positioned online and what type of presence they have. Read their reviews, see what they do best and where they need to improve. That could be where you could shine.

Be Memorable… Be Engaging… Be You – While duplication may be the best form of flattery, don’t forget to stay true to what makes your company unique. Your image is very important so remember to adhere to your companies Brand Standards/Guidelines. It’s crucial that you maintain a visual consistency for your audience, so they view your company as a professional and current player. One they can see themselves doing meaningful business with. Most websites lack the ability to tell the story of who they are. Do not follow the same trap others do by copying another theme. Be version one and build something that will catch their eye and make them want more.

Create Quality Content and Do So Often – Don’t be afraid to navigate a little outside your comfort zone. Be creative with your copy and it WILL pay off. People are always looking for content that is engaging and informative. Now, all you need to do is give them what they’re asking for, and remember that imagery alone won’t get the job done.

Analytics are important – To grow your audience, you must streamline your website so that customers go where you want them to. First, you’ll need to know the best and most profitable aspects of your business. Once you’ve analyzed this data, you’ll be positioned to share it with the world. It’s important to know your weaknesses as well (and I’m sure you have one or two). This will allow you to constantly be working on improving your website and the business it supports. Understanding customer habits are also very important. Once you have a better handle of what your customers are looking for and how they do it, just create the solutions that will resonate with them so that they remember you. Making their experience pleasurable and worth it comes when you meet their needs. The best way to do this is to analyze the data and respond by modifying your imagery, content, and delivery accordingly.

ALSO READ: Branding and the Need for a Style Guide

 

Over the years, we’ve seen many businesses pay top dollar for a beautiful website. However, what they paid for as nice as it may have been, did not necessarily create traffic to their website nor did it generate leads/sales. When our team at Brandit proposes a website development project to a client, we discuss the design, the maintenance, and the digital marketing strategies altogether (but if you want only a website, we can do that too). That’s right, we have an entire team dedicated and committed to developing the best websites AND services for our clients. Once your new website has been completed, we will be there to make sure all your plug-ins are updated, your links are working correctly, and tracking conversions. We will provide all your Google Analytics each month. We will also work with you to manage all your Digital Marketing strategies so that you get the visibility you’re looking for.

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