As advances in mobile technology continue, more than ever before consumers are searching for information online.
Small businesses should therefore be using their website to provide customers and potential customers with the information that they seek.
Your website can support many different objectives. It can simple act as a ‘brochure’ to provide general information and contact details. It could also sell your product online or include more complex advanced functionality such as a booking or appointment system.
If you’re considering creating or improving your website, then here’s some points to consider –
Your website is a great way to consistently communicate and reinforce your brand.
The design and layout of pages can be unique to your individual requirements. Your identity should therefore be consistently and coherently applied and reinforced throughout your website.
Your core idea, proposition and values should always be communicated through your brand identity. Your website is the perfect medium to communicate key messages to appropriate target audiences.
You should make it easy for visitors to view your website on different devices.
Both mobile search and traffic have increased substantially recently, and will continue to do so in the future.
It’s therefore crucial that your website is fully mobile responsive. As Google recently announced that mobile friendly websites would rank higher, this will help with your search engine rankings. It will also help to engage with users browsing on mobile devices.
Having a fully mobile responsive website is crucial in any sector, but especially for businesses or organisations who are in the b2c environment.
Your website should make it easier for customers to find you.
Platforms such as WordPress make is almost impossible to not create and update search engine friendly websites and pages.
Search engine optimisation strategy should be considered before your website is built and then also viewed as an ongoing and regular activity.
Every business or organisation should aim to be ‘found’ and ‘rank’ on a range of specific key words and phrases.
You can provide customers and potential customers with relevant information.
Content always has been (and always will be) key!
As well as the usual details such as about us, product / service offering and contact details, your website gives you the opportunity to provide your customers and potential customers with more specific relevant information.
Case studies, video and blog content can be used to effectively engage your audience and to help your website to rank higher on Google.
Your website is a valuable sales and marketing tool. It should be designed to sit within a specific stage of your overall customer journey and help you to either ‘generate’ or ‘convert’ enquiries.
It should be part of your overall content marketing strategy.
A blog is a fantastic platform to generate regular content tailored to your specific target audience. Content can then be shared by you (or your audience) across relevant social media channels.
Your blog can be ran as a separate entity to your website, but it’s probably more beneficial to include your blog within your actual website.
Social media is often viewed as a ‘detached’ tactic, somewhat separate from an overall marketing plan, but best results are achieved when social media strategy is integrated within the overall digital marketing plan.
It should be a cost effective marketing tool.
A ‘realistic’ budget should be set before creating a new or updating an existing website.Your budget should depend on the level of features and functionality that are required.
Most websites created today use a database and content management system, so it should be possible to constantly modify and update individual pages, as well as the changing the overall look and feel of your website.
It is possible to build a website without working alongside a marketing or digital agency. However, this approach often leads to compromise, frustration and limited results.
If set up and designed correctly, it’s a great investment for the future.
Your website should be ‘future proof’. It should change and evolve over time to reflect your current aims and objects.
Platforms such as WordPress easily allow modules and plug ins to be added to offer additional functionality as and when required.
If designed and set up correctly, then your website should become an invaluable tool for your business. It should be something that you’re genuinely proud of and want customers and potential customers to view.
