What to Consider When Building Your Website

You don’t need us to tell you how important websites are to your brand. They’re the butter to your bread! No matter what field or market your business is focused in, there are purposes and great benefits to having a website. However, there are so many decisions that can be made and directions that are taken that result in a website impacting your brand negatively. That is why it is incredibly important to consider numerous factors before moving forward with your site design. We are here to help! 

Think About the Website’s Purpose 

Easier said than done, right? Selling your company’s mission is a little easier when the person you are trying to reach is directly in front of you. How do you do the same thing behind a computer monitor or cell phone screen? Numerous studies show that visitor’s interest and attention does not last long before they move on to the next thing. In order to keep someone on your website for more than five seconds, you have to have something to draw them in. 

Visual appeal is one thing, but most importantly, you need a mission statement that is designed to capture what you do. Not only that, but you need a way of indicating why “what you do” is important to the visitor trying to understand what you are about. 

We’ve asked our Web Director, Jasmine Decelle, on the importance of website purpose: “A big mistake we see throughout brands is that they make their statement about them — NOT about the customer they hope to earn the business of. It is vital to gain their trust, to make them believe you can help them achieve their goals. We love confidence in a business’s history, but you have to reassure your audience that you are here to guide them along the way to help them achieve their goals.”

The question that should help you find your website’s purpose is this: What can my client do to accomplish their goal on my website? It could be something like fill out a quote, learn more about your services, or view your gallery to see your stock. What is the final step they should take before exiting the website page?

The hard part is having a strategy developed and ready to be put on more than just paper. Hopefully you have done that part already! If not, rest assured we are here to help with branding consultations. It is one of many services we can help before you tackle your website. 

Set a Path That Can Be Easily Understood

Let’s assume you have officially grabbed your website visitors’ attention through that well-thought out and placed objective from above. What next? The safest assumption to make about your audience is that they know absolutely nothing about your product, field and/or process. Helping them know how and what they are engaging with increases the likelihood of them transitioning from a visitor to that of a customer. 

Here is an example of what a customer might want to see regarding your company’s process:

1. Provide your (the customer) info and needs via contact form
2. We (your company) will be in contact within 48 hours 
3. We schedule for initial consultation/meeting
4. Services and timelines are explained and agreed upon
5. Work begins! 

You want to do this without overloading them on heavy informational pieces and statistics. Not only do you need to consider a process that lays it all out for them in a clear manner, you need it in a responsive, device-friendly layout that can be easily read no matter what. No one said website design is easy, but the visual differences between a successful business and a struggling one can often be seen through their layouts alone. Just remember: more often than not, short and sweet is the key to success.

Future-Proof Your Website

It might feel like you are jumping the gun, but you will want more out of your website than just a landing page and a contact form. While those two are important for retaining attention and ease of communication, you need other ways of boosting visibility on search engines! Whether this is something you are taking on in-house or you decide to hire a professional – like us! –  an SEO strategy is a must-have when it comes to planning your website’s design. 

Optimizing your website can take place in a multitude of ways. SEO means using search-friendly terms and keywords often, but there’s a thin line between looking like a content farm and a professional service that knows what they are talking about. It helps to have a layout of what you want on each page before design is implemented, and we highly suggest using the services of an SEO specialist as you undergo development. 

Most websites offer quick explanations of what to do for things like meta keywords, descriptions and slugs, though, so you can get by with just that if needed. Just remember, that could be the difference between page one and two on Google, and that also means the difference between thousands of potential viewers.

In addition, you NEVER hurt from having a blog! We know a thing or two about that as well. Blogging provides the most opportunities for improvements in your website’s SEO. Not only that, but an active blog that has its own personality keeps your audience engaged. We don’t need to go too into detail on why blogging is so important; you can read more on the subject here.

Websites are a multi-part game plan but you need to start building the pieces bit-by-bit. 

If this sounds like a lot to process, it is! Websites are one of the largest pieces of the pie that make up your brand’s image for a reason. You don’t have to take on such a monumental project on your own. Make sure to contact us here so that we can discuss many options available to you. TLC Marketing & Creative Services is here to be your guidance towards incredible success!