But it’s not that simple, if you want a website that will portray your company in the best possible light you need to choose a supplier that can deliver the goods.

What you should consider when sourcing a new website for your business?

Marketing and communication 

It may seem obvious and it isn’t exactly news … websites are a company’s most effective marketing tool and should be treated accordingly – as a virtual shop window. You need to consider what you are selling and how it can be displayed to entice clients to ‘come in’. The next step is to identify the products that bring money into your company and to give them centre stage in your window display – on the home page. Once you have a visitor, a successful site will keep them engaged and guide them towards becoming a valuable lead.

If you have a high bounce rate (when visitors leave your site almost immediately), this suggests that you’re attracting visits but you’re not giving them what they want. You need to make it an enjoyable experience, provide good information that is accurate and concise, using text written to appeal to your particular audience. Not forgetting a clear call to action; if they know how to contact you, when you’re available and when you’ll get back to them, they’ll be more likely to contact you.

Data capture

Bravo if you have data capture forms and you’re already collecting leads, whether this is via a newsletter sign up or any other type of form. But have you thought about what you intend to do with all of your valuable leads? Do you have a customer relationship management (CRM) strategy in place outlining the method and how often you intend to contact potential new customers? Is your marketing consistent with the look, feel and tone of your website? The idea is to strike while the iron is hot…by contacting leads as a matter urgency, then endeavour to build a relationship by sending regular communications. If you don’t react, someone else will.

ROI – results

The beauty of digital marketing is that everything you do is measurable. We have access to an incredible amount of data, but only if your web developer has installed the right stats programme such as Google Analytics.  If installed from the beginning you will be able to compile behaviour flow charts to see how each section of your website is performing and how visitors interact with the site; which pages are clicked, how long they stay, do they respond to calls to actions and which pages have high bounce rates. 

Text

Did you write your own text for your website? Is it in keeping with the rest of your marketing and your company’s style? But more importantly does it include the right keywords that will allow people to find your site when searching in Google?

Text is extremely important on a website, even more so than cool graphics and special features. If your text ratio is incorrect, your site will suffer and your business too. The reasons are twofold; firstly Google’s robots use the keywords in your text to rank your website and secondly, your text should be interesting, concise and error free in order to keep the attention of your potential clients.

If you offer more than one language it’s important to provide a professionally translated version. If you go down the Google translate road you will do more harm than good to your company’s standing, due to mistranslations and potential misinterpretations.

Templates versus bespoke design

Depending on your budget you could choose to buy one of the many templates that are available, and perhaps this could be the solution for you. Of course, this means that your website design will not be unique and you could find many companies are using the same template. On the other hand, a unique and bespoke website design will ensure that you stand out from your competition and that you can make sure your particular USPs (unique selling points) are displayed within the fabric of the design and structure.

Responsive website

Today 60% of all websites are viewed on a mobile or an iPad (and the number is constantly rising) so to have a website that is not optimised for both iPad and smart phones is just not an option any longer. On the 21st April 2015, Google changed its algorithm so that mobile friendly websites will be at an advantage and more easily searchable in their rankings. So, you need to make sure that your site works on smartphones and tablets, as well as PCs. 

Onsite Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) 

The idea of search engine optimisation is to allow users to reach their desired destination(s) as quickly and easily as possible by using the type of words, phrases and sentences that they search for. The better the keywords linked to your website, the better your ranking will be. This is an on-going activity which needs to be addressed with regular blog and updates.

Google Adwords

Targeted online Google Adwords campaigns are an extremely cost effective method of driving visitors to your website, and best of all, the majority of them are actively looking for your product or service. Forget the scare stories about how expensive a Google Adwords campaign can be, this is only the case if it isn’t researched, set up, tested or managed correctly. In the right hands a campaign can garner high quality leads – fast.

User experience 

You must remember that visitors have a short attention span; if your site is unappealing, slow to load or the content just plain boring, old or incorrect it’s not going to float their boat. Providing a positive user experience is essential if you want visitors to interact, otherwise they’ll get fed up and will leave the site. The best websites ensure an enjoyable user experience by using innovative design, functionality and SEO. Then monitor the site to see which pages work, which can be improved and be prepared to redesign aspects of your site in order to give the visitor what they want. A website should be constantly tweaked, worked and updated to remain fresh and relevant for business and the end user.

Price

Everyone likes a bargain but you should remember that “if it seems too good to be true it probably is”. As we mentioned earlier, your website is your most important marketing tool and should be treated with respect. That said, a website doesn’t need to cost a fortune, an off-the-shelf website may be sufficient if you have a small company, whereas larger concerns will need an all-singing-all-dancing bespoke site, either way you should choose your website design company based on results and experience, rather than price.

In conclusion, your website must reflect your company’s identity and convey its objectives in the most cost effective way, working hand-in-hand with your business strategy, sales objectives and USPs. The message must be cohesive throughout the site, graphics and text, in order to present your business clearly and concisely to your target market.

It’s just the beginning

Once your new website is up and running you can sit back and relax – wrong!  In reality this is just the beginning and it is now that the real work begins.  You wouldn’t open a shop and never update the stock or keep the same dress in the window for 3 months, so why would you neglect your website?  Do you have new competitors? Is there a new trend that you need to be aware of? Analytics will show if particular products or pages are receiving fewer visits or if the bounce rate has increased, which can be addressed by ensuring the site is constantly updated. To optimise your website for Google, it is also necessary to ensure constant activity and that you content is regularly updated and graphics are refreshed. This will also keep your site relevant and keep people interested in what you have to say.  

It may seem like it’s too much to manage but don’t worry this is Redline’s speciality. Let Redline Company become your external marketing department and we’ll make sure your site is taken care of along with the rest of your marketing.

<h2>Benefits of contracting Redline as your external marketing department

• While Redline is taking care of your marketing you’re free to run your business
• Find out how to generate more leads that can be converted into sales 
• Long term planning to ensure constant consistent marketing activity 
• Your own team on-hand to discuss ideas and offer advice
• New ideas for campaigns and stronger communication with your clients 
• All activity will be managed and adjusted accordingly for the best results