WEBSITE PRIORITIES

It is not unusual to meet with successful business people who are unsure of their website needs. Very few entrepreneurs build websites – just as very few webmasters run a restaurant, orchestrate events, sell retail merchandise, landscape lawns, and so on. Just as I would call an experienced roofer to fix my roof, I would hope that you can understand the importance of having an experienced webmaster build your site. “Location” has always been an important factor for most businesses – and still is, but in many cases an “online presence” can be even more important. In today’s digital society we often make purchases without ever leaving home, conduct business transactions without ever meeting others, and order services from establishments we’ve never visited. And prioritizing your website over social platforms is equally important. A great website can help you build lasting and sustainable customer relationships.

I specialize in customizing websites to “work for my clients” and do it in a manner that allows the client to take over once the site is launched, assuming the client employs in-house expertise. I can include tools to help auto-push new content to your social platforms and save time – while keeping your social pages fresh and updated. Need home delivery? I can build a site for online ordering of everything from goods to food to services. See a site you like – but need it customized for your specific business? I can do that.

Your website is your first chance to make a good impression. It is your “online reputation” and if it is out of date, people who visit your website may assume your business is out of date also. Keeping your website current helps position yourself well in today’s economy, and I also specialize in “web make-overs” to help existing sites remain competitive.

Is your site responsive? This means regardless of the device accessing it, it responds and conforms appropriately for a good user experience. Over 70% of Americans own a smartphone today – and they are using them to visit your site. Google has just announced their new “mobile-first inititive meaning that you may see more traffic in your logs for those properties from Googlebot Smartphone. You may also see that snippets in Google Search results are now generated from the mobile version of your content. A responsive website has a design coded to allow it to expand, contract, orcompletely change for desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile devices. This makes the transition from a computer to a smartphone seamless—a comfortable user-experience. If your site isn’t responsive for those smaller devices, you’re not as competitive as you could be.

Is it slow? Do you have music, animation, popping, bleeping or singing to distract users? Studies show that online users today want things to lean and clean – with easy navigation and the ability to zone in on exactly what they came to your site for in the first place. If you have an old, outdated design chances are your bounce rate is high.

Important question #1:
Is it difficult to make changes to your current website? If so – you most definitely need a make-over! With today’s tools there is no reason the least tech-savvy site owner cannot login and easily revise or add new content to their website.

Important question #2:
Do you have in-house expertise to maintain your website? If not – you need support options. A website requires routine maintenance — without it, your website will go offline. That’s why clients need to ask not only, “How much does it cost to build a website?” but also, “How much does it cost to maintain a website?” Protecting your investment while keeping your site updated and competitive is equally important.

Important question #3:
Does your website work for your business? If your website looks fantastic and has lots of interactive features, but doesn’t actually have any useful or meaningful content, you are effectively giving the visitor no real reason to come to your site. I aim to build sites that are engaging, useful, and provide intrinsic value so visitors have a reason to stay – and come back.

As an experienced webmaster, I can analyze your business and help you determine what intrinsic value we can give site visitors while making it easy for them to ascertain what you’re selling and how to get it. After all – isn’t that the ultimate goal?