Not Just Any Old Website Will Do

Different Businesses Need Different Websites. 

The DIY trap.

A lot of people don’t want to hire a web developer to create their business website. Do-it-yourself companies advertise that it’s easy to build a website using their platforms, and while building a website may be easy, making one that competes within a specific industry is not. Most of our clients aren’t building sites for the first time. They’re looking for new website development because their first one isn’t delivering results. Sometimes it’s an SEO issue, sometimes it’s an ADA compliance problem, but often it’s a case of building a website without understanding unique industry assets that define its value to the customer. You need to understand what your potential customers are looking for, how to keep them on your page once they find it, and how your desired assets differ from the generic digital assets most often incorporated into DIY platforms.  

That’s where an experienced digital marketing team can separate you from your competition. A marketing team knows to build your site around your specific industry needs and align it with desirable keyword content that will be found by your customers’ web searches. Think of it this way: your website is a menu. You can only list a finite number of dishes on it and they need to make your customers hungry. A steakhouse shouldn’t spend two pages listing salads, and a vegan restaurant shouldn’t showcase bacon-wrapped filet. Pre-built templates and homemade websites are often loaded with items that don’t belong anywhere on your menu, and they can actually hurt your SEO and overall website effectiveness.

Season to taste. 

Every industry needs unique assets on its website, and specific attention to detail when it comes to the plugins, third party software and security options they integrate. For some businesses, a website’s entire goal is to get someone to call an office. Others want to hold a customer’s attention long enough to satisfy a call to action before they leave the site (order food, pay a bill, complete a questionnaire, etc.). Some sites just want users to interact with information, like other website links, resource articles, educational materials and videos for further engagement. You need to ask yourself what the PURPOSE of your website is, and then whether or not it is built with that purpose in mind.

We’ve cut our teeth by helping businesses evaluate their websites, and then put the meat back on their steak menus. A lot of times it means giving a website a developmental facelift, adding features to support their online purpose, then trimming away the extras that clutter a site and get in the way. For brokerages it often means adding directories for claims contacts or portals for bill payments. Musicians need a sensory presentation of their music, something that can be seen and heard, and an easy way to book performances. Restaurant websites need an easily navigable presentation of their signature foods, and a secure, logical way to book reservations / order online. These are surface-level touches that vary from industry to industry, and barely scrape the surface of what a business website needs to be successful.

Other integration tools are vital for funneling people to a site (or other elements of your digital marketing campaign), and if you don’t build your commercial website with these in mind it can cause serious problems when you try to incorporate them down the road. We take a big-picture approach to every site we build, ensuring it’s built to grow with your company. You’ll never need to worry about social media integration, adding an ecommerce platform or incorporating live media from outside sites. We research your industry, your customers and your company to make sure your website delivers meaningful, data-driven results and that you’re never serving steak to a vegan.