Make Sure Your Website Designer Does These 5 Things

It practically goes without saying that a great website is essential for success in today’s business marketplace. Your website is the foundation for all marketing efforts; therefore, all messaging and marketing should drive potential customers to your website.  A website which clearly identifies your “brand” and conveys information that aligns with your organization’s mission and key features will make it easy to market a consistent message across all branding and marketing materials.

“Choosing a website developer is no different than choosing somebody to build your house. Ask all the questions, ask for references, and make sure you feel comfortable with their product. Your website is the foundation of your marketing efforts and it is worth putting in the extra effort to make sure that it is done correctly the first time” (Becky Chumley, Director of Digital Marketing and Partner, Evolve Impact Group). Here are 5 things we consider top priorities for your website designer:
 

1. Mobile Optimization
It’s simply not enough to have a website which looks great on a laptop or desktop computer. It also needs to look great and be completely functional on mobile platforms, including tablets and smartphones. In 2018, 52.2% of all website traffic worldwide occurred on mobile phones. 
 

2. Include Social Media “Share” and “Follow” Buttons
Social media sharing buttons are usually found on the top or bottom of blog posts and contain icons of the commonly used social sites to allow direct sharing of the content. If you’re producing great content and offers, make sure your readers have an opportunity to share with others. Check frequently to be sure the buttons are linked correctly and don’t return an error message or go to the social media site homepage (such as Facebook.com). 
 

3. Implement Calls-to-Action
After a visitor lands on your website, make sure they know how to find what they’re looking for and know what action they need to take. A call-to-action should grab a visitor’s attention and then encourage them to take the next step and “click-through.” You might want them to sign up for something, watch a video, request pricing information, or just click for more information. Here are five qualities of a call-to-action which will encourage the next step:
•    Action-oriented
•    Persuasive wording
•    Strong visuals
•    Creates a sense of urgency – no time to wait!
•    Easy to find
 

4. Get Found
So, you’ve got a great website, but it still won’t help your business or non-profit develop it's maximum online presence if no one can find it. This is where SEO (Search Engine Optimization) comes in. Search Engine Optimization is “the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results.” (Organic results are essentially any searches which produce results without having to pay for anything.)

There are several ways to increase SEO, and they should be incorporated into your strategy, always considering the target audience you’re trying to reach. For additional information, read previous blogs on How to Write a Blog People Want to Read AND Boost Your SEO! and Benefit of SSL for SEO. 
 

5. Never Stop Testing  
With website design, “done” is never really “done.” There’s always room to tweak and improve on things, even when you’re starting with a great design. User search strategies – and the search engine algorithms themselves – change over time. Evaluate conversion paths, how far visitors scroll down a page, where they are clicking, and other metrics. Make sure all the information is current and accurate. Sometimes just a simple change like button color, different headers, or adding or changing up a few sentences in the copy can make a big difference in how a site performs. At Evolve Impact Group, we install Google Analytics following development and submit your website to all major search engines for indexing. We want to make sure people can find your awesome website! 
 

The Evolve Impact Group Piece
Our approach to website development begins with identifying your brand and the things which set your company apart from others in the marketplace. We develop a plan to ensure that the information posted on your website aligns with your organization’s “why” and that your message is consistent across all branding and marketing materials. Our websites use responsive design as well as a search engine friendly content management system which is not only easy for the end-user to update but sets your website up for maximum search engine placement. Contact us today to learn how we can help ensure that your website provides a great foundation for your business or organization. 
 

Resources:
Austin C. 14 Essential tips in 2019 for improving your web design. iMPACTbnd.com [blog]. 25 Jul 2017 [accessed 5 Aug 2019]. https://www.impactbnd.com/blog/tips-for-improving-your-web-design 

Egan K. Call-to-Action examples: 15 designed to REALLY generate leads. iMPACTbnd.com [blog]. 10 Jul 2017 [accessed 5 Aug 2019]. https://www.impactbnd.com/blog/examples-of-calls-to-action-for-lead-generation

Evolve Impact Group. Why your website is the foundation of your marketing strategy. Evolveig.com [blog]. 20 Feb 2019 [accessed 5 Aug 2019]. https://www.evolveig.com/News/ArticleID/193/Why-Your-Website-is-the-Foundation-of-Your-Marketing-Strategy