Perception Is Everything: Why Having a Good Website Means Everything in 2017

Website or no website: the millennial question. When you are constantly creating content and trying to advertise for yourself and/or your business, there are so many ways to do it. Do you want people to follow and interact with your brand or do you want people to buy and share information about your brand? Both can be incorporated into websites, even if you already have a strong social media presence. Why not incorporate the information that you already share into a comprehensive web presence with a website? Here are some ways to use your creative content to fashion a website that makes you and your business proud.

1. Easy as 1, 2, 3

One thing to keep in mind is that in the world of social media, engagement is key. You can have hundreds of thousands of followers, but still only a small percentage of people interacting with your posts. If you have a website link in your bio, people can learn about your brand and purchase products or services that they might not normally see on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

There are many website platforms that are easy to use, even if you don’t have more advanced web design skills. If you can hire a web designer, that’s great too! Some reliable website platforms include Squarespace, Weebly, and WordPress (but the more comprehensive versions do have expenses associated with them).

2. Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Everyone is online. And nearly every successful business has some sort of presence, so you want to use this to its fullest potential. Whether you are an amateur artisan with a small business on Etsy, a small business that occupies a niche in the system, or a larger business that tries to attract corporate clientele, your audience is clicking and scrolling and communicating through websites and social media.

One of the greatest parts about having a website is the fact that you can use your website as your building block for your business. Think of your website as your online business card. You can design it the way you want and show people what you and your business bring to the table.

3. Money Matters

From the cheapest website platform to the most expensive logo designs, there are options for everyone in branding and website usage. With that in mind, you need to decide what will be most effective for your business. Are you going for a simplistic and natural look like Squarespace or are you trying to link and archive a bulk information like on WordPress? Websites provide avenues for all of these, so it’s up to you where you want to spend your money.

For businesses who are trying to attract a larger clientele, consider hiring a web or graphic designer to show off your brand in a more unique way. For businesses that rely on statistics and products, consider how you can portray those in an eye-catching way. If your website looks impressive, people will remember you. We say not to judge a book by its cover, but with websites and social media, we are absolutely evaluating the friendliness and aesthetics of the pages that we follow and use every day. And the same is true for websites. Consider evaluating your website occasionally with guiding questions to help you determine its efficiency.

4. Catch Your Customer

In an age driven by digital interactions, it can be difficult for users to find your website in the first place. But when they do, it’s your job to make sure they never forget it. Think about how to create content in a way that gets people talking. If a user sees value in your company, they will share that value with other people. Whether it’s a tag on social media, an email sent to a friend, or the topic of office conversation, any buzz your website creates is going to increase your brand awareness. And that’s an invaluable thing.

Think about it this way: if your website delivers a beautiful user experience, where information is easy to find and content is engaging, people are much more likely to want to keep browsing around. Your customers want to see you, your business, and your products/services in a way that encourages others to brag about you to their friends.

5. The Right Place at the Right Time

We know that website creation and management is a time-consuming and tiring job. Guess what we say to that? It’s worth it! Whether you’re coming up with a strategy for the immediate future or the long haul, the way you present yourself online is absolutely important. If you’d like to come in for a consultation (and you can be at any stage in the process), let us know because we’re happy to help!