Questions About Websites
Wondering how all this works? Here are some answers that can help clarify some of the simple yet also geeky things about having a website built for you
Hosting
Various ways to host your site
So you want to have a website. Well, where does this website live?
Since I use companies such as Squarespace, Wix, Weebly etc, there is no need for a separate hosting plan. You sign up with one of these companies and we build the site. The backups, security updates, etc are taken care of by the company you choose to go with.
Search Engine Optimization
Put simply, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) involves doing things to make search engines (GOOGLE) like your site more.
What is SEO? Why would you want the search engines to like your site more? Because then, when people are googling or searching for topics you write about, the search engines will be more likely to suggest your site as a place to go for the information (above others who talk about the same topics).
5 Tips to Tap the Power of Your New Site
Simply having a great website sitting on a server somewhere won’t guarantee success for your business or your website. Over the years, I’ve found that these 5 tips have been a tremendous boost to increase the effectiveness of my clients’ sites:
Google Analytics
Any designer worth his/her salt should include implementation of Google Analytics in a proposal for your website design and implementation. Hosting services provide statistic software, but I haven’t seen many that go as deep or be as helpful as Google Analytics.
Web design is an evolving process that is informed by market response. Using site wide analytics, you can make better decisions on changes needed to increase customer engagement and conversions to sales.
It might seem obvious, but one of the best ways to promote your website is through print. Make sure your website is prominently displayed on your business card, letterhead and any other marketing collateral you use.
Direct mail can be a huge factor in driving visitors to your site. USPS’ Every Door Direct Mailing gives you the ability to individual basis with your target market and customer base through print.
Email Blast
Have you built your email list of past clients and current ones? If so, a service like Mailchimp makes it easy to send out branded html emails. It’s a great way to announce to new and old customers that you’ve launched a new website.
If you don’t have an email list yet, Mailchimp offers great tools for your website so you can start building that list. A robust list is an important tool to keep in touch with your customers and clients as your business grows and your website evolves.
Social Media
Social media is the perfect format to announce your new or revamped website. Do you have Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts? If not, now is a great time to set them up.
You don’t have to be on every social media site to see a benefit. Be selective and use the ones that work for you. Social media can be a great way to stay in contact with existing and potential customers. But empty Pinterest boards, intermittent tweets or empty Facebook feeds do not create a positive business image.
Keep Your Site Current
Now that you have a great website, keep it up to date! Make sure the services or products you offer—and any pricing—are up to date. Consider having a newsfeed on your site that announces business wins, awards, or new ideas that could benefit your client base.
Remember a website should be an ever-evolving work in progress. The above tips will help measure your site’s effectiveness and ways to increase that effectiveness. The most important thing is to keep the content on your site relevant and up to date.
Web Site Maintenance and Web Management
Even if you have an established site, I can help. No matter where your website is hosted, or who originally designed it, I can make the changes you want. Whether you want to convert your site to a responsive design, change pictures, text, employee emails or redesign the whole site, I can help you with those changes.