Websites and Online Marketing Can Be a Confusing Place

The world of websites and online marketing can be a confusing place for some people -SEO, usability, keywords and metadata, email campaigns, digital strategy etc in fact although I graduated with a degree in IT and Electronics until I really got into the online business I was definitely one of them!

There are many things to consider when presenting yourself or your business online, but two of the key considerations are

• Who is your target audience and demographic? You would not approach a work-from-home mother of three, who has little time during the day to really focus on anything but what it taking place ‘right now’ with a lengthy presentation and sales pitch in person – so you shouldn’t do it on your website, your content should be specifically tailored to your chosen target.

• What is your site trying to achieve? If you are selling something make the journey simple and straight forward. Imagine going to the Mall to buy the latest pair of those darling pink kitten heels and although finding them was easy enough every time you were trying to pay for them a security guard would throw you out of the shop as you were standing in the wrong place or you simply could not find the checkout- if you are anything like me I would leave that shop and try and find one that actually made the buying experience faster and more pleasurable – as I need those heels NOW!!

Usability of your site is key – you have about 5-10 seconds to capture someones attention from your home page, the chances are if they leave your site as they are unsure of what it is you are selling, or how to navigate around it you will have lost that person for ever- again imagine visiting a new mall there are essential things I personally need to know, Where am I?, Where have I been? and Where can I go? if any of these are not clear my trip becomes more stressful than enjoyable, particularly if I have my children with me.

There are many people who can build a website these days and it’s easy especially in our current economy to get caught in the price war of cheapest wins, but as we all know you really only ever get what you pay for, and a low price can sometimes mean low quality in the long run investing in a solid, attractive website will make you and save you more money in a 2-4 year period than any traditional marketing ever would.

So, with all that said here are a few steps to help you get started

• Spend some time looking at your competitors or peers websites, make a note of the site URL and what you like about the site and what you don’t
• Be clear about what you are trying to achieve – conveying this to your creative team or contractor is vital
• Make a list of what you expect the website to do – you wouldn’t start a business without a business plan and you should view your website in the same way
• If you are going to contract an individual or company to create your website make sure that you are comfortable with them as you will have to spend a lot of time communicating back and forth and having a rapport certainly helps
• Ensure that your chosen company provides you not only with a contract but a statement of work – the latter is particularly vital as it will outline exactly what is to be built and how long this should take
• Lastly and most importantly..have fun!

At Big Belly Creative we have over 15 years of online experience, the knowledge, skills and right amount of fun to be the partner that helps you realize your vision, for more information please contact michelle@bigbellycreative.com or call +1 863 259 9513.