Give your website a lick of paint...
Date Published 29/08/2008 - Click here for more recent news
Your website is your most important online marketing tool and it is therefore in your interest to make sure it is well designed, functional and easy for search engines to find. Here at EASIserv.com we have recently undertaken several website redesigns for our clients; the latest of these being for a locally based Driving Instruction School (www.letsinstruct.com).
There are two key areas we consider when undertaking a site redesign and these can be broken down into two categories: content and visual.
1. Content
Firstly we will take a look at the modern day marketing strategy which you can view as 'the magnet' used to attract customers. Using a sporting analogy, look at it this way - in the past jockeys may have only used their whips to get winning results in a race. But there's other ways, to persuade a horse to run faster. There's the ever popular 'carrot-and-stick' tactic: then there's the less popular, but more prevalent, 'carrot-and-stick' tactic - but with no carrot!
What we’re suggesting is there is a change taking place in the marketing 'race' with techniques led by persuasion and the choice of the user - as opposed to being force-fed with impersonal ‘in your face’ marketing ploys (that many have lost patience with). These comments (regarding content) were inspired by a hubspot.com lecture by Mike Volpe. You can view this lecture by clicking on the following link: http://www.hubspot.com/archive/website-redesign-webinar-archive .
The sheer intensity and persistence of 'cold-calls' and 'in-your- face' marketing strategies has just about reached its zenith and has created an audience which (if they respond at all) will meet you with hostility or impatience. This is because if people need a service, piece of information etc., everything is at their disposal on the web; so they can self-serve rather than have a random individual interrupt their day. This is the crux of the matter; many old marketing techniques rely on an interruption to your day whether that be a TV advert which you have to fast forward through, a call midway through your 'spagbol', or a piece of badly designed paraphernalia sent through the post.
The keys reasons for getting your site redesigned (especially for businesses) should be to get more prospects (a) and to convert these prospects into sales (b). The best way to get people to visit your website is based around the content of your site. So to achieve point (a), this means focusing on better content / more content and optimised content. There is no point in having a good looking website if no one can find it, so here at EASIserv.com we look at content first and then once the users have arrived at your site they can then be impressed by its look and feel.
Here at EASIserv.com we now recommend a 'blog' to all website owners because it provides the fundamentals of a highly populated website; namely fresh, relevant and interesting content which may help improve your position in search engines for your chosen keyphrases / products and services. Also, fresh content gives the user a reason to come back to your site; users love fresh (unique) content - and by the way, so do search engines.
2. Visual
Once all these content issues have been addressed we can consider the visual 'look-and-feel' of your website. People are likely to spend more time in an aesthetically appealing website than in one that is badly designed. It is the same principle in any setting whereby a pleasant and easy to navigate environment puts the user in a better mood therefore making a sale/interaction more likely.
Jackie Baker from searchengineguide.com supports this proposition saying:
“Studies have shown that one of the key reasons visitors spend time on or buy from a site is a professional design. If your site doesn't live up to their visual standards, you're losing conversions.”
There are several key areas that are imperative when considering the visual look of your site:
- Typography:
Text sizes, spacing, positioning etc., readability is the chief concern here. - Colour scheme:
Keeping a limited colour palette and using colours which complement each other is vital. - Clear / Appealing Call to Action (CTA):
Placing the CTA in a prominent position is key to success: make sure it stands out from other website elements.
Another good reason to consider changing your website is to take advantage of screen resolutions - whereby it is universally accepted to have a wider website (usually around 980 pixels wide) as opposed to yesterday’s 800px width. A wider site allows designers to fit more instantaneous key content into your website before the user has to resort to scrolling and also carries a more contemporary feel with this extended width.
So if you are interested in giving your website a 'lick of paint' and taking advantage of your most important marketing tool - please get in touch with EASIserv.com to discuss one of our website redesign packages.
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