Professional Website Design for Your Brand

It’s time for your website to grow up

Like many many companies out there, you probably have a website that should’ve been updated long ago. You know it. Your employees know it. Your customers know it. And, like many websites sitting on long-established domains, it was most likely created by someone with a fleeting interest in web design. So much has changed & evolved with how we interact with information online, which means that what worked for a website 5-10 years ago, doesn’t work for a website now. As a business owner or decision-maker in your company, you need to ask yourself this question:

Is my website really working?

I’m not just talking about functionality. I’m talking about whether or not your website works the way it should to represent your brand, drive sales, educate & convert. Here are some follow-up questions to consider when thinking about a professionally designed & maintained website:

• Does your website perform the tasks that you need it to do in order to operate at your maximum capacity?
• Does your current website look good across all devices?
• Is your website easily updated?
• Do you have to explain how to use your website and where to find content?
• Is your website built for the future or is it lingering in the past?
• Is your content secure online?
• Is your website the centerpiece of your marketing?

If your website falls short, then it’s time to look into professional website design. Personally, I’ve been building sites for over 15 years. My first website launched in 2001 and it’s honestly terrible. But aside from how I feel about it now, at the time I thought it was amazing. I essentially used the site as a learning tool for understanding the Internet and how websites functioned. It’s packed full of terrible GIFs, broken links, a guestbook & a page visit counter. Chances are your brand is not quite as outdated as my first site, but if your website is not living up to its potential, then it’s time to seriously consider upgrading your website.

Let’s discuss those questions from before

Does your website perform the tasks you need?

It’s time that your website works for you. Your website should be the centerpiece of all your marketing efforts. It’s the core of a successful marketing strategy and should truly be the face of your brand. Is it generating leads? Is it tracking data on customers & providing you with analytics to better shape your products, sales & marketing? Heck, does it work properly on mobile?

Does your website look good no matter what?

With the mobile search on the rise and the greatest amount of website traffic (generally) being on a mobile device (smartphone or tablet), you have to have a responsive site. Simply stated, this just means that your site needs to respond to the device upon which it’s being viewed. Don’t make your website visitors work for your content.

How hard is it to update your website?

If your website isn’t built on a content management system (CMS), such as WordPress, Drupal, or another CMS, you’re wasting time. A website built on a content management system not only makes it easier to deploy site-wide updates but also allows for an entire world of functional possibilities.

Is your content outdated & unorganized?

User experience is vital in developing a customer relationship. If a prospective client comes across your site and needs content, most will not spend the time to search if your website is poorly structured. They’ll bounce and head back to Google.

Is your website dated?

Because your website is the centerpiece of your marketing, it should be there to grow with your business & not limit your success. When used properly, a website becomes the core of your marketing efforts. Your website needs to be built for longevity and should be scalable to meet the future needs of your projected growth.

Is your content secure?

Even if you’re not running an online store, security is always a top issue. It takes time, but keeping all your website extensions up-to-date & deploying a host of security protections is vital to protecting your brand. Are you at risk?

What’s the centerpiece of your marketing?

If it’s not a professional website, then you seriously need to reevaluate your brand strategy. As the core of your marketing, your website should at least be providing you with detailed analytics, social connectivity, user experience data like heatmaps, contact forms & solid search engine optimization data.

Professional website design is the smart choice

Here at Market House, our goal is to grow with your company. If after reading through the questions above you feel like your website could be better, then chances are you’re right. If you’re interested & considering upgrading your website, we’d be happy to provide a quick assessment of your current website. If you’re truly serious about your new website & want it to start working for your company, we offer a full website audit as part of our services. Once our audit is complete, we’ll not only provide you with an assessment, but Market House will work with you to build a better brand website.