Inbound Marketing University

 

Website creation provides a wonderful opportunity for marketers to increase the size of their web footprint and brand awareness. Website content becomes an effective tool in developing a distinct identity and boosting your company’s online presence. In order to really get the most out of a website redesign, companies need to construct their website in the context of a greater Internet marketing strategy.

Every web page has the potential to rank well in search engines and draw traffic from sources like social networking sites and blog articles. Of course, whether a page draws traffic (and links) depends on whether it’s optimized and how remarkable (useful, interesting, etc.) it is.

 

 

Your first task as a marketer is to determine your website’s objectives. Whether trying to inform potential customers, produce new leads or sell products and services, you have to be perfectly aware of your goals. According to Jay Lipe by prioritizing and concentrating on your top three objectives “you’ll do a far better job of designing a website that achieves your objectives.”

 

So, before you dive into building your website, start with a well thought-out online marketing plan. Web design and site architecture must be compatible with your business objectives and current inbound marketing techniques. As Patrick Fitzsimmons advises, “don’t make the mistake of thinking you’ll figure out how your website is going to generate new business after you launch it.”

 

Browse through well-developed websites and use your observational skills to spot professional web pages with remarkable content. Your competitors can indirectly teach you valuable lessons. If you recognize a case model, use it to determine your website’s weaknesses and possible strengths. Thus, you will identify pages, online tools and widgets that may be especially relevant to your website’s objectives. You may conclude, for example, that a customer testimonials page can effectively convey your brand’s message.

 

A 20-page website could rank high in search engines and other places thanks to its 20 unique chances (20 separate pages) to draw online traffic. Yet a 200-page website has ten times more chances to draw traffic and attract leads. That is why you should put a strong emphasis on writing and publishing content.

 

This content has to be not only accurate and relevant but also clear and engaging. Consider incorporating call-to-action phrases that will guide your visitors’ actions.

 

Building a relationship with the audience is vital. In the past, this was often achieved by creating a FAQ page and verifying that your company’s contact information can be easily found. Today, however, there are many more creative methods to engage customers by allowing them to contribute to your website’s content. The online movie rental leader Netflix, for example, allows users to rate movies they have seen. As Andreas Weigend, Amazon.com’s former Chief Scientist, writes, “As the expectations of users change, firms must spend more time developing incentive systems that will entice more users to participate.”

 

Find a way to measure your website’s performance in terms of user-friendliness and communication. If customers find your web pages difficult to navigate they will quickly leave the online environment. If they find it easily accessible, on the other hand, they will feel actively engaged. As it has been established, user impressions strongly influence new leads, returns and sale conversions.

 

After you have already created a professional website, don’t assume its feel and look should remain static. Make sure to edit your content frequently and keep it timely and relevant. Don’t postpone updating an event listings page or a calendar. Out-of-date information will negatively influence user impressions and can undermine your entire website. Consider investing in a professional website manager to quickly edit pages and keep them consistent with current events.