We’re (re)visiting a few of the basics in these upcoming posts — the fundamental pieces that come together to form a cohesive, informed voice. It might be a little rudimentary, but isn’t it nice to revisit those basics from time to time? Take a quick coast through marketing 101 with us!
Your web presence
Anytime anyone needs anything, where do they go? Online. Thankfully, the days of thumbing through an outdated phone book reside in the past. We can get whatever we want right when we want it by simply accessing technology in our pocket or on our wrist. And what this means is if you have a business and you want to be taken seriously, you absolutely need an online presence. Crafting a relevant and functional website is crucial to a business; it builds reputation, declares to the world that you’re a professional and most importantly, offers a way by which visitors can connect with your business and core mission. You can sell products, tell your story, create an experience and ultimately, connect with others through this powerful medium.
Site organization (taxonomy), aesthetic, layout and functionality are all super important to consider when it comes to the creation of a successful web presence. Making sure that a website’s content is error free is another biggie. And lastly, your site should be a living and breathing extension of your business. In order for it to be successful on search engines (as well as in visitors’ minds), you need to bring a flood of fresh content to the site on a regular schedule. You can easily update your site by adding a blog feature.
It’s a no-brainer, but your site should effortlessly plug in and extend your brand. It needs to capture the branded aesthetic that your business employs on other platforms. It also should plug into any social media channels that you use. And why not capture information for communication needs? Plugging your email newsletter sign-up on your site is super important if you would like to amass addresses and connect with people via these other methods.
Lastly, there are countless “do it yourself” builders out there that are charged by the month. And at times, these can help you get a formal site off of the ground for a minimal up-front expense. In the long run, it’s a far better choice to have a site developed on say, WordPress. These “do it yourself” builders may give you access to their simple content management systems, but more often than not, you do not actually own your website. If you were to decide that you no longer want to pay a monthly fee aligned with your site, you walk away without a website.
So, as a quick and snappy summation: you need a website. You need this website to feature your content in an elegant, well-crafted manner. It needs to be fresh, engaging, alive. To promise new content to visitors on regular intervals. It serves as a beautiful extension of your business; allowing people from all over the world to connect with your story — the very thing that sets you apart from all of the rest.
