Intelligent Web Design

By Jeff Wotton - VP of Spectrum Marketing Group

Intelligent Web Design:

With so many options these days for the design of your website, where do you turn? Who do you trust? Can you really do it yourself? Here are a few tips for your online marketing success and frequently asked questions from business owners.

 When it comes design of your website there are a few key elements to keep in mind.

Branding:

Is the design and layout of your website consistent with your other marketing materials, logo and theme? Constitency is key when building your brand.

Layout & Design:

Once you get a prospect to your website it is crucial that they have easy access to the information they are looking for. Know your audience, know what they are looking for and make it easy for them to access that information. A consumer will not search around your website, if they can't get the info they are looking for fast then they will be on to your competitors site next.

Content:

Content is king. When writing content for your website keep in mind that you have two audiences. One is the real people who are looking for your products or services. The other is the search engines. You must find a balance. Consumers want text to be short and conscise, search engines are looking for keyword density. An image says a thousand words, but is silent to the search engines. Whenever possible look to add video.

Social Enabled:

Your website needs to be social enabled. What does that mean? Well, you should have a facebook like box so people can like you on facebook from your website, same thing with twitter. Also, a facebook share or like button for your pages is crucial for search engine optimization. The more people that like or share your pages, the higher you will rank in search engines.

Mobile Enabled:

So your website looks great on your web designers massive monitor. How does it look from your smartphone? With more and more people searching and browsing the internet from their phones it is absolutely crucial that your website is mobile enabled.

Content Management Systems:

In todays climate a static site is at the end of the list. It is important to update your website fairly reguarly. The best way to do this is to incorporate an on site blog. A content management system like wordpress or our openweb system gives you the ability to update your website, photo albums, blog, newsfeed, calender and more. Make sure that your new website comes with a content management system so you can stay ahead of your competitors.

Common Questions from business owners:

How much should I invest in a website?

Every business is different. What a local plumber should spend on their website is obviously going to be much different than what a national retailer spends on theirs. For small to medium sized businesses the cost of a professionally done website has gone down over the years. Like anything be sure to get a few quotes to make sure you are getting a fair deal.

Can I create my own website?

Nowadays even people with little or no web design experience can publish a webpage. But, in life you get what you pay for. If you just want something there for  the sake of being there then that will be fine. If you want your website to bring you new business, then you must rely on the pros.

Spectrum Marketing Group is a multimedia marketing agency located in New Bedford, MA. We specialize in graphic design, web design, print collateral and internet marketing. Our team of consultants, designers and software programmers can help you design or redesign your website to appeal to your target market and generate new business for you and your business. Please feel free to contact us today.