When strategizing an integrated marketing plan for your brand, the right web design is essential. The standard for web design is no longer something that is in 2nd place in your mind. This is a key part to any business of any size. It needs to be seen also as something of an investment. Your website should be designed keeping in mind your audience and should ensure that it improves user experience and there a number of key ways to be sure to do this too.
Vital to any business
We all know that a well-designed and strategic website has enormous value for businesses. Often, it’s the first point of contact between a potential customer and a brand. A website that’s both aesthetically appealing and user-friendly forms a strong first impression which can ultimately result in high conversion rates. Intuitively, most business owners know that they need a website in order to look professional and reach customers online.
However, it’s not always obvious how their website fits into their digital marketing strategy as a whole. If you’re a web designer, you know that it takes much more than an awesome website to build a profitable and sustainable business. But if you want to make your services even more impactful, there are certain strategies you can implement to create a website that supports a company’s marketing goals.
A key part to any marketing plan
Above, we stated that website design is a form of inbound marketing. Inbound marketing refers to marketing activities that attract a customer to a business. For example, a customer does a Google search for a type of product they’re looking for and clicks on a search result that takes them to a product page on a company’s website. In contrast, outbound marketing refers to when a company actively reaches out to potential customers to generate interest and make a sale. Some examples of outbound marketing include paid advertisement, cold calling, and direct mail. The role of a website in a company’s marketing plan can vary widely depending on the company’s business model.
For instance, an e-commerce business relies heavily on its website in order to generate revenue, whereas a brick-and-mortar business may utilize their website more as a virtual business card than a sales tool. Thus, when creating a website for a client, it’s important to first understand their business goals and objectives. Do they intend to make the majority of their sales through their website? If so, you should have a discussion about what you can do to set their website up for success through your design services; also, it’s helpful to know how your client’s website ties in with their overall marketing and sales strategies.
Overall
Every website needs some amount of traffic in order to meet its objectives. Going back to the e-commerce example, these companies need a good deal of traffic in order to make sales. It is key considering that the average conversion rate of e-commerce sites sits around 3%. However, if the traffic is targeted well, the conversion rate for a business website could be much higher than 3%. Plus, websites can have multiple objectives apart from sales. For instance, many companies use their website to grow their email list. This is so that they can form a relationship with potential customers over time. This is a smart marketing strategy, especially for businesses selling high-ticket services (like website design!)
But growing an email list still requires website traffic, and in general, the more you can get, the better. If your website doesn’t get any visitors, what’s the point of having one? If you’re a web designer and you want to help your clients get more traffic, there are a few things you can do. Some may require learning new skills. But the payoff can be well worth it; by bringing your clients more website traffic. From this, you’re increasing the value of your services. This gives you good incentive to raise your rates.
