In today’s competitive marketplace, business websites are now the virtual brick-and-mortar storefronts of old. The broad and bright display windows and professional staff are rapidly being replaced by the small display screens on one’s computer or mobile device. Now, more than ever, companies that are able to recreate the display windows and the professional staff virtually are those that will succeed in the online space.
When was the last time your company evaluated the performance of its website as it would with one of its sales employees? Over the last few years, has your company’s website led to the increase in sales and customer retention that was projected when the site was first created? Have your brand’s profits increased or leveled as your site has aged? Finally, has the company website met expectations as they relate to User-Experience (UX) and customer satisfaction?
(Related: 4 Reasons a Website Design Should Include a Positive User-Experience)
If the answer to these questions is no, then when this year’s performance review comes around, we suggest that you add one new “employee” to your list: the company website. Long gone are the days when you could push the value of digital marketing and branding off to the bottom of your list of business priorities. As Hubspot reports, 70% of businesses today are finding that the shift in priority to digital marketing is well worth it. If you feel that your website is no longer meeting current expectations, then a redesign may be in your future. And if you need any more incentive as to why, try these quickly seen benefits:
Increased Online Traffic: One of the driving forces in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is optimizing a firm’s search results rankings to increase targeted online traffic. One of the best ways to optimize your website for search is a keyword-rich blog strategy to provide content that will be indexed by Google algorithms. Frequent blog postings, with smart interlinking to related website pages or posts, have been proven to improve the user-experience while promoting customer loyalty and time spent onsite. Most of today’s leading website platforms or Content Management Systems (CMS) that brands can use to modify blog content and website pages easily (and they offer offer SEO tools to optimize the content for improved internet search results).
Improved Lead Conversion Rates: Like the storefront windows of the brick and mortar stores, today’s business website must highlight and project the corporate brand, company products and the firm’s authority in its space. Achieving this goal within the virtual landscape requires a concerted effort comprised of SEO strategy, brand consistency and engagement tools online. The development of visually appealing and easily searchable web pages, along with easy access to the customer service triad (telephone, email, and chat functionality), and a host of conversion strategies should all be incorporated into your redesign to improve conversion of the audience you draw to your new website.
Improved Mobile Conversion: Today’s online consumer is increasingly one that visits a company’s website from a mobile device. In 2019, nearly 58% of search engine visits were initiated via mobile. Americans are spending more and more hours surfing the internet and shopping online via their mobile devices. As a result, it is imperative that brand messaging is consistent across platforms (desktop and mobile) and create a mobile experience that makes it easy to conduct transactions, engage with the brand and essentially do anything one would want to do via desktop. Inconsistent messaging or access on either platform negatively impacts the user experience. Conversely, a pleasing mobile experience that is not restricted by functionality will boost your conversions via mobile…again the fastest growing search platform today.
To ensure profitability and longevity, today’s brands must commit to optimizing their websites for search rankings, the user-experience they offer and the mobile functionality of their platforms. A well-planned website redesign will begin to enjoy benefits in these and other online marketing priorities almost instantly, sending your ROI soaring.
If you’d like to learn more about how a website redesign can enhance your business’ bottom line, call Proctor Digital at 773.664.5819. We’d love to help power a brand explosion for your business.