More Than Pixels: The Web Designer's Role in Effective Marketing
I have the amazing luck to know many talented web designers with integrity. After closing my web design business this year, I’ve become passionate about helping support my colleagues and help educate - what happens when you work with a web designer and how do you expect to be treated.
You know, the online world is pretty much the Wild West, we don’t have any formal regulations and rules to regulate what people do. It’s mostly through referrals and trust, do you find talented people who do what they say and more.
Please enjoy getting to know these 5 talented web designers - they could be an amazing partner as you grow your business.
Jefferson Powers
What is the impact of a website for a business owner these days? WHY should a business have a website?
These days, potential customers are at least as likely to find your website via social media or an email newsletter as they are from a Google search, so it's important to understand that the website is only part of your internet marketing plan. However, it is a very important part.
Facebook, Twitter and the like are good tools for quick announcements about particular events or offerings, and are ideal for direct engagement, but your website is where you have the most control over your messaging and how it is presented. The website is where you have the user's full attention, allowing you to go into detail about who you are and what you do in a way that just isn't possible on social media. It's where people will go for follow up information, and it serves to support your credibility as someone who is in business and ready to help.
Share an example of how you’ve successfully helped a business
I recently completed a new website for a non-profit whose primary goal is outreach in the form of events and meetings. Their old website was built in WordPress, but on an older theme that wasn't up to current standards, which prevented them from updating to the most current software and support plugins. Additionally, updating their website content was bottlenecked, as there were only a few part-time volunteers who knew how to add content.
I rebuilt the website from scratch using the most current WordPress and web design standards, with an eye towards future-proofing it as much as possible. I also simplified the process of adding events and content, and provided training to their board of directors so that they can more easily keep the website's information up to date.
Malia Tippets
Owner/Operator of Bridgetown Marketing
https://www.bridgetown-marketing.com
WHY should a business have a website?
It is more crucial than ever for businesses to quickly and easily be found online. Attention spans are at an all time low, and our lives are often overscheduled. Those factors together leave consumers with high expectations and low patience thresholds.
What is the impact of a website for a business owner these days?
A website is often the first or second point of contact for any consumer with your business. Visiting a business website for the first time is a lot like walking into a store for the first time. There are intangibles that inform your overall opinion about that brand or business immediately. Are they up to date? Are they energized, active and ready to serve my needs? Are they confused and hard to navigate?
Similarly, your website can affect how likely your staff are willing to share your business with potential clients. Having a website that you can be proud of, makes you more likely to want to share it with the world.
Share an example of how you’ve successfully helped a business
We built a new brand design for an Elder Law Firm here in Portland. Within two months of the launch of this new site, the client reported back to us that a client has chosen their firm over a handful of others because of the "feel" they had when visiting the website. It was described as "Friendly and Professional" in comparison with the "Stuffy and Outdated" sites from other firms. This was the client's initial goal at the outset of the project, so we were very pleased to have such a fast result from that project.
Rob King
What is the impact of a website for a business owner these days? WHY should a business have a website?
The most common mistake service based businesses make is using a website as a resource for information about the company and how they can be reached. In this case a website is virtually worthless. But when a website is designed to answer the questions of what they do, how their service or product candy solve the seeker's problem, and how these seekers can get it, the website becomes a powerful conversion tool for creating new clients. And when the website is part of a full sales funnel, that power is ramped up 100 fold.
Share an example of how you’ve successfully helped a business
One of my clients ran a deep cleaning business on the island of Cypress. All their business came from word of mouth and a Facebook page. They barely made ends meet and the vast majority of prospects thought they were a maid service.
I worked together with them to narrow down the people they were aiming for and clarify what problem they solved. Then we worked together to create a website around content that was clear, specific and made it easy for the right prospects to schedule appointments to use their services.
As a result, their business immediately started growing, attracting the right people who felt understood. Within months, they became overwhelmed with appointments and had to train more people to help.
Rebecca Bratz
Owner of Right Hand Design Studio
https://www.righthanddesignstudio.us
What is the impact of a website for a business owner these days?
The impact of a website is simple. Its success.
A website is your crystal ball. It keeps your audience up to date on everything that you’re doing (announcements, sales, events, etc.). It proves that you’re legit. It shares your story; who you are, what you stand for, making you more relatable. It gets you seen in Google search results. It produces more leads, which generates more revenue. It acts as your customer service team, running in the background 24/7/365, while you’re sipping the most exquisite cabernet sauvignon your lips have ever touched.
WHY should a business have a website?
October 4, 2021. That’s why.
Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp disappeared from the internet. Poof. Gone. For hours. 3.5 billion lives were disrupted, but most importantly, businesses were cut off from their customers; losing thousands in sales.
Let’s relive that dreaded day as if you had a website for your business AND Facebook (or one of its subsidiaries).
Facebook goes down.
Pandemonium breaks out.
Refresh your browser.
You think to yourself, how many sales have I lost? How much money am I losing every hour that Facebook is down?
Refresh your browser. [Text Wrapping Break]Nothing.
Panic and nausea take over your body.
Check your email.
What in the?
You have over 100 emails from Squarespace with the subject line “Business name: a new order has arrived (00142)”
Huh? How?
Oh yea…I have a website.
And because you have a website, your customers still have access to you and your products.
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t have your business on social media. What I am saying is that social media platforms shouldn’t be the primary way you run your business. I will even go as far as saying it’s a tertiary source, with email marketing as your secondary.
Technology outages are not uncommon, but if you have a website and an email list in addition to social media, the next time the virtual communications giant goes down, you will be left standing.
Share an example of how you’ve successfully helped a business
Imagine a painting and decorating business owner (Phil) of 33 years. His business operated on the word of mouth business model since 1986, the year of its origin.
Cue in the son (Chris) who has worked for his father since he was 14 years old.
Chris is going to take over the family business while Phil enjoys retirement. Chris knows he needs to take his business online. Phil understands the importance of a website, but thinks Chris has other things he needs to invest his money in.
In 2019 his website and Facebook business page went live.
With a website, Chris feels like he’s taken more seriously and can make an impactful first impression. His website is minimal–but that is what he wanted–something easy for him to keep up. He also loves how simple it is for a not so tech savvy guy to make updates in Squarespace.
His business is booming. He’s booked out months and had to hire a crew! He received 100%+ return in less than 8 months by investing in a website.
Tiffany Cox
President of Tiffany Cox Design
What is the impact of a website for a business owner these days? WHY should a business have a website?
There is more competition in the online marketplace today than ever before. Some people think a social media presence is enough to win over customers but that's simply not the case. A well-designed website can be the difference between winning over a client or not. Your website is your hub to building your business credibility, it allows you to showcase your testimonials and case studies in a much more impactful way than just social media alone. This combined with reviews from other websites like Google or Yelp can really be the deciding factor for a potential client.
The most important thing to remember is the way you layout your website and the content on that website can also make a huge impact. If the message doesn't resonate or your website is hard to navigate you can lose customers fast! Sometimes it makes sense to hire a professional in this case to help you craft the right message and flow to the buying process.
Share an example of how you’ve successfully helped a business
One of the ways I help business owners is by auditing their website for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and user experience. One of my clients who is a massage therapist started with absolutely no business coming from online sources. She had a website that she built herself and tried all the DIY things she could find to optimize the site, but it just wasn't ranking on Google and the traffic she was getting wasn't converting. After a total website and content overhaul she now gets 80%-90% of her new business from her website! She went from not ranking on Google to being Page 1 for several important key phrases. This has resulted in her having a wait list for new clients and a totally full massage schedule within 12 months.