We’ve said it once, and we’ll continue to say it…your business website is the core of your online presence and is imperative to your marketing success. Therefore, building your website is not a task to be taken lightly. A great design and good visual aesthetics are important when building a website, however that won’t get you far if you don’t have the vision to back it up.
What is the Purpose of Your Business Website?
Ultimately, you want to sell your product or service, but you aren’t going to get there without forming a connection with your customer first. Your website should appeal to a very specific target audience, and help build their trust to form a relationship with your brand.
A good website will address a problem or need, talk through the solutions for that need, and then provide the consumer with a fix through the product or service that the business offers. The website is taking the consumer on a journey with the end result of having their needs met, all while appealing to them on a personal level. Everyone wants to feel good about the decisions they make, and to make an informed decision, they need to know who they are doing business with.
Who Are You?
A key component of building your brand is figuring out who you are, and properly conveying that to your customers. Deciding “who you are” is more than just what you do or sell, but also how you want to be perceived as a business or even individual. Think of it this way: if your business was a person, what would their personality be? After all, every business includes one or more persons.
If you want to be taken seriously and perceived as an industry expert or leader, the components of your website might differ from those that want to come off as a little more easygoing or down to earth. Neither one is wrong, but it is important to figure out what image you want to portray before building your digital presence.
How to Tell Your Story
There are many different ways to effectively convey the vision of your brand and what you can provide consumers. The way you choose to tell your story will be unique to you and your industry, but the basics remain the same.
Draw readers in
Telling a story is more appealing to readers than just pushing products on them to purchase. This doesn’t mean you have to write endless pages of content or stray away from your goal of increasing business, but you should welcome consumers to your site by teaching them a little bit about who you are, what you do, and why you do it. Drawing out their interest in your company and not just the product will bode well in the end when it comes time to make a purchase decision.
Make it personal
Your story should have your own personal touch. Get consumers to relate to you through personal stories about how you got started, or why you are in this particular industry. You can even share customer stories that new or potential customers can relate to. This will help readers form that personal connection with your brand.
Another way to add personalization is through imagery. Utilizing images of your staff and work “puts a face to the name”, and lets your customers get to know you and begin to feel comfortable working with you. Stock photos can be used when necessary, but you lose out on the ability for your readers to form a personal connection to your brand.
Find your voice
What tone do you want to set for your business? Your personality should definitely shine through on your website, letting readers get to know who you are and connect on a more personal level. Bringing your personality into storytelling and conversation comes across as more authentic and trustworthy, and could even be the deciding factor for consumers when looking at competing brands.
Be visual
We already touched on implementing personalized photos of your staff, customers, work, etc., but there are many more ways to add visual aspects to your site that will serve a purpose.
Implementing diagrams, illustrations, videos, and images can help tell your story in an easy to consume manner. Again, when we stay “storytelling”, we aren’t saying you need to write a novel and post it to your website. Find the most creative, concise, and user-friendly way to tell your story, and run with it.
Be interactive
If there is an opportunity to offer interactivity on your website, do it. This gets readers involved in customizing their experience, and makes it more personal for them. Providing interactive aspects will also hold the attention of the reader, and make them want to learn more. Be careful not to overdo it though, too many elements can be confusing and end up not providing value to the reader.
Don’t Forget About SEO
We wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t remind you of the importance of Search Engine Optimization! If you implement SEO from the start, your website is sure to perform better right out of the gate.
SEO starts with keyword research to determine what you should be showcasing on your site. Once you have a solid outline of the topics you want to discuss based on what is most competitive or widely searched, you can create your content with that in mind. You are now starting to address the needs of the consumers in your industry simply by knowing what it is they are searching for. Continue to tell your story while utilizing these key topics, and you’ll be set up for success.
Want to learn more about SEO? Check out our SEO for Beginners guide!
Ready to get started?
Shout It Out Design can help tell your story! We understand this might not be everyone’s forte and for that reason, we are here to help however we can. Get in touch with us today to get started.
