Netcraft reported that as of November 2011, there were approximately 525, 998,433 websites out in Internet-land – and many of them aren’t perfect. Think about it: when you look at your website, what do you see? Do you see a sleek design? Is it easy to navigate? Do you see compelling imagery or a big block of text? Are you missing the little things like SEO or a Footer? Are you effectively using Social Media? Or have you forgotten to actively add that element to your website?
To make your website more “perfect”, you need to think about all the things we’ve just mentioned. Seattle Web Design and Social Media Marketing company, RoryMartin.com can help you perfect your website with a few tips on designing a better website.
It’s true that content is key when it comes to making an impact on the web, however design is also key. There are a variety of browsers, processors and monitor sizes, so it’s important to design a site that looks great on all of them. While you may use Firefox or Chrome, and so you may design for those two browsers, consider the fact that 40% of internet users STILL use Internet Explorer. Cross-browser compatibility can be a difficult problem to solve, but producing a sleek design without all the extra bells and whistles can save you some time in trying to determine why this or that widget doesn’t work.
Design also plays a big part in your website’s layout and navigation. Consider this – 60% of the time, users cannot find the information they’re looking for – and much of that is due to poor execution in navigation and UI design. Making sure your site is simple but well-designed could save your visitors a lot of time and effort trying to find out where you’ve hidden that gem of information they’re looking for. And where user interface is concerned, users report clicking away from a page that has pop-ups or plays music or video automatically when the webpage has loaded.
One big part of web design that is often overlooked is the footer. Often, businesses forget all about the SEO properties and usability of their footer in favor of more visible elements like header images and information. At RoryMartin.com, we build footers for clients that include copyright information, the company address and contact info, their business tagline and even quick navigation links for the web-user who’s made it to the bottom of your page. We also recommend links to your social media profiles, because, as users arrive at the bottom of your page and want to know more, the footer can convert your web visitors into Twitter or Facebook followers.
Are you actively using social media? Is it easy to find your social media links (and maybe even your Twitter stream) on your website? Web marketing consultant Chris Brogan says, “Social Media puts the ‘public’ into PR and the ‘market’ into marketing.” Social media is one of the easiest, most direct, and most prominent forms of both public relations and marketing, available to businesses today. If you’re not using social media, and displaying your information prominently, you’re missing out on a huge target audience. And, studies have shown that social media builds customer loyalty.
SEO or Search Engine Optimization is probably the biggest key to driving customers to your site. Using a correct combination of keywords and search terms throughout your website in strategic places will help propel your website to the front page of Google. Of course, being on the second page of Google’s search isn’t bad either – considering a quarter of all web searches progress to the second page of Google. But keywords aren’t the whole story: Though 42% of users click the top ranking link on Google, the text that shows up beneath your link is REALLY the driving factor. It’s this text – copy pulled directly from your website, that truly drives traffic to each site, while your strategic keywords ensure you’re listed in those search results in the first place.
If you’re looking to update your website, grab the wide world of social media marketing by the horns, or just looking to manage brand communications, our skilled staff of social media marketing and web design experts can help. Find out more about what we can do for you at www.rorymartin.com.
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In 2010, social media endeavors are often still thought of as “pilot programs,” launched to steer a brand toward perceived relevance. Budgets, for the most part, are borrowed from other divisions to fund the largely experimental programs. Where that money goes and comes from depends largely on the social media champions who push for this experimentation from the inside.
In 2010, executives are demanding scrutiny, evaluation, and interpretation. Even though new media is transforming organizations from the inside out, what is constant is the need to apply performance indicators to our work.
However, the study found that the exact implications of social media still evade CMOs.
Customer ratings and reviews rose to the top of useful marketing feedback, as they delivered tangible ROI insight. In 2009, 80% of respondents reported that customer stories and suggestions shape products and services. As a result, brands earn the trust and loyalty of their customers by listening and responding.
Social media metrics will be increasingly tied to revenue in 2010. To what extent seems to vary according to CMOs. The study indicates:
