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“We really need to do something with our website!”
Honestly. How many times have you said it...this year? This month? This WEEK?
Your dubbya dubbya dubbya sits out there awkwardly promoting your company, but it’s (mumble mumble) years old, built when the internet was born, with design, typography and navigation that shows its age. You might as well call it your cobweb site.
Frankly, you’re embarrassed to even tell people you have a website. So it just sits out there taking up virtual space in the digital universe while small businesses around you are getting the sales. But you have no idea where to even start.
Let me re-incentivize you: CUT IT OUT.
Here are a few reasons why.
It’s your prime real estate.
I don’t need to tell you this - you know it deep down. In marketing, it’s what we call an “owned property.” You don’t need to go renting ad space somewhere. You OWN your website. You can do anything you want to with it, and just like your home, it should reflect you, your brand, culture and message. It should be a place where you are proud to invite visitors, and a place where they experience something very, very good.
It’s your prospective client’s first stop.
But guess what? They’re already coming. You know as well as anybody that shopping involves research. You’ve done it yourself. Your prospects will Google like crazy to figure out if you’re right for them and your website is their first stop. It will make or break their decision to use you. Does it invite them closer, or do they close your tab in point five seconds, moving on to your competitor?
Image matters.
You are the best at what you do in your business. You’ve dialed in your product or service to such a fine-tuned & superior degree that you have a solid and amazing business based on your passions and hard work.
Here's the unfortunate truth: If you’re not presenting it to the world in a way that speaks to them - that captures their attention and imagination and dials in to their pain point instantly in a beautiful or compelling way that can compete with other modern design, your business gets passed by and you lose sales.
You’re losing money.
You can hear where all this is going. In digital marketing, we call it a “bounce rate.” It’s how fast your visitors bounce away from your site, and thus, how fast your potential revenue bounces away from your bankroll.
You see, great marketing assets aren’t frilly nice-to-have’s. They’re key business drivers, and it’s a wise decision to invest in excellent materials that work hard as sales and communications tools. When those tools are sharpened and refined, selling your business gets enormously easier and clients come faster.
It’s really not that hard.
This is the one where I might lose you - but stay with me. Because - I hear you thinking - if it were easy, or if I had time, I would've done it months (or even years) ago. The fact is, you’re in business to do what you do - and marketing just ain’t it. Reworking a website, picking a platform, developing new graphics and copy is a far reach for your skill set. Even thinking about it feels like swimming through mud, and it keeps taking a back burner until your website looks like it was designed in the age of dial-up.
(For those of you whose website was designed in the age of dial-up: sorry not sorry.)
In reality, this section should be titled “It’s really not that hard (for people who know what they’re doing.)” And to that, I would say: WORK WITH THOSE PEOPLE. Do not pass Go. Do not collect two hundred dollars (because you’re not). Do not wait another second, and hire an expert to redevelop your primary marketing tool with all due haste.
But (I hear you…) this isn’t easy either.
And I’ll affirm you: You are right.
It takes an investment of time to pick the right partner, and money to revamp your site.
But remember: This is an investment that pays high dividends.
Picking the right marketing partner is hard.
I know it because I am one.
And I’ve heard the horror stories of countless clients who have been burned by bad ones.
Here are just a few tips to take steps in the right direction:
Relationship is key. This person or company will be an extension of yours. Hire them as you’d hire an employee. Seek a natural sense of comfort, trust and reliability. Within that relationship...
You are the client. As such, what you need should be paramount. Go in with clear goals. You don’t have to have (nor should you) everything sorted out. But your marketing partner should listen closely to your needs rather than pigeon-holing you into a solution that might not fit.
They are the expert. This means that they come with a great deal of industry knowledge and can guide you into decisions that align with your goals. They might even see perspectives that you haven’t, so go in with some flexibility to let your mutual expertise blend into a great solution.
Expertise is important. But it’s not everything. This sounds weird, right? Realize this: Marketing is a big area involving many steps in succession. Any one person who tells you they’re good in all of them will also try to sell you the Brooklyn Bridge. And any one person worth their weight will focus on areas they’re REALLY good at. That’s why agencies exist - they can collect all those areas of expertise into a single shop. Another non-agency option is independent contractors who may not be good at everything, but themselves partner and network with people who round out the full marketing compliment and provide a complete solution. That’s creative problem-solving, and that’s what you want on your side.
Once you’ve chosen your marketing partner, you’re halfway to your goal of a fresh new site, messaging, positioning & branding that represents you best and puts you miles ahead of your competition.
Remember, this doesn’t need to be complex. A few well-placed touches by a seasoned expert can transform your core marketing property easier and in less time than you think, providing the potential for significant return in this wise investment!
What’s next?
You literally have thousands of options of vendors who can help get you over this hurdle. Even that can be overwhelming, but you’re welcome to start scouring the internet for the best of the best that matches your needs.
But hey, we’re right here. If you’ve found this article helpful, we’d be honored to hop on the phone for a free, no-risk consultation to see if we can help renovate your website or move any other marketing challenges ahead.
Visit us at BigPicture.Studio to schedule an appointment today.