It’s Time to Overhaul Your Website

You meet someone at a networking event and they tell you that they work for XYZ Company. It’s a company you’ve never heard of. What’s the first thing you’re probably going to do when you walk away from the conversation? If you’re like most people, you’ll Google the company and see what they’re all about.

In today’s world, your website is your digital business card. Whether you market directly to consumers or are B2B, your website is likely to be seen far before your office. Often, it will be what your customers base their first impressions of your company on.

Here are some things to consider when looking into building a website or updating your current one:

• Simple Navigation: Single page sites are all the rage right now and for good reason! They’re simple. Minimizing clicks and presenting your information in a clean and organized manner is crucial to having an effective website. While a single page site isn’t ideal for everyone, easy navigation is a must.
• Responsiveness: Remember when you googled XYZ Company a minute ago at that networking event? You did it on your phone didn’t you? Make sure your website looks good across all screen sizes, from desktop monitors to mobile devices.
• Clear Call to Action: What’s the end goal for your web traffic? Convert to a lead? Sign up for a mailing list? Buy a product? Make sure you have clear calls to action on your site that align with your goals.
• DIY or Outsource: There are many options for designing or revamping your website and budget will play a huge factor into this. If you’re technically skilled and familiar with coding (or willing to get familiar), you have the option to build your own site from scratch. Maybe you’re not super technical but know your way around the computer (and a search engine), purchasing a WordPress theme and customizing it to your liking might be a good route for you. If you don’t have the time to monkey with code or learn how to use the WordPress content management system but aren’t in need of an overly complex site, a drag and drop site builder such as Squarespace or Wix might be right up your alley. Let’s say you have a budget for a website and don’t have time to do it yourself at all, there are a multitude of web design companies out there who can set you up with exactly what you need, with whatever budget you have set.

There are many things to think about when you decide it is time to set up a website or give your current one a facelift. When it comes time to get serious, find a few sites you like, figure out what it is that draws you to them, take the above list into consideration and you should be well on your way to having a top-notch website.

Susan Green, communications director for Westcor Land Title Insurance Co., will speak more in depth on this topic with Tim Evans, CEO of Evans Title Agency, during the session “It’s Time to Overhaul Your Website” at ALTA ONE. Click here to register for ALTA ONE.