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Jennifer, so many companies ignore their website because it's hard to update, no one has time or skills, or they're unsure what to include. Good intentions when it was built ... but not so much anymore. Yet today, your website is the heart of your marketing.

It might be time to reinvent your website

You may not be ready for a rebrand, the topic of our last few emails. Yet keeping your marketing surging ahead is still vital to sales and growth.

If your website was built more than three years ago, or it hasn't been touched in the last year, your marketing is failing. You're missing out on potential inquiries and warm leads who are looking online for what you provide.  

Google (used by 80% of searchers) pushes mobile-friendly sites packed with fresh content and user-focused information higher in search results. If Google doesn't like your site, it won't show up when people search for what you offer. That's a big fat fail for your marketing program.

Following are three important elements (and there are more in our download) to help you shift from the painful "what should we do about our website?" conversation and surge ahead powerfully with a site that drives marketing results.

1. Mobile friendly, more than a good idea. Essential.

You've heard it's important to have a mobile-friendly or responsive website. This is no longer a "gee, I guess I should." It's a "get that done now or we're losing out" action to take. Now, not later. 

According to Google, more than half of online searches happen on mobile devices. Not mobile? More than half of your target audience can't find you online.

Google offers a simple test to check your website. 

If your test shows your site is NOT mobile-friendly, begin planning your new site now.

2. Content to help the right people find you. 

In a recent article in Forbes, titled 4 SEO Mistakes You Need to Fix Now, the author stated, "If you care about the success of your business, you must, by proxy, care about how you rank in search engines when users query relevant keywords."

The author goes on to emphasize you must know your target keywords and choose words or phrases different from the general terms everyone in your category uses. 

The interesting thing about SEO, in my view, is the need to focus--to narrow your message (keywords) from general and broad to focused and specific.

To capture more traffic, use terms which appeal to your audiences but don't sound like everyone else. Start with your audiences first, what they're looking for.

To me, that's positioning ... and messaging. 

Attractive design is useful for a positive experience once you have visitors, but it won't help your website be found by people who don't know you yet.

It's carefully planned content--from page titles to meta descriptions to on-page copy--that draws searchers in. When they find you, the right content will keep them engaged, lead them to more pages and encourage them to contact you.

This is the downfall of many websites--all those offers of a "free website build" keep attention on cost. When cool design or low-cost come first, SEO and content take a back seat. Yet SEO-optimized content built from positioning delivers more visitors, inquiries and leads for long-term impact on your marketing.

3. Express your positioning in 3 seconds ... who, what, why.

When someone DOES find your website ... can they understand in 3 seconds who you are, what you provide and why they should choose you?

Right. At a glance. Three seconds. On your home page. 

Positioning narrows your focus. It helps you stand out from the rest. It expresses the essence of what makes you different and unique, the idea your audiences can understand quickly and remember easily. 

When your positioning is tightly focused, you'll have the foundation for solid keywords that fit audience expectations and help you rank higher in search.

Developing your positioning requires a deep dive into your organization, your purpose, your audiences and what they expect. It demands inquiry, analysis and discussion. Once your position is clear, the right words and phrases will guide all of your marketing ... and frame the layout, flow and content on your website. 

There are many more factors to cover when rethinking your website. Your industry, your positioning and your story will also impact the design, content and structure of the website that works best for you and your audiences.

Yet these three factors are a foundation. Instead of just building a website because you have to, or leaving that old one up without attention, consider your website the engine for your ongong marketing strategy.

Design and build your effective marketing tool. Create a powerful platform to express your value. Share success stories. Showcase your products and services. Answer FAQs. Grab audiences and inspire response. Surge ahead powerfully.

Is it time to reinvent your website?

If you're ready to rethink your website, we can provide an objective audit to give you direction. We'll discuss marketing, audiences and positioning and provide suggestions to help you put your website at the heart of your marketing. 

Meanwhile, use our worksheet to evaluate where you are now. We've put two of our popular website worksheets into one new and updated download. Six tips for an effective website, and 8 mistakes to avoid can be yours. Just click the button below. 

Questions? To set up a time to discuss your website content and positioning ... just reply to this email. Happy to talk, you'll find it valuable, I'm sure!

Jennifer Larsen Morrow

Creative Company President/Brand Visionary

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Email: jlmorrow@creativeco.com
Twitter: @jlmorrow
LinkedIn: /in/jenniferlarsenmorrow
Direct: 503.687.1308

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Creative Company | 730 NE 4th Street McMinnville OR 97128

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