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Four Crucial Elements for Any Successful Website

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article|Website Design | Four Crucial Elements for Any Successful WebsiteFor nearly thirty years, businesses and individuals alike have utilized the internet to project their thoughts, desires, and projects to the rest of the world. Over this time, the nature of the internet has evolved dramatically: there’s probably no better illustration of this evolution than the functionality and aesthetics of most websites.

Used for everything from gossip and personal blogs to major online marketplaces, the look and feel of a website has morphed considerably over the years. In addition, there are more brands, blogs, and businesses operating online than ever before: as such, any target audience has an unprecedented number of choices for their news, information, products or services.

Building the very best website possible – one that is functional, user-friendly, aesthetically pleasing, and usable across all devices – is crucial. To guide webmasters, bloggers, and others in the right direction, let’s take a look at four elements in particular that are crucial for successful websites.

Quality Hosting Services

An incredible amount of time and energy goes into building high-quality web infrastructures. While a simple website can be deployed in as little as a few minutes, a significant and formidable presence that can dominate within one or more niches takes countless hours to perfect. All too often, efforts are focused on building these vital components – but the ingredients for a successful website begin long before the first page is even created.

The selection of a hosting provider plays a huge role in the long-term viability of any website. Elements such as bandwidth and storage obviously matter – especially as a website grows – but just as important is the overall speed and security of a hosting provider. Since there is a direct correlation between page speed and search engine ranking position, generating organic visibility largely revolves around having a website that is fast. Additionally, most users will not wait around forever on your pages to load; they’ll simply look somewhere else.

There are several different hosting solutions available, depending on specific needs. Shared hosting, the most common and affordable solution, can be right for many websites when specific providers are carefully researched. Dedicated hosting is the most expensive and arguably the most reliable option, with a dedicated server utilized for each specific website. A good mixture of the two, VPS hosting helps provide additional speed and storage without having to share resources with a plethora of other websites. To learn more about these hosting provider options, check out these details.

User-Friendly Interface

If people cannot easily access and navigate a website, then its utility is practically zero. Once a tentative web infrastructure is deployed, focusing on improving the user interface is the next item on the list for success. There are numerous technical and aesthetic elements within this broader dynamic to be considered, and plenty of trial and error will be needed to produce the ideal outcome.

Obviously, design is critical in building a successful website that users can enjoy. Ensuring that the appropriate navigation and link options are placed throughout the site can make a huge difference in reception. A suitable color scheme coupled with tasteful imagery helps tie the virtual fabric of the website together and makes branding much easier. Accentuating vital elements on each page – such as the latest blog posts, social media updates, and email subscription forms – will enhance the cumulative marketing power a website provides.

One other critical element of user-friendliness to consider is a mobile responsive design. With more people now using mobile devices to navigate websites than standard desktop devices, it is in many ways smarter to design websites catering to the former group rather than the latter. However, mobile responsive design can be implemented and used to render the best version and resolution of the website for any and all users, based on the device(s) on which they are browsing.

Ample Content

There are many reasons to launch a website: marketing new products, getting the word out about charitable causes, or simply just broadcasting thoughts and information to those who are interested. These differences can lead to fundamentally different types of websites at first glance, but one core concept is present throughout every successful website on the internet: ample content.

The phrase “content is king” is a well-known statement in the world of digital marketing – and for good reason. Most people are not going to discover your website, brand, products or services without something of interest being presented to them first. The easiest way to do this is to create fun, informative or entertaining content that can be shared via a variety of channels.

Additionally, search engines prioritize content above practically anything else. Websites that tend to rank well in search results have a continuous flow of content being published, and each piece of content tends to be detailed and well written. Even if the focus of a website is to sell products or collect subscribers, generating these conversions is difficult without something non-promotional to attract audiences.

Persistent Marketing Efforts

Even a well-designed website with plenty of content and lightning-fast speeds isn’t likely to draw huge crowds without some effort. To truly unlock the potential of a website, a persistent digital marketing effort must be maintained. This strategy can encompass many different marketing options.

Social media marketing has increasingly become the preferred marketing choice for brands that have the budgets to target specific audiences. As a website grows, email marketing can be used by collecting email addresses from customers and subscribers. Search engine optimization (SEO) revolves around organic exposure by improving rankings in search results. PPC campaigns can also be used to instantly gain exposure in the same sets of search results.

Ultimately, there are dozens of viable and effective marketing strategies that can be used in conjunction with content to promote websites and generate exponentially larger numbers of visitors, purchases, and conversions. Even the biggest brands utilize digital marketing as a way to grow and maintain dominance.

Many, many hours of work must be poured into the construction, maintenance and improvement of successful websites. Through quality content, consistent marketing, reliable hosting services and a user-friendly interface, any brand or individual can piece together the building blocks for a viable and successful digital presence.

3 Signs That It’s Time For A Website Refresh

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Website Design | 3 Signs That It's Time For A Website RefreshYears ago, simply having a website was an important factor for your business. Now, you need to make sure that your website is the right kind of website to help your business stay relevant compared to the rest of its online competition.

Keeping your website fresh and up to date is important for driving your business forward, but when was the last time you revamped yours? There are many reasons why your website might need a refresh, and understanding what’s current and important about having the right website will help you make the changes you need.

Is it time you refreshed your website? Take a look at the following signs that it’s time to make a change.

1. You’re not getting enough traffic

The best way to find out how your website is doing is to measure its impact. With the right analytics tools, you can see which pages are landing well, where people are dropping off, as well as what’s generating the traffic.

Making some much-needed changes to your website can help you start over and build up your audience. There are a lot of ways to increase traffic to your website, including social media, better SEO and advertising. However, to make the most of this traffic, you need to give the visitor a destination that’s worth their time.

2. Your website is slow and clunky to use

While people are spending more and more time online, they’re using that time on the things that matter to them. A website that loads slowly and is difficult to navigate will have them reaching elsewhere in a matter of seconds, which means you need to make it count from the off.

To ensure your website performs effectively, you need to take make sure you have the maximum bandwidth, as well as security and a design that is suitable for all types of browsing platforms. Ensuring you have the best PHP framework can help you to develop a stellar website that does everything the visitor expects and more. Conduct testing to measure how well your website works, and establish how you can improve it.

3. Your design needs an upgrade

New web design trends emerge all the time, making it important for your business to keep up with the latest trends. While you don’t need to have a major refresh every year, understanding what’s happening in the world of web design will help you add new features and functions that will continuously improve your website.

Creating a new design that is appealing to the eye and is laid out well will have a great impact on your website’s traffic. Consult a web design expert and transform your website to help give it the boost it needs and help it stay relevant for longer.

Whatever the purpose of your website, it should always project the best image of your business. By having a great web design, content and functionality for your website, you can help ensure your website stays modern and impactful to help deliver the best results for your business. Whether you need to make minor changes or a complete overhaul, make sure you give some thought to refreshing and improving your business’ website.

Why Having a Website is Important for Your Business

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Website Design| Why Having a Website is Important for Your BusinessIf you haven’t yet got a website, you’re probably wondering what all the fuss is about. The truth is that you’re missing out on an amazing opportunity to market your business. To achieve any kind of success in the modern world of business, it’s imperative your company has an online presence in order to be visible to potential customers. If you think you’ve been doing alright so far without one, here is a list of the top benefits.

Your Business Will be More Accessible

Do you run a business with operating times from nine to five? How many times have you had to turn someone away because it’s time to close your doors? With an online website, your business is going to be accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You may well find people choose to visit your site rather than your business premises.

Build Better Relationships with Your Customers

It’s easy to build relationships with your customers if you’ve got a website. Your customers will also be able to review your products or services and leave feedback for potential customers to read. You’re going to be able to keep them informed of any special offers and share information they find useful.

Simple to Set Up

It is possible to set up a website quickly and easily thanks to the various online website builders you can use. If you offer a specialist service, however, you should take advantage of a professional website builder. JustLegal Marketing, for example, can design professional, expert websites for lawyers.

Improves Customer Service

A web presence allows you to enhance the customer service experience. Your customers can contact you any time of the night or day, raise questions, ask for advice or let you know what a fantastic service you’ve been able to provide. You’ll be able to react promptly to any issues, as well as keep them informed of your latest business news.

Able to Target a Larger Audience

If you have a storefront, your audience is limited to the people who might be passing by. Even if you use traditional advertising, such as magazine and newspaper adverts, or word-of-mouth, your reach is very limited. With a website, you’re able to reach people across the other side of the world if you want to.

Improves Business Credibility

It is now expected for a reputable company to have an online presence. Once upon a time, consumers would have been very suspicious of a business that didn’t have a telephone number or physical address. Nowadays, the same is true if a company doesn’t have a website. If your website is easy to use and of the best quality, consumers are going to feel more comfortable using your services.

Cuts Costs

One last benefit that’s going to be important for many of you is that a website allows you to cut costs. Because you can use your site to sell goods and services directly to consumers, there is no need for a bricks and mortar store. If you don’t need premises, you can slash your operating costs.

How to Create a Professional Online Presence For Your Startup Business

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The Internet has made it easier than ever for budding entrepreneurs to start a business, but the nuances of “being online” can be confusing. If you’ve recently launched a startup, the first thing you’ll want to do is create a professional online presence, so people know who you are, what you do and how to reach you. Whether or not you intend to sell your products or services online, it doesn’t matter; you still need a website and some active social media profiles for your business to grow. With this in mind, here’s how to build an online presence for your startup business in five easy steps.

Step One: Do Your Research

Before you start marketing your business online, you need to know who you’re marketing it to. Find out who your target audience is and how they use the Internet, and then you can target your efforts more successfully. You probably already know your business goals (perhaps to turn a profit or fill a gap in the market), but you also need to think about the goals of your customers. What do they want and why are you best placed to provide it?

Step Two: Create a Website

As a startup business, your first investment should be a professional-looking website. There are tools you can use to set this up for free, but if you want to make an impression and stand out in your field, it’s best to consult with a web design agency. Web design can be tricky; as well as layout and branding, you also need to consider security, mobile responsiveness and search engine optimization to help people find and use your website.

Step Three: Get Active on Social Media

To connect with a modern audience, you need to know how to use social media for your business. Refer back to your customer research to decide which platform is most likely to reach your target audience. The key here is consistency: you don’t have to be on every site, but you do need to provide communication and consistency if you want to build trust in your brand.

Step Four: Promote Your Business

Social media provides the perfect platform for promoting your business, but don’t fall into the trap of thinking it’s free or even easy. Paying for ad space and running targeted campaigns is an excellent way to drive traffic to your website and build a following. Without investing at least some time or money, you’re unlikely to make much of an impact.

Step Five: Keep Up the Good Work

Now you have a professional online presence, which will attract high-paying clients, help spread the word about your products or services and enable you to build a glowing reputation. The work doesn’t end here, however. Creating a professional website and setting up your social media accounts is just the first step in marketing your startup. You also have to maintain your online presence to keep growing your business.

Four Tips on Hiring an SEO Agency for Your Startup

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article
In today’s business market, online brand visibility is key to getting your new start-up off the ground. No matter what type of products or services you are selling, the type of audience that you are reaching out to or your goals for your business future, it’s important to have a strong online presence in order to reach success. A strong visibility in search engines and the ability to showcase your expertise and knowledge about your industry online is key to building your customer base and improving customer retention and sales. One of the first steps towards building a strong online presence is search engine optimisation; search engines are one of the first places that customers will go when they are trying to find a brand like yours.

We’ve put together some top tips to help you choose the right SEO agency for the job.

Tip #1. Ask for Recommendations:

As a business owner, you probably spend some time networking and building relationships with other business owners and influential, experienced individuals in your industry. One of the best ways to find a good SEO agency is to simply ask around within your business circles for recommendations – chances are that you know somebody who’s hired an SEO agency before, and will be able to point you in their direction if they were satisfied with their work and believe they’d be a good choice for your needs.

Tip #2. Check Out Portfolios:

Before you make a final decision on an SEO agency, it’s important to take a look at their portfolio of past work to determine whether they are offering the kind of things that you are after. Most good SEO agencies, will display a portfolio that prospective new clients can easily access to get an idea of the kind of work that they do on a regular basis. Take the Lexel SEO agency in London as an example. They have a section on their site dedicated to case studies which their audience can browse through. This is something you should be looking out for whenever you visit an SEO agency’s website.

It’s also a good idea to look at how well any prospective agencies have been doing their own SEO; are they high up in search engine rankings themselves?

Tip #3. Understand What You Need:

When choosing an SEO agency for your business, it’s important to have a list of needs and requirements in mind to ensure that you make the right decision. For example, if you run a smaller, local business, then you’re going to prefer an SEO agency that specialises in conducting local SEO and improving your brand’s visibility within your local area.

Tip #4. Conduct a Background Check:

Finally, once you have determined a few SEO agencies that seem like a good fit for your needs, it’s a good idea to take a closer look into them. One of the best ways of doing this is to get information from past clients regarding their experiences with the company. You can often do this by simply searching for online reviews – third-party websites are the best place to look since you’ll often find more honest and reliable reviews there.

Did you find these tips helpful? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.