Why You Need a Killer Website (And Not Just a Stellar Social Media Presence)

Why You Need a Killer Website (And Not Just a Stellar Social Media Presence)

Why-You-Need-a-Killer-Website-And-Not-Just-a-Stellar-Social-Media-Presence, social media, importance of a website

Is your website being overlooked? As an entrepreneur or non-profit, you have your hands full.  Between building relationships with clients, managing your products and services, and keeping track of the bottom line, there’s little time left to leverage the power of the ever-changing world of online marketing.

Is your audience more present on Facebook or Instagram? Do you have a large enough following on Pinterest? How do you convert “Likes” into sales or donations? These types of questions are exhausting. While social media is a crucial component of your communication strategy, we think you could be missing out on great opportunities if you’re not giving enough attention to your website.

We know, we know. We just acknowledged you have your hands full running an organization, and that social media is time consuming and fickle, so why are we suggesting you add one more thing to your plate?

Because websites are an under-appreciated goldmine and we just happen to be great at mining for gold.

Advertising Roles

We’re not knocking social media. It absolutely has a vital role in your organization as the mouthpiece of your message. Whether your message is “Save the Sea Turtles” or “Buy These Shoes”, it needs to get out there. Platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are great for getting out your message, making your brand recognizable, and communicating directly with your clients and consumers. The primary duty of your social media campaign is to help you communicate clearly and efficiently with your audience.

Your website, on the other hand, should be showcasing everything your social media is bragging about. Think of your social media posts as those sign twirlers that stand on the corner, getting people’s attention,  driving customers towards a business.  You’re not going to make any money if your sign twirlers direct people to an empty store. Your website has to serve up the goods and services that your social media has been advertising and make your customers want to come back for more.

Street Cred

Frankly, owning a website is just foundational to owning a business or running a non-profit. It shows your commitment to building a trustworthy enterprise and strengthens your reputation and social integrity.

A business without a website lacks credibility. A business with a poorly constructed website lacks sustainability. If you want to earn the reputation of a competent and professional organization, invest in creating a website that will showcase your strengths, not your weaknesses. Never let what you lack overshadow what you have in abundance. A haphazard website suggests a lack of time, effort, and energy. And even if you’re out of all three, you don’t want that to be the message your customers receive.

Control Issues

One of the greatest advantages your website has to offer you is that it is all yours. The design, format, and content are completely and fully yours to do with as you wish. There are no censorship issues to deal with or fears that someday your posts will be gone. As long as you own your domain, you own the content on your webpage. You are free to customize your site to reflect your brand, values, lifestyle, products, and goals in a professional and fully controllable online atmosphere.

Social media platforms do not offer the same level of personalization and creative freedom that your website possesses, so why devote all your time and energy into a service that you only get to manage verses one you get to completely design? The sky is the limit for your website, and we want to see your organization fly high.

Let’s Talk About ROI

When it comes to social media, one of the greatest perks is the cost- it’s free, (unless you spend money on ads which many entrepreneurs and non-profits do). But as the old adage goes, sometimes you get what you pay for.

What’s beautiful about owning a killer website is the high return on investment (ROI) that it brings. A modest investment into the brick-and-mortar equivalent to your business’s online presence is invaluable. Your website provides a one-stop shop to meet all of your clients’ needs.

Show Me the Money

Finally, in addition to the many amazing tools a website offers such as video capability, blogging, customer reviews, and FAQ’s, a website also provides the greatest opportunity for your audience to spend or donate their money. While your social media accounts are busy talkin’ up your meat and potatoes, your website is checkin’ them out and baggin’ them up. The greatest marketing tools in the world are useless if they don’t inspire your audience to do something and your website is the place that magic happens.

Let Us Help You

Here at HeartWired, we understand that building an exceptional website is not in everyone’s wheelhouse. You’ve created a business or a non-profit with amazing products and services. You’re trying to make the world a better place, trying to see your dreams come true, and trying to keep your head above water. You’re working with clients and customers, vendors and voters. You’re spinning so many plates right now that they’re making you dizzy, and we just told you that you need a dynamite website if you want to survive and thrive.

It’s ok. We’ve got this.

Let our team of creatives design and build the website you and your organization deserve. We can help you tell your story, refine your brand, and teach you how to take the reigns to maintain your website.

Book a Consultation Today

5 Practical Tips to Vetting a Web Agency in Jacksonville

5 Practical Tips to Vetting a Web Agency in Jacksonville

Most people like to think they have a great website that is appealing visually. Picking and vetting a web agency in Jacksonville can be a different story. Having a vision and taking it from an idea to a finished product can be overwhelming. Wanting to take on designing a website, many soon realize that they may not have the technical knowledge, patience, or time to create their vision to their own satisfaction. This is where picking a web agency to create your website can help.

Finding and hiring a web agency in Jacksonville is easy. Vetting the right agency that has the web professionals skilled for your project might not be as easy. Our designers and developers at HeartWired are trained professionals that will guide you through the process of designing your website. Whether you are a start-up just starting out or an established business in need of a redesign. Our focus is to create and tell your business’s story in a way only you can.

Let’s discuss what five tips we have to vetting a web agency in Jacksonville.

Determine your budget

While this may seem a logical step, we have found many clients who have no idea what their budget is. Having a budget in mind will help you eliminate those web agencies that are simply outside of what you are willing or able to spend. It also helps you establish guidelines upfront when selecting an agency to work with.

Check References

One way to find a web design professional in Jacksonville is to ask their previous clients. Hopefully, you can find some testimonials on Google, Facebook, Yelp, and others as a starting point. It is also important to ask the web agency during your discovery consultation if they have references they would be willing to share. A great way to vet the agency is by the words of others.

Storyboard Your Vision

Having a vision for your business will make the design and development process simpler for all involved. Using a storyboard or some other process to iron out the majority of your business vision before shopping for a web agency in Jacksonville will make the vetting and hiring process simpler. In addition by having a vision, you will eliminate potential scope creep that is encountered when you are not sure what you want.

Watch out for Trendy Designers

This may sound a little counterintuitive but hear us out. We firmly believe the trends that appear in the design space many times are gorgeous..but. Those trends tend to lack longevity. What is popular today could be outdated in a year or two. Having a focus on modern design versus trendy will help your website from becoming the next GeoCities page.

Make Sure You Own Your Website

We cannot stress this enough. So many agencies find it appropriate to hold their clients’ site ransom by controlling the ownership. Whether the agency offers ongoing services and support (and they should) your ownership is not a bargaining chip. When we build a website for our fellow small businesses in Jacksonville, we are more than willing to give our clients access to their site. This includes access to the WordPress dashboard along with their database as they so desire. So many times we hear horror stories about clients who have no access to the website they paid for, and we simply do not understand that methodology.

Agencies in Jacksonville as well as elsewhere that operate with transparency and integrity should have no problem being vetted. They know their work, as well as the relationships with their clients, speak for themselves.

We at HeartWired hope you have enjoyed these 5 tips on vetting a web agency in Jacksonville. While this list is only the beginning, we pray that it has given you a good understanding and foundation for starting your web development process.

We love serving our local community in Jacksonville, FL as well as elsewhere. If you or someone you know could use a new website, please share these tips and contact us to discuss your website vision.

Building Traffic Patterns for Your Small Business

Building Traffic Patterns for Your Small Business

Business owners spend a great deal of time and money trying to “gain traction” or get “traffic” to their websites only to see little results.

Generally the reason is simple … and so can the solution be as well.

There are a few things either you or your web designer can do that can help get you noticed.

  1. When did you update your website last? A stagnant unchanging site will not bring in visitors. Change some images, add some content, re-purpose old content, make things fresh and relevant.
  2. Outdated or expired sales or specials. Once the sale is over take it off your site. Having a special that expired weeks ago will frustrate anyone that may visit. Use plugins that automatically remove popups or messages that are expired.
  3. Market your local community. Everyone has heard of SEO by now yet few get specific for their local market. Use keywords that set you apart from the competition not just in your niche but also in your neighborhood.
  4. Spend a little to get a lot. Google can be your best friend, but like any friend you have to spend time with them. Stroke her ego, spend a little in Google Adwords, she will return the favor with online admiration.
  5. Mobile matters to you and your customers. If your site is not mobile friendly you are losing. Everyone uses their phones first when searching, make sure when they find you they have a great user experience or they will never come back.
  6. Back-link love with permission. Linking to other websites may seem a bit counter-intuitive but Google and your clients will love you for it. Be sure if you do that the links make sense and bring value to your clients. Depending on the content you might want to ask the owner first, many times they will reciprocate the link love.
  7. Get social with a purpose. Social media changes all the time, even the best social media marketers have to stay on their toes to keep up with the best practices. It is not enough to just create great shareable content, but they must be active on the applicable social media channels to get their message out to the world.
  8. Use internal links on your own content. Whenever you create new content look for ways to link to other content that you have already created to link to within your own website. Users of Yoast SEO have the advantage of the Yoast Internal Link tool that assists them in finding content to link to as they create.
  9. Make sure your site has speed. Slow websites cause high bounce rates. Optimize your images, check your site structure, use hosting that is worth its weight. All of these contribute to the speed of the web page load which in turn either keeps or loses visitors.

Keep in mind these are simple steps that either you or your web designer can do to start building traffic patterns for your small business.

We could keep going but you would likely get overwhelmed and want to stop reading. If you would like to learn more on how you can generate traffic to your business or even better yet have us help you accomplish your goals contact us and schedule your discovery session today.