In today’s age of digital marketing and almost every target audience using the internet for information, it is imperative that every business has a website. Yet we come across at least ten businesses a week that have been operating without a website and have seen a slowing trend in sales. Sounds crazy right?
If you are one of the 10 in 100 that are trying to market your business without an online presence, I would highly recommend reading the rest of this article on the growing importance of web design in 2018.
Key points to keep in mind as you decide on a website developer:
Responsive Web Design
In order for your website to appear over all platforms (Mobile vs. Laptop vs. Tablet) you will want to make sure that your website developer is quoting you a responsive website that automatically adjusts based on the device that opens it. Responsive website rank higher in search engines than those that are only optimized for desktops. Additionally, as of December 2015 according to comScore, there was an 80% increase in Internet usage coming from smart phones rather than desktop machines.
Search Engine Optimization
If your website developer/designer is well versed ini search engine optimization, that is a PLUS! If not, you will want to make sure you get a proposal from a reputable company that provides that as a service. In the old days, website designers would load the back-ends of website with keywords that would cause search engine spiders to stop on a site regardless of what content was actually on the website. The evolution of technology however, search engines have become much smarter and will only index on websites that have rich content that is relative to the main purpose of the website.
Clean Designs
As you research the right webs design company to use, be sure to look at their previous work. That may sound like a “given,” but you do want to make sure they have designed in several different type of platforms. If they only know how to design in WordPress for instance, then they will be more likely to push your design that way. But if they are experienced in several platforms like Joomla, Drupal, Light CMS, WordPress and hard code, then you will have a better chance at getting a website that is a good fit for your organization. You will also want to make sure that they are using designs that are not just a template, but are custom to each of the companies they designed for. Several website designers only take a template (or theme) and change out photos and content. You want to make sure that your company is being properly branded to your existing marketing collateral so that people can see your website as your online home or brochure. It should be an extension of the marketing brochures and flyers that you have already passed out.
These are just a few tips to get you started as you navigate your way through getting your company online in 2018!
It's The Future Marketing 