When it comes to web development, one of the things people often forget is that building an effective web presence for a business or organization requires a lot more than content and images arranged in an eye-pleasing way on the page. In our technological world, where the majority of people search for the goods and services they want to buy via the internet, businesses especially need websites that can inform, engage and persuade visitors to take action. To build the type of web presence that will really go to work for you, however, requires a multi-faceted approach designed and executed by experts in their respective fields.
Last time, I discussed some of the ways that the look and function of a DIY website differs from one built by professionals. This week, I'm following that discussion with an equally important facet of any web development project, branding and marketing.
Web Development with Expert Branding
When you see a logo for Coke or Pepsi, images of what these companies represent or who these products appeal to, come to mind almost immediately. Effective branding is undoubtedly one of the biggest reasons for their success, and even if your business' budget is dramatically smaller than the budgets they have to work with, the fundamentals of their branding strategies should be the same as your own.
Building a powerful brand is as important to success online as the look and function of your website, and without the knowledge and experience that this feat requires, you will always lose business to more memorable brands. Your company's image and philosophy should be infused in every aspect of your online presence, from the logo, website copy, images and colours used. Where it pays to work with a team of professionals, as opposed to tackling this feat yourself, is that branding requires customization and expertise, two things that free website tools can't offer.
Without Marketing, Your Website Won't Get the Exposure Your Business Needs
Similar to the way that a business needs to create and popularize a brand image if they want to be a top competitor in their industry, a quality web design won't mean anything if your website isn't found by the people in your target market.
While choosing to build a site yourself will save you a few dollars, you will miss the opportunity to own a website that was designed and built for online marketing success, already keyword optimized so that it ranks quickly in search engines, and is associated with off-site marketing efforts that all contribute to getting your site found and your brand accepted by the people your business needs as customers. Web development by professionals will often give you access to a team of gurus who can help you design and implement a multi-faceted marketing approach that includes the following:
I hope this mini-series has helped to shed a little light on some of the many ways you can benefit by entrusting your web development project to professionals, instead of trying to tackle this endeavour on your own. While you should be selective and choose a web development team that's made up of the gurus who can and will build you a powerful online presence, investing in quality web design will always benefit your company in more ways than one.
For information on the Saltmedia team, or the services we can combine to build you the ultimate, custom online presence, get in touch with us: (780) 539-SALT.
Saltmedia Inc operates on the traditional territory of Treaty 8 in what is now known as Grande Prairie. We value the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit who lived and cared for this land long before Canada was founded, and we recognize that it is a privilege to operate our business here.
Our Prince George site operates on the traditional territory of the Lheidli T’enneh.
We are grateful to the Elders and Knowledge Keepers who are with us today, and those who’ve gone before us.
