Watch What Others are Doing
No, we don’t mean copy what they are doing. That wouldn’t be cool. Read More →
No, we don’t mean copy what they are doing. That wouldn’t be cool. Read More →
The business case for having a good website packed with valuable content is very strong. Many people now realise that 60% of a sale happens before clients get in touch (or don’t — as the case may be). Your website plays an increasingly important part in the path to new business.
But it’s often sheer embarrassment that finally flicks the switch between “we really must get round to doing something about our website” to “we need to do it NOW”.
Worse than driving away potential leads (who we’ll never meet and can therefore ignore), a poor website makes it difficult to look our best amongst people we respect and want to do business with.
Having an embarrassing website is like having a really messy house. You just don’t want to bring people back there. Ring any bells?
Here are six signs that you’re embarrassed by your website:
1.Like the spooky house on the corner, no one’s touched your website in years. It’s creaking at the seams. You daren’t even look in some places. It feels like it’s covered in cobwebs. If you dig too deep a skeleton will fall out of a cupboard or a bat will fly in your face.
2.It’s like a ghost ship. Your website is haunted by the ghosts of people who left the company months ago, and the spectre of ideas you’ve moved on from. You’d change it if you could, only changing anything is so difficult, so you just avoid sending people to it.
3.There’s no room at the inn. Look, you’d like to add some new content, but where’s it going to go? Your website isn’t a house, it’s a tiny caravan, and there’s no space for anything else. It’s just not up to the job. 4.You’ve lost the plot. There are so many words but no one understands what you’re saying. Your website just doesn’t make it clear what you do. (In fact, you’re so mired in the wrong words that you’re finding it hard to explain it too).
5.Your website looks like it was decorated by Laurence Llewelyn Bowen c.1993. Web fashions change. If too much frippery detracts from your message or the design gets in the way it just feels wrong. If your website fees like a rag rolling disaster, or a gold spray painted cherub fiasco, you’ll want people to stay well away.
6.It has childhood bedroom syndrome. Your business is growing. You’ve changed. You’re clear what you offer, and how you help your clients but your website hasn’t caught up. Taking people back to the website is like trying to have a serious business conversation in a room decorated in Noddy wallpaper. You’ll do anything to avoid it.
If this sounds like your website, then it’s time to take action.
Your website is built with antiquated template that is invisible to Google.
If your website is built on a template, it can only serve as a digital business card because it is absolutely worthless when it comes to SEO and Google. Templated websites are a nightmare when it comes to SEO because these types of sites are invisible to Google. Read More →
The market place can get rather crowded, with similar businesses all vying for the attention of the same customers.
In order to stand out from the crowd you need to position yourself higher up the food chain than your competitors.
Below are a few simple tips that you can employ to make you stand out:
Get a new website; Yes, I know it’s the obvious thing for web designer to say but hear me out. A new website will make your company seem fresh. It will giv you the chance to overhaul your content, re-direct it’s emphasis, give you the chance to put new content on, add new marketing features. Also Google likes new websites, so it will be a shot of adrenalin in your sites arm that will see it leap frog your competitors.
Social Media: I bet many of your competitors don’t use social media, or if they do they are promoting their business from their personal page. Never mix your personal life with business, you could end up saying something to your friends that your customers see that might paint you in a bad light.
Use social media to it’s strengths: 3 things to remember. Linked in is Business to Business. Twitter is limited to characters so keep it to the point. Facebook is more sociable so you can afford to be a bit more chatty.
New content: Why waste your new site? Keep it updated with new content and offers, and if the site is build right your updates will feed out into your social media accounts which will help drive traffic back to your site.
Obviously these aren’t the be all and end all of what you can do, but by doing these few simple things you will see a difference in how potential customers come to you as opposed to how the approach your competitors.
Are parts of your site not functioning properly?
Does your site have things that are broken or constantly giving you errors like the dreaded “404 not found” message? While it is often a simple fix to correct these broken elements, it could indicate a bigger problem: your site is disorganized or is being mishandled. Read More →
Have you been reading the last few blogs I’ve posted? Just because your website meets some of the points discussed previously doesn’t necessarily indicate that your website needs an overhaul. For instance, just because your site takes a long time to load doesn’t mean that it is time to start from scratch and create a new one. Read More →
Hey, a web designer telling you design is important? Well, duh!
The last thing customers want to see, is a company that tries to build itself up without having a good design to do so. Read More →
Still not convinced you need a new website? Here’s 10 more ways of knowing for sure if you need a redesign.
We here at NEDC would never say you need a new website if you do not need one. What you will get from us is the truth as to whether or not the site is in need of a spring clean, an update, optimising or whether it is perfect the way it is. If you would like to receive a free review of your site, then please contact us here.
As more people are beginning to use mobile devices, like smartphones and tablets, for every task that used to be only capable on desktop, one thing has become clear: mobile is taking over Internet surfing. And, it’s not even just surfing. It’s everything from browsing social media outlets, checking emails and doing some online shopping. Read More →
1. Your company’s online image is stale. Does your site look like it’s stuck in the 90s? Guess what: everyone will assume your company is, too. Show off your new products, services and projects. You want people to know you’re doing well, staying current, and growing. Have you created a new logo, had a big anniversary, or just realized you’re sick and tired of looking at your site? Get up to date and celebrate your newness, your milestones and your fresh outlook with a sharp, current website.
2. Your web copy and image are no longer aimed at your target market. Your target may be changing, and you have to change ahead of them or you risk getting left behind. A new look and content make sure you’re speaking to the people you want to attract now.
3. Your website is all about you and not your customer. If this sounds backwards to you, you’re way behind the curve. They don’t want to just read about what you can do; they want to know what.
4. You need to attract attention. Have you checked your web stats lately to see if anyone’s paying attention? Fresh material and a fresh look get more attention. They keep your current visitors interested, and you’ll generate new traffic, too.
5. You want to use the web to expand the way you do business. Offer online discounts, new offerings, new ideas or concepts, online merchandise, etc. You can start to market using social networks, and launch new media campaigns.
6. Your competition’s looking new, and you’re not. At the very least, you want to keep up with others in your field. Better: stay ahead of them. A new, cleaner look shows you can keep up with the latest in your industry the way you say you can. You want to be the business everyone sees as the leader. You’ll inspire confidence, always a great place to start.
7. You’re losing your audience. Technology is changing every day, and the needs of your clients are changing as well. You have to meet that need and stay current, or risk getting left in the technological dust. Your fans (and potential fans) want blog entries, a social media presence and relevant content from you. Remember, you’re here to meet their needs.
8. Your search engine ranking is dropping fast. Search engines like Google have new and changing search criteria, some of it in the last 6 months. If your site doesn’t meet the new standards, your rankings will plummet (maybe they have already…?) Get higher rankings with new content, new code and new search engine optimization (SEO).
9. Your site isn’t mobile-friendly. Mobile web use is skyrocketing. If you don’t have a mobile-friendly site, you risk alienating a whole generation of smartphone users. This is crucial.
10. Your site isn’t interactive. Today’s marketing has changed. It’s not about telling people what you have (or what you think they want). It’s about engaging them. Do you have ways for viewers to comment on your content? Give you direct feedback? If your site is all one way (you talking at them), you’re losing half the conversation. Get a dialogue going. Start by giving them more ways to comment, express, talk, respond and question.
Think it’s too expensive to update your site very often? Not anymore. A new site can give you an easy way to make updates as often as you need to, right from your office. These days, content is king, so you need to continually update the information on your website every week, every month, all year round. People (and by the way, search engines) respond best to new and changing content.
Time to take action! If you’re nodding at any combination of the above, then it’s time. Time to work with an experienced web company that knows how to engage consumers. Not sure where to start? Contact us and we can help guide you with solutions to your website problems.