Your website is your house, are you ready for visitors?

This is something we hear Katie say a lot… “Your website is your house. Are you ready for company?” While you might not literally live in your website, your business does. After office hours, on the weekends, when your physical space is closed, your website becomes the home of your business.

Your platform is your walls and foundation.

We all remember the story of the three little pigs. Just as you wouldn’t want to build your house with straw, selecting a solid foundation for your website is just as important. There are several website platforms available (WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify, Weebly, etc). But not all platforms are made the same. Some are more stable and versatile than others. Our two favorites are WordPress and Squarespace!

Your home page is your front porch.

What kind of curb appeal does your business have? Is your home page enough to make visitors want to come inside? Is it welcoming? First impressions are everything when it comes to a website. If your home page looks confusing, is hard on the eyes, or looks difficult to navigate, your visitors might jump off your website. When this happens, your website bounce rate will increase. What this really means is that someone visits your website, takes one look at it, and backs out of it.  

Your about page is your family portrait. 

What kind of picture is it? Does it tell your story? Is it a current and accurate representation of your family members (your team) When was the last time it was updated?

Your about page can be as detailed or as generic as you want it, but remember this… The About page is one of the most visited pages on your website. Your potential customers visit this page in hopes to learn more about your company, how you came to be in business, what makes you different, and even who operates and owns the company. Tweaking your About page every so often is a good practice – not only to make sure your content is fresh, but as your company evolves, so should your story.

Your contact page is your mailbox.

Is your address clear? Is it easy to deliver mail to? Do you check your mail every day? The last thing we want is for your customers, and potential customers, feeling confused and frustrated on how to contact you. Once of our best practices to make sure that your phone number is visible on every page – in the header and in the footer. We also want to make it obvious how to access the contact page. We recommend keeping your contact page as clear as possible. Don’t fill it with sales pitches and mumbo-jumbo. Keep it to the point: address, phone number, hours of operation, social links, email address and/or contact form.

Your branding is your decor. 

Is it consistent? Does it feel like you’re in a different house when you go from one room (page) to the next? You’ll want to channel your inner Joanna Gaines and make sure your home (website) flows nicely from one room (page) to the next. When was the last time you painted?

When someone buys a new home, chances are they will pick up a paint brush, tear up the carpet and even remove a wall or two. As we talk about your branding and your website, we want to make sure that your brand is communicated throughout the entire website. We want to make sure your colors are represented, that your logo is sized correctly, that your brand voice is apparent throughout the content. Just as décor in a home makes it ascetically appealing and inviting, we want to make sure your branding on your website does the same.

Your content is your furniture.

Do your rooms feel empty? Are they overly filled and cluttered? Is your furniture in good condition, or is it broken and worn down? Do the pieces match and fit together nicely?  Situations we often run into with website are very similar to this. You could have a beautifully branded website, but the content is just not up to par. It is your sales person when someone is perusing your website at 2 AM. If your content doesn’t match the design, or even speak to your audience, you’re missing out on potential new customers.

Your blog is what's on your coffee table.

What does that look like? Does it spark a conversation? Does it intrigue your visitors? Does it make them want to learn more about you and ask questions? Your blog serves as a place for you to voice your opinions, share your stories, and display some of your best work. Just as you would switch out magazines on your coffee table, it’s important to keep your blog updated and fresh.

All these things are things you should consider when building and maintaining your website. The team here at Elevate loves working through these types of questions with our clients, making sure that their websites are as strong and welcoming as a home straight off of HGTV. Contact us today if you’d like us to take on your home renovation, or website makeover ;)