Your Website Is Your Brand’s Window to the World

I’m constantly thinking about my next Cher/Janet move and how I’ll reinvent myself and my business. Thousands of smart and proactive companies take the initiative and rebrand themselves all the time.

If you’re running a business in today’s economy, whether it be big or small, you need a website. Gone are the days where you could just get by on word of mouth or hopes that someone might find you in the telephone book (that’s if you remember what a telephone book was to businesses and consumers). In today’s digital age, search engines on the internet are the modern equivalent of the telephone book and that’s where you want people to find you.

Presentation Is Key

A website can display a healthy amount of information about your brand in just a few minutes. It can also turn visitors off and drive them away in the blink of an eye. It’s true that you only get one chance to make a first impression, so it’s essential to get it right.

Websites come in all different shapes and sizes but if you’re trying to run a business or develop a brand, you need to look professional. If you were interviewing to be the CEO of a company you have to take the time to understand the culture of that company and dress the part. Show up ready. That being said, take the same approach when it comes to your website.

Web design is constantly evolving and what looked modern yesterday is sure to be out of date today; unless you’re going for the vintage look. Unfortunately, when it comes to functionality, you have no choice but to keep up. If you’ve been around the internet for a while you should be well aware that visually there’s a big difference between the websites of the 1990s and today. Always make sure to keep the look and functionality of your website up to date because if your website looks outdated and is painful to maneuver, why would anyone have reason to believe that your business practices are any different.

Update Frequently

Another thing to stay on top of when it comes to establishing your brand through a website is to make sure you update your site frequently. Maintenance is not an option when it comes to owning a website. Adding a blog to your site can work wonders and give people a reason to come back. A site with a lack of updates says that you’re not focused on building your internet presence and it also says that you don’t feel the need to keep your customers updated on what’s going on with your business.

Information gets around fast in today’s society. You obviously want people to spread the word about your brand but in order to do that you need to give them something to talk about. Updating your website frequently gives people something to talk about.

Navigation

Always make sure that your website is easy to navigate. If a customer or client comes to your site looking for something specific and they can’t find it, they will immediately go somewhere else. Keeping your website organized shows that you care about helping people find what they need. Take a look at your website from an objective point of view and make sure that if you were someone looking at it for the first time, you could find what you need as quickly as possible.

The Rundown

Once again, you only get one chance to make a first impression and every click counts. If you get people on your website, the goal is to keep them there. Always make sure your website looks modern from a visual standpoint, is updated frequently and is also easy to navigate. Keeping up with these three tasks will give you a website that lets people know your brand means business.