- Website development and digital marketing strategy
are complex subjects,
and there are multiple great courses here that cover these.
But in the context of branded communication,
we can work with the basic tenants
that create a successful branded online presence.
Like all the other materials we've discussed,
the big idea is the same regardless of the technology.
Before tackling the layout,
work with a client to reach a consensus
on the communication goals of the website.
You may think it's about
imparting information about the company
and they think it's about selling the star product.
Determine the answers to these questions
so everyone is in the same boat.
What is the website's purpose?
What should the viewer do?
What content will communicate the website's goal best?
What does the viewer need to provide?
Tracking the results over time
will help you to evolve the website.
Do viewers stay on the landing for a few seconds
and then leave?
Are people unwilling to provide their email addresses
and create a login?
Is there a page that nobody visits?
The landing page
has a few seconds to grab the viewer's attention.
Most people decide to stay or abandon a site
within five seconds.
The landing page is not the place for coy subtlety.
As they say in Missouri, show me.
Make the logo clear,
including a compelling image or headline,
and give the viewer a call to action.
Make a reservation,
see the new items of the clothing line,
register for an event.
Don't hide this. Make it plain and at the forefront.
If the viewer engages with the site,
they are likely to remain on it.
The visual experience is as essential
as the user experience.
How you organize the content and its presentation
determines if the viewer stays or goes.
The user experience, however,
must also be smooth and understandable.
If it is impossible to navigate or find the content needed,
the viewer will leave and never return.
One of the goals of the website is to have strong SEO
or search engine optimization.
Search engines, such as Google,
crawl the internet looking for links, page names,
tags, images, and titles.
The better the SEO, the higher the ranking on Google.
Highly ranked sites show up on the first page of a search.
Make sure the site is easy to navigate.
It should ave a consistent hierarchy
with headlines, subheads, and text.
Use unique page names, titles for images,
and compatible tags.
Google and other search engines
want their viewers to have a good experience.
It won't refer people to complex and disorganized sites.
Web development is such an exciting aspect
of branded communication.
Please also check out the course listed here.
It's a great resource on strategy, SEO,
and digital marketing.
But above all, make the site clear, compelling,
and connected to the brand message.