As a professional looking to attract more work online, setting up your website is only half the battle. The other half is getting it seen. There is a range of ways that can be utilised to improve your website’s visibility, and a web design and marketing company can expertly use those that are most suitable for your needs.
Understanding the need for a digital marketing strategy that is designed specifically to meet your needs is crucial if your website is to work in the way it is intended to. Whether you want to sell, inform, educate, or connect people, they first need to know that you exist and can find your website.
One key thread to this is your search engine rankings. The higher you are ranked on search engines such as Google the more likely you are to be seen and considered.
Search Engine Optimisation or SEO is crucial to this and this means you need to successfully predict keywords and phrases that need to be included in your well written and relevant content.
However, you may find that this alone does not work for you and that Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising is needed to further support your visibility.
One further way to enhance visibility is through social media marketing. By using social media platforms to increase your reach you can gain new website views, and let your current audience know when new content or offers are available.
You need to establish yourself as an expert in your industry. This involves showing your credentials through blog posts and work carried out so far, as well as through the right qualifications. Don’t stop learning. Norwich University has a good post on further education options if you feel that your lack of credibility is what is holding you back. You can still study from home while working on getting clients online.
Futureproof Your Online Presence
It is not just about getting your website up and running. It is also about the long term. A great website with high search engine rankings will only stay that way if it is kept up to date and relevant to your intended audience.
Whether you have designed your own website, or had it designed by a web design professional, you need to consider the long term. How are you going to keep your website relevant and interesting?
One of the answers to this is content. Good quality content posted regularly is one of the main reasons people return to websites. Keep people updated on you, your professional progression, and the industry in general.
This is particularly true for sites that provide a service, rather than being used to sell. If you sell through your website, then happy customers will return for your products as much as they will your content.
However, that does not mean that content is not important for you. In either situation, the types of content you post are just as important as its regularity. If it does not speak to the reader on both an intellectual and emotional level, then they will dismiss it and move onto another website.
Achieving this is not easy if you are not familiar with web content, or are trying to run a business at the same time. This is where expert services are of help. Content writers can produce content that not only speaks to your audience but also contains the keywords and phrases needed to continually support your high search engine rankings.
Hiring A Web Designer For A Personal, Portfolio Website
Cost, support, and simplicity are probably the biggest considerations you should have when searching for web designers. These can all be assessed on an individual basis, but how easy is it to make that assessment? There is one foolproof and time tested method for evaluating a service’s excellence and value, and that is to ask others what they thought of the service they have received from the same company.
With web designers, we can turn to the examples on their websites for a concrete evaluation of their abilities. You should avoid website designers who don’t promote their own examples, as the work they have already done should speak for itself.
By looking at the examples in action, you can make a rational decision as to whether their service might be right for you.
Make sure that the website design company you are looking at is available for contact. If you are close to making the vital decision, you should feel as if you can contact them, and sort out any questions that you might have.
