Once your new website is complete, how do you tell people about it? Announcing the new launch of your website can be done in a number of ways in order to get the word out and help drive traffic to your new site.

If this is your first website, make sure that you get the web address printed on your business cards and brochures so that people know there is an additional way to get in touch with your business now. Also, connect with your social network followers and tell them about your website launch. Make a post on Facebook and Twitter with the link to your site so that your followers can go directly to the new website to check it out. It might also be helpful to encourage feedback about your site so that you know what your customers think about it from the get go.

In addition, you could submit a press release to local news sources to let people know that your business is now online or that you have redesigned your website for an improved user experience. If you offer special services or features on your website such as ordering online or a blog, include that in your announcement so that users know their experience can be interactive.

On that same note, if you have a blog or news manager on your website, use it to help announce your new website. Make your first post about your new or improved site and take users on a tour of your pages. Tell them what they can find on your site and what they can do while they are there. This is also a great way to encourage feedback about your website.

Launching a new website is just the first step. Once you have your site, you need to let people know it is there. Spread the word and drive traffic to your website using these quick and easy tips.

For all who have wised up and invested in a business website: Good for you!  Now for a tough question…are you maintaining that site as you should? 

Like any other form of marketing, websites need to be adjusted over time.  As with any medium used to advertise your business, you need to be certain that the information available on your website is current and reflective of your business now and tomorrow, not yesterday.  Maintenance of your website comes with the territory.  Otherwise, the up -front investment is only worthwhile for a year or two.

Regular updates to your website offer many benefits to you and your over-all website marketing needs:

• Keeps you current with search engines
• Offers accurate information to your site viewers
• With-holds your brand identity for your business
• Updating with website add-ons helps make your website a more profitable tool
• Regular updates to your site are an easy and very cost-effective method more so than updates and changes to print pieces, signage, print ads, commercials, or radio ads.

There are several things to keep in mind when preparing to update your website, especially when the changes have been a long time coming:

• Is your website in-tune with current website standards and sizes?
• Is the information on your website accurate?  Have you altered any services, hours of operation, locations serviced, or team members?
• Does your site look like a leading, ahead-of-the-competition sophisticated design?  Or does it look old, historic, and unappealing to those viewing it?
• Are there any tools you could invest in now, to make your job, the tasks of your employees, or ease-of-use to your consumers a top priority in the near future?
• What exactly do you need from your site going forward?  What functions do you need from it---what do your viewers need to be able to do through your website to become loyal consumers?

Updating your site may be a little tedious.  It may not appear to be a top priority—but bear this in mind: Your website is available when you are not.  Be certain that the statement that it makes is the best message you can send out on behalf of your business.

If you missed part 1, see it here.

Welcome back!  Let’s get back to redesigning that website for your business—in addition to the previous list we offered---we have a few more points to make.  As you will continue to read, the benefits to redesigning your website certainly outweigh any budgetary drawbacks. 

Put your best foot forward:
    Just as with any relationship---you don’t want your website to grow stale in the eyes of your users.  Your regular visitors will enjoy something new on your website—this keeps the relationship fresh, keeps your business on the right side of cutting-edge, and, most importantly, keeps your users coming back.  New doesn’t have to be complicated—in fact, solicit feedback from your users, and incorporate some of their user-requests into your redesign.  You can have a website that works for you, and works for your customers.  First time users will appreciate that you have a clean, current site—and this can be the necessary edge to win their patronage. 

Check your reflection:
    Let your website reflect your business.  Regardless of the budget you had when you first invested in your website—indulge, if needed, to get a redesign that speaks volumes for your business.  Not every redesign has to be a custom design—for some businesses, a template site branded for their business is more than enough.  For others, a custom design is needed.  Does your business offer custom work?  Or are you in a less-specialized market?  Do you have a lot of local competition?  Are you trying to reach larger markets outside of your local area?  Let your website act as a mirror---all who view it should see a true sense of your business and all that you offer. 

Grow your website with your business:
    For many small businesses—the first website that they invest in is often small, and lacking in enhancements.  When first getting your feet wet—many site owners defer to the practicality of just having a website rather than focus on creating a tool that can make their business operations smoother, more organized, and custom-developed for their needs.  Your website can do anything you need it to do.  What do you need in your website?  Some data basing options?  Maybe email-to-text capabilities for you and your customers?  Time-saving options to update your website, Facebook and Twitter in one process?  Also, what do your users want from your website?  Do they need the convenience of online bill pay?  Do they want to schedule appointments online?  Do they want to sign up for email announcements or newsletters? 

As your business grows and matures, so should your website.  Additions can be in lump-sum, or you can slowly add one or two features every 6 months or yearly.  Don’t sell your business short by handicapping your efforts, your brand, and your marketing with an out-dated website.

The turn of the year brings with it much work to be done within a business.  In the hustle of getting started on the right foot in the new year, do not overlook your website and online presence.  Much like hairstyles, wardrobes, and even logos and branding---your website needs a face-lift from time-to-time, too.  Why invest in redesigning your website, though, when what you have seems to be working?  Off-the-cuff—my reply is “Why not?”—but I will provide a more compelling argument than this.  In fact, I will provide so much evidence, supporting why your business needs a redesigned website—it will require two separate posts!  Here’s Part One…
Stay ahead of your competition:
    What happens when your competitors make the move to a redesign—and you’re left behind, with an ancient, unattractive, old site? Be the leader in your industry—be the company that customers look to for the latest, greatest and most up-to-date products, services, and marketing tools.

Bring your website into the 21st century:
    If you are the owner of a website that is more than 5 years old---your site shows its age to every viewer.  The standards in website design and coding change quite rapidly; and as a result, websites age quickly.  Five years of the same design may be creating a pre-historic look and feel for your website.  Think about the message this is sending to visitors---if your website looks that old, how out-dated might your products or methods be? 

Focus on your destination:
    Your website should display where you are headed—not where you have been.  If the content, dates, images, or any bit of information on your website is not current or centered on what your business can offer and is doing now and in the near future---it’s time to breathe some fresh life into it all!  Your business plans and goals change annually—so should the goals and plans for your website. 

As far as marketing tools go—Your website takes the cake:
    Your website is the best marketing tool you have in your arsenal.  Why?  Because it is available online to current and prospective customers 24/7.  When your office is closed—your website is not.  With specialized programming, your website can even act as a staff-member—users may be able to request appointments, make payments, offer feedback, or even purchase your goods and services all through your website.  What other marketing tool can do all this?  And….let’s not forget the strength behind good and proper marketing of your website.  This can land your business on the map in areas that would take years and thousands of dollars in marketing to achieve.  Maybe the website deserves a Christmas bonus next year…

Are you still uncertain if it’s time to redesign that site or not?  Check back later on this week….we’ll offer you more proof, just to give you that extra little nudge in the right direction that you need…

As we head into the first month of the new year, we want to take a moment and glance back at the last month of last year briefly--We are happy to share the names of our new and newly designed client launches for the past month.

Great Harvest Bread

Care4Ever

The Historic State Theater

KNB-Facebook Page

Communicare Services

Etown Exterminating mobile website

Brick Nest Consultants

JG Connections

McGehee Insurance

Catering With Style

Cubana Restaurant

Wealth MD

Be sure to check out these fantastic sites; and for ways to see how your business name can be added to a similar list, give us a call at the office, 270-765-4478, stop by to visit, or send us an email, inof@webguysonline.com.