Business Website Design

by ljknechtel | Jan 16, 2025 | Website Design, Marketing Trends

The Evolution of the Website Design’s Goal

In the early days of the internet, the aim of website design was primarily to create a business’s digital centerpiece—the primary source of information, interaction, and conversion. However, the digital landscape has evolved dramatically, and so has the role of websites. Today, rather than being the central hub of a business’s online presence, websites function as crucial validation tools.

According to Jay Baer, in his interview with DesignRush’s Kia Johnson, prospective customers arrive at a business’s website to confirm what they’ve learned or heard about the brand through other online and offline channels. This shift has led to a reimagining of website design and content to meet new visitor expectations.

Who Is My Business a Good Solution For?

Modern websites must clearly communicate who they serve and how they provide value. This starts with showcasing the services offered and the industries served. Visitors should easily understand:

Core Offerings: Detail the primary services or products. Use straightforward language that highlights the benefits and solutions provided.
Industries Served: Clearly outline the specific industries or niches your business caters to. This helps visitors quickly identify if your solutions align with their needs.

Who Have We Done This For in the Past?

Social proof has become a cornerstone of online validation. Prospective clients want to see evidence of your past successes. This is best achieved by:

Case Studies: Provide detailed accounts of previous projects or engagements. Highlight the challenges faced, the solutions implemented, and the results achieved. Case studies offer tangible proof of your capabilities.
Client Showcases: Feature recognizable clients or brands you’ve worked with. This can instill confidence in visitors by demonstrating your credibility and experience.

What Did Those People Think of It?

Testimonials and reviews are powerful tools for building trust. They offer authentic insights into customer satisfaction and the value of your offerings. Incorporate:

Testimonials: Include quotes from satisfied clients that speak to the quality of your services and the outcomes they experienced. Ensure these testimonials are specific and relatable.
Review Highlights: If applicable, link to or display ratings and reviews from third-party platforms. This adds an additional layer of authenticity and transparency.

The Modern Website: A Validation Powerhouse

In today’s digital age, where information is abundant and easily accessible, website design’s role has shifted significantly. Instead of the website being a one-stop shop for all things related to a business, it now serves as a final checkpoint—a place where prospects go to validate their perceptions and make informed decisions.

By clearly addressing who your business is for, showcasing your past work, and highlighting customer feedback, your website can effectively support and reinforce the trust and credibility established through other channels.

The next time you evaluate your website, consider these elements and ask yourself: Is my site providing the validation my prospects need? If not, it might be time for a strategic update to ensure your website meets the expectations of today’s discerning digital audience.

eMotivate Marketing+Design offers custom website design for small and medium-sized businesses. Whether you are looking for a one-page, informational website, or a multi-page, multi-functional website we will design and develop it using best practices, keeping your business goals in mind. Schedule a call with us to discuss your marketing and design needs.

Website Pop Ups: Fantastic or Frightening?

by ljknechtel | Oct 10, 2024 | Marketing Trends, SEO, Website Design

Website pop ups – we love to hate them. Also called “interstitials”, these pop ups can get in the way of an otherwise nice website browsing experience. So why do businesses still use them? Well, in short, they work. Or they can work. Let’s take a look at what website pop ups are, how they work, how to use them, and how not to use them.

Can You Use Website Pop Ups?

Pop ups have been around for quite a while and are perhaps most commonly seen on eCommerce sites, promoting new products and sales.

The technology used to create pop ups has gotten better and is more widely accessible than ever before. This means that, regardless of which platform you’ve used to create your website, there are most likely pop up plugins or solutions available to you.

Used for far more than eCommerce sites, interstitials are used to grab attention, increase engagement, and increase dwell time (i.e. keep visitors on the site longer – good for SEO).

Pop ups are downright cheap to implement, easy to test, and can provide additional data and insights about your website visitors. However the rationale for, and benefits of, pop ups might not seem terribly straightforward for service-based businesses. A few examples of uses:
• Invite visitors to join your mailing list for exclusive tips and information.
• Direct visitors to a certain page whose content is relevant to that on the current page.
• Inform visitors of new product lines/services, or communicate operational changes like holiday or seasonal hours.
• Showcase a recent, glowing customer review.

Best Practices for Website Pop Ups

The key to success with pop ups is not to overuse them and to choose the proper time and trigger to deploy them. Some common pop up triggers include:
• arrival on a webpage,
• scrolling through specific content,
• the click of a button or link, and
• exit intent (when a visitor’s mouse travels north, over the header to navigate away from the page).

Pop ups should not trigger immediately when visitors arrive on your website. Give them time to get oriented and choose the trigger that is most suitable for your goal and message.

A final caveat: if you’re considering adding a pop up to your website, be aware that Google’s algorithm is primarily focused on UX, the User Experience. So, ensure your pop up is configured to trigger at an appropriate time and that it’s easy to close. This is especially critical on mobile devices, where pop ups can consume the entire screen. For this reason, some opt to only show pop ups on desktop devices and maybe tablets.

The bottom line on making website pop ups fantastic and not frightening: justify the disruption. Make them useful, make them timely, and ensure a good user experience.

Want to add a pop up to your website, but not sure how or that it makes sense? Schedule a complimentary 20-minute call with us to talk it through.

Using QR Codes for Marketing

by ljknechtel | Jan 21, 2022 | Marketing Metrics, Content Marketing, Email Marketing, SEO, Website Design

USING QR CODES FOR MARKETING

Improve customer experience and your bottom line

Invented in 1994 for the automotive industry, the QR Code has been used for marketing for well over a decade. However its original surge in popularity for digital marketing was short-lived due to a number of factors including the need for third-party apps whose reliability was frustrating at best. And so, the marketing world let the QR code fade back into relative obscurity, until recently.

Today’s QR code is recognized by leadership of public and private enterprises for its superiority to the bar code. Mobile device manufacturers have added accurate, efficient readers directly to their operating systems, eliminating the need for third-party apps. And a QR code has a much higher data storage capacity than its bars-only counterpart.

Not only has it become central to the vaccination status verification process, but the Quick Response code has been widely adopted to help businesses maximize the hands-free experience of their customers.

Restaurants are displaying them at windows and on tables so customers can access menus directly on their devices. Retailers are adding them to print ads and in windows to link to their online shopping experiences. Service providers are including them in brochures and displaying in windows for online appointment booking.

How to Use QR Codes

So, with the re-emerging prevalence of the QR code, the question is how can you use the QR code to improve your business’s marketing and customer experience? Here are a few ideas:

Use it to provide access to you virtual business card or Linktree page.
Contactless menu(s) at restaurants
Easily share how-to or DIY videos about using your products
Link to a digital coupon for your products or services
Help clients easily access PayPal or other payment portal to make one-time or ongoing payments
Link to your phone number or email address to make contacting you easy
Direct people to your online portfolio for examples of your work
Provide directions to your location in Google Maps or Waze
Link to your events calendar to see what’s coming up
Help people link directly to the online review platforms where they can add a review
Link to a social media account or featured post to grow your followers

how to generate create a qr code customize

How to Create QR Codes

Simply use a free QR code generator like Create QR Code (which allows you to not only generate QR codes but customize their appearance as well) and then download generated code(s) for either print or digital use.

If you would prefer to focus on your core business and outsource your marketing management, contact us to get started.