Your website is the heartbeat of your business. Your 24/7 marketing real estate. It promotes your brand’s story, point of view and it’s only-ness. Inherently those three things evolve over time. New chapters are written, services or products are added and your business (hopefully) stretches and grows.
That said, with all the changes that occur within brands organically, many websites look the same year after year. You’ve probably noticed every once in a while our re●tool website looks a little different. And ever so often a lot different. Those changes are deliberate, purposeful and intentional.
Beyond the fact that at re●tool we design from scratch as well as redesign websites as part of our service suite, we do walk our talk by making sure our own virtual storefront continues to resonate with our desired audience. That requires us to take a step back on occasion and scrub and audit our website, which is what we mentioned we were up to in our last blog.
The past 18 months have required us collectively to pivot in so many ways around how we function both personally and professionally, how we buy/sell, and how and why we make the purchases that we do. This new normal has truly impacted nearly every facet of our lives.
With that knowledge top of mind, we have spent the past few months evaluating and repositioning our re●tool narrative. Nothing glaringly has shifted for us but thoughtful and nuanced messaging updates were necessary to fit the business model that has bubbled to the surface for us as an agency as we continue to navigate our world amidst an ongoing pandemic. Check out our latest website iteration here.
Have you taken any time recently to consider that your existing website might benefit from a facelift or at the very least some tweaking so that it addresses the pain points of your target market and highlights the solutions you have to them? If not, you should.
For most businesses, a website is one of the most important investments you can make. Your website is the best and most hardworking employee you could have. A badass website really matters to your business as it serves in many cases as the first impression someone has of your business and services. It takes about 50 milliseconds (that’s 0.05 seconds) for users to form an opinion about your website that determines whether they stay or leave.
If your website is engaging and thorough, potential clients will be inclined to click around and learn more.
If potential clients visit your website and it looks and feels DIY, that is how they will perceive you. We preach repeatedly about how important the reality of perception is. Think about it, what websites have made you go WOW!? On the flip side, what websites have made you go, ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? We bet you can recall both!
Be sure you have your finger on the pulse of your brand’s website and take some dedicated time to see it through the lens as if you were viewing it for the first time and answer a few of these questions.
- Is the navigation easy for a reader to step through?
- Is the copy compelling and succinct?
- Is the design aesthetic minimal so that it doesn’t compete with the text?
- Is the user experience something unique or is it beige and boilerplate?
So, what do YOU think? Is your website up to par and speaks to what your brand is all about? If you are unsure and need advice or know your website could use some TLC, reach out and let us know so we can help. It is what we love to do. Interested in checking out some amazing companies who we have partnered with to up level their websites? Check them out here.
