Calling small business owners: time for a website refresh?
Have you been thinking it’s time for a website change?
Maybe you’re getting traffic to your website, but it’s not converting the way you’d like it to.
Maybe you’ve had a brand repositioning or have a new brand identity, and you need your website to be as potent as your new brand can be.
Or maybe you feel a little green-eyed envy over your competitors’ websites – you know they are doing things better, and you know you should be leading, not following.
Whatever the reason, it’s critical that you approach it with intention and planning (otherwise you’ll end up exactly where you are now, which is nowhere pretty). Because with a plan, your website can be everything you need it to be - a website that attracts, engages and converts customers - and a reflection of your brand that you feel proud of.
Here are the six tips you need to know to nail your website refresh.
1. Create a website vision board
You’ve heard of vision boards, right? Collating images of things you desire is a fun way to attract more of what you want in life – and they work brilliantly for manifesting your dream website, too.
Save images you like as you find them, or set aside some time to research – there are no rules. Your website vision board doesn’t need to be perfect or even pretty, it’s simply a way to start refining your ideas. You’ll soon see patterns emerge, and these are great to share with graphic designers or website copywriters further down the track.
Bonus tip: Don’t forget to take a look at your competitors, too. Not to copy – but to identify gaps. What are you doing that they’re not? What can you ‘own’?
2. Map out your customer journey
One of the biggest myths about websites is that they are all about you! Not quite – they are actually all about your customer. Your website is a chance to show your customers how well you recognise their plight and how well you can solve their problems.
Pop yourself into your customer’s shoes (be they Louboutins, RM Williams, or Crocs) and figure out exactly what they want to know and what they want to do. Apply this lens to every element of your website, from your sitemap to individual pages.
Zoe Scott, head of The Design Order, puts it perfectly.
“Get to know your customer so you can curate an online experience that will help convince your audience that they are 100% in the right place,” says Zoe.
“You want to craft the perfect trifecta between your content, imagery and UX (user experience).”
3. Assemble your A-team
The people you partner with are beyond critical to the success of your new website. Not to fear monger, but there are a lot of people out there who will promise the world. How can you tell the true-blue experts from those out to make a quick dollar?
Be sure to always ask for examples of their work and for testimonials, but beyond that, look for freelancers or agencies that share your values.
Krystal Barter of Humanise Health, who recently launched her new killer website (with website content writing by The Contented Copywriter), puts it well.
“It’s crucial to get people on board who can share your vision. As a person who loves to collaborate, I need to work alongside others who are able to share their insights, opinions and get involved in the creative process with me.”
Zoe agrees.
“Find people who share your values and enable them to truly enjoy what they do. I’m a big believer in giving people the space to bring their full possibility to the table – no micro-managing!”
You’ll need people to take ownership of the strategy and customer side, all things visual (design), technical (web development), SEO (search engine optimisation), and content (copy, photos, and videos).
Strategy and Customer: Who is responsible for the strategy? Who is going to make sure the customer sits at the heart of every single decision you make about the website? This might be you, but if you don’t have the bandwidth, make sure you appoint someone to take ownership.
Visual: Who will make your website look brilliant? This is usually a creative or design agency. Look for an agency who fits the vision of your brand.
Technical: You’ll need a great web developer to make sure everything works exactly as it should. The more complex your website, the more experienced the developer will need to be.
SEO: This could be an SEO specialist, although your content agency or web developer might be able to do this for you. Need to understand more about SEO? Check out this article.
Content: Finally, you’ll need a great creative team for your content. This usually consists of a copywriter for website content copywriting, photographer, and videographer. Most people focus on the words (which I’m all for!), but make sure you don’t skimp on the visuals, either.
Says Jade Warne of Hipster Mum Social: “Yes, words are powerful, but we can process images in a flash, so you need BOTH to be working for you to communicate your message.”
4. Brief your dream team
Once you have your A-team assembled, the next step is to make sure everyone understands your vision for the website refresh. Enter: briefs.
Everyone knows the importance of a good brief. But, it’s often side-stepped. If you’ve done your planning right, the brief should be easy (time to dust off that vision board!). If you’ve skipped the planning step and are scrambling to keep up, make sure you stop long enough to include the essentials in a brief.
Your A-team should be able to guide you here, but if in doubt, make sure you include things like:
● Who is the customer? What do you want them to think, feel, and do on the website?
● What are your objectives?
● What does your brand stand for?
● What do you sell?
If you need a briefing template, drop me a line at brooke@thecontentedcopywriter.com.au
5. Nail the execution
It might feel like it took a really long time to get to this point, but this is where you actually see the pedal hit the metal. From content writing to photography, website design and the actual website development, you’ll start to see everything come to life.
Keep in constant communication with your team. Find ways to get them all talking to one another – whether it’s by collaborating on project management tools like Asana, Trello or Miro, or quick WIP meetings.
The better in tune everyone is, the better the outcome (and the fewer ‘surprises’ at the end).
6. Get ready to launch
You’re nearly there! Although this is arguably the most exciting part of getting a website refresh, it’s another step that’s often overlooked. Your shiny new website is an opportunity to create a buzz around your brand – so it’s worth doing more than just posting about it once or twice on socials.
When making a launch plan, consider these questions:
● Are you going to let them know on social? In your newsletter? If you are, make sure you highlight ‘what’s in it for them’. Make it relevant – let them know what the new features are. Consider a new free downloadable to encourage them to check it out (which is a double bonus for you, because LEAD MAGNET).
● Do you need a pop up on your website letting them know it’s new, and what the new features are?
You may not need to do all of these things - or you may do many more - but have a plan. And most importantly: celebrate your achievements! It’s all too easy to let these moments pass you by – but a new website is a BIG DEAL. Be sure to pop that champagne!
If you’re in need of website inspo, check out the Humanise Health website – it’s a cracker!