How to explain the role of your website
You know you need a website. But do you really know why? The way websites are used, and what we expect from them, continues to evolve at an almost immeasurable speed. But, in case you need a breath of fresh air amongst the chaos of web advice, here are four straight-forward ways to think about your website.
Fill in the blank: My website is like ______________________
1. A Yellow Pages listing
When I visit a website, most of the time I’m looking for an email or phone number. Think about your habits…are you doing the same? That’s because the “Contact Us” page is the one of the most frequently-visited pages on a website. Without a phonebook in our back pocket, Google is our new gateway to contact information and, hopefully, yours is easy to find.
2. A dictionary entry
How do you define…you? Your website is a giant “About us” listing. It’s the multi-page definition of who you are, what you do. But, your website is even better than a dictionary because you get to write it! This is your chance to shine. Think carefully about what you want people to know about you and remember that your website is a tool with almost infinite applications.
3. My favorite outfit
What are you wearing today? Did you pick something to be comfortable? Flashy? Maybe you had an important meeting and thought carefully about ironing your shirt. Maybe you were going to be running around all day and needed to select the right pair of shoes. Your website is an expression of who you are. It says something about your culture, your values, what industry you align with and more. Think through the appearance carefully…you don’t want to get caught with blisters or wrinkles.
4. An employee
This is the big kahuna. Your clinch hitter. If you take nothing else away from this blog, pay attention to this piece.
I bet you think that no one on your team works 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in all times zones, and on all contents? Sounds impossible, right? Well, not if you count your website on that team. Believe it or not, your website is a member of your team. It’s your best sales guy, your expertly-trained marketing gal, your star support staff. It’s time you treated it like one! Make sure it gets the upgrades and attention it needs. And, if you’re ever thinking, “Hey, I bet the team would benefit from a special treat today,” give your website something fresh and new to show off as well!
To sum it all up:
There are oodles of advise columns, tips and tricks, quick-hits, conferences, seminars and more on building websites. When it all starts to feel overwhelming, remember these four references. Simply put: your website is an important part of your company. (But, it doesn’t have to be complicated).
