A strong online presence is crucial for businesses of all sizes. By having an intuitive, current website, you’re able to create a strong first impression and maintain a connection with your customers in the digital space. Oftentimes businesses tend to “set it and forget it”, but if you want your website to work FOR you, it’s important to regularly update and improve your website. In this blog, we’ll explain the importance of keeping your website current, the role of a marketing partner in web development, and provide you with valuable tips and tricks to enhance your web presence.

Why keep your website current?

1. First Impressions Matter:
Statistics reveal that 94% of first impressions of a website are design-related. A visually appealing and user-friendly website creates a positive impression, instantly capturing visitors’ attention. A dated or poorly maintained website, on the other hand, can deter potential customers, leading to missed opportunities.

2. Improved User Experience:
Modern consumers expect seamless browsing experiences across multiple devices. By keeping your website up to date, you ensure compatibility with various browsers, operating systems, and mobile devices. A responsive design, fast loading speed, intuitive navigation, and easy access to information contribute to an enhanced user experience, increasing engagement and conversions.

3. SEO Benefits:
Search engines prioritize fresh, relevant content and user-friendly websites. Regularly updating your website with new content, optimizing keywords, and ensuring mobile responsiveness can significantly improve your search engine rankings. Higher visibility leads to increased organic traffic, helping you reach a larger audience and driving more potential customers to your website.

4. Be ADA Compliant:
With web accessibility driving growth in organic traffic and improving SEO ranking, it’s more important than ever to ensure that your website is ADA compliant. Here are some benefits of making your website ADA compliant:

• A website that is accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities.
• Compliance with ADA and WCAG 2.1 guidelines at the AA level.
• Enhancement of your brand reputation.
• Increase in website traffic, improved performance, and SEO rankings.

Finding a qualified marketing partner to develop your website comes with many benefits, including their expertise and specialized skills, time and cost efficiency, strategic planning and brand alignment, enhanced user experience, and ongoing support and maintenance. With a partner like Think Patented, we can help you create a professional, user-friendly website that effectively represents your brand, engages your target audience, and drives business growth. If you’re currently in the market for a partner, our talented staff of web developers will put the Web to work for you by deploying the most up-to-date processes and techniques.

How can a marketing partner make the difference?

Expertise and Specialized Skills: A qualified marketing partner brings valuable expertise and specialized skills in web development. They have a deep understanding of design principles, user experience optimization, search engine optimization (SEO), and conversion rate optimization (CRO). Their knowledge and experience ensures that your website is developed with the latest industry standards and best practices, resulting in a professional and effective online presence.

Time and Cost Efficiency: Building a website from scratch or revamping an existing one can be a time-consuming and complex process. By engaging a marketing partner, you can save valuable time and focus on your core business activities while leaving the website development tasks in capable hands. Moreover, a professional partner can efficiently manage the project, ensuring it stays on track and within budget.

Strategic Planning and Brand Alignment: A qualified marketing partner doesn’t just build a website; they work with you to understand your brand, target audience, and business goals. They help develop a comprehensive digital strategy that aligns with your overall marketing objectives. By integrating your brand identity, messaging, and values into the website, they create a cohesive and impactful online presence that resonates with your target market.

Enhanced User Experience: User experience (UX) is a critical factor in the success of a website. A marketing partner with UX expertise can optimize your website’s layout, navigation, and content structure to ensure a seamless and engaging experience for your visitors. By understanding user behavior and incorporating usability testing, they create intuitive interfaces that drive conversions and keep visitors coming back.

Ongoing Support and Maintenance: Building a website is not a one-time task; it requires continuous updates, maintenance, and monitoring to stay relevant and secure. A qualified marketing partner provides ongoing support and maintenance services, ensuring that your website remains up-to-date, performs optimally, and is protected from security threats. This saves you the hassle of managing technical aspects yourself and gives you peace of mind knowing that experts are taking care of your website’s well-being.

With a competitive website, you stay top of mind—and top of search results!  To make their website more competitive, businesses can implement several strategies backed by research and statistics.

• Optimizing website speed is crucial, as a one-second delay in page load time can lead to a 7% reduction in conversions (Source: Aberdeen Group). By minimizing loading times, businesses can provide a seamless user experience and decrease bounce rates, improving overall website performance.
• Incorporating responsive design is essential, given that 53% of mobile users abandon a website if it takes more than three seconds to load (Source: Google). A mobile-friendly website ensures compatibility across various devices, capturing a larger audience and boosting engagement.
• Prioritizing content creation is vital, as companies with blogs generate 67% more leads per month compared to those without (Source: Demand Metric). Regularly updating your website with high-quality, informative content helps attract and engage visitors, establishing thought leadership and building customer trust. Implementing these evidence-based strategies enables businesses to enhance their website’s competitiveness, expand their reach, and drive sustainable growth.

Tips and tricks to make your site stand out:

1. Engaging Visual Design:
Invest in a clean, modern design that reflects your brand identity. Use high-quality images, intuitive layouts, and visually appealing elements to capture visitors’ attention and create a lasting impression.

2. Clear and Concise Content:
Craft compelling and informative content that communicates your brand story, products, and services concisely. Use a conversational tone, break up content into digestible sections, and employ bullet points, headings, and subheadings for easy readability.

3. Optimize for Mobile:
With mobile browsing surpassing desktop usage, it is crucial to ensure your website is fully optimized for mobile devices. Implement responsive design principles, prioritize mobile-friendly layouts, and regularly test your website’s performance across various devices.

4. Regular Updates and Maintenance:
Frequently update your website with fresh content, product/service updates, and news relevant to your industry. Regularly perform maintenance tasks such as fixing broken links, updating plugins, and optimizing site speed to ensure a seamless user experience.

Maintaining a current and user-centric website is a fundamental aspect of forging a successful online presence. By investing in a modern, optimized website and partnering with a marketing professional, you can enhance your brand’s visibility, engage with your target audience effectively, and drive business growth. Remember, a well-maintained website is not only a reflection of your brand, but also an essential tool to attract and convert potential customers. Stay current, stay connected, and embrace the power of a strong web presence for your business’s success.

Need a marketing partner that can help you to keep your Web working for you? That’s Think Patented! Contact us at 937.353.2299 or send us a message.