A level playing field now exists on the internet. Regardless of what kind of business you have, you're now able to look professional by investing in a well-designed website. Investing in a website which will do your company justice is very important as is good content. First impressions are important whether you sell directly or indirectly, through your website. Your website is like your shop window and creates customer impressions, so you need to use it to attract customers!

Having a bad web presence is not going to create the right impression to current or new customers when they visit. Every business can benefit massively from having a well-designed web presence. This will give your new and existing customers the best impression of your service and product offering and keep them coming back.

High value businesses have high-end websites and branding. Your website is often the first contact customers have with your business. A website is one of the keystones of your brand and value. It is also how your customers perceive your business. Your brand image is conveyed via your web and social media presence and content marketing. Your brand image is everything, and you need to protect it with good copywriting and social media management.

Fast, relevant and interactive

There has been a revolution in the way we consume the internet. From the devices, we use to access it right through to the software applications we use. Gone are the days of being chained to a desktop computer to surf the web. There is a plethora of devices from laptops, phones, tablets and soon to be wearables from which you can access the internet.

People are absorbed in their mobile content. A high-quality website design which is optimised for all devices is crucial. With a WordPress website, every business can attain a well-designed solution which will attract more customers.

Relevant content

A website which is untidy, difficult to navigate with unnecessary content is not going to engage or inspire your clients to visit. No one wants to visit a website which is bland or is not visually engaging. Good content is well thought out, well written and above all interesting.

Populating your website with purely corporate content will bore your clients and leave them reaching for the exit button.

You need to look at your website content through the eyes of a customer and ensure that you use a range of engaging media to attract and engage your customers. Your content needs to address customer questions and needs. Think of what questions your customers may need answered and consider using interactive video to provide some answers.

Create written content which is interesting, informative and projects the personality of your brand. Make sure your content is regularly updated. Make it easy for your customer to find the information and answers they need. Creating videos to showcase your products or services to engage current and new customers is also a great way to engage them.

Adding some infographics to visually explain concepts advice and tips will really boost the interest of your customers. Adding a blog which is regularly updated will increase shares via social media and increase positive perceptions of your business.

Engaging with your customers by asking them what content they would like to see is a great way to interact with your client base. Having a consultation with focus groups is a great way to test perceptions and improve your brand.

Multimedia

Users expect a 360-degree multimedia experience where they can watch video, read user reviews, share links and read infographics via social media like twitter.

Using a variety of techniques is going to create a multi-prong approach which will drive success and stay ahead of the pack. You can be sure that your competitors will be snapping at your heels and working out how to get a competitive advantage. But if you deliver an all singing all dancing approach to content, you'll have the edge.

A superior digital marketing and SEO strategy will draw in new customers via a range of social media channels. Now is the time to ensure you stay one step ahead and develop your multimedia content. You could start with a short video explaining your services which will avoid people having to plough through loads of boring text.

Getting found

Spending a lot of time and effort on your website is useless unless you ensure your website can be found! On and off page SEO will need to be done if your website is to be found. It is vital to ensure that you get an experienced SEO expert who knows what keywords to focus on to raise your rankings. If you fail to get an expert in SEO you will be at a major disadvantage later.

Working out the best keywords to boost your rank should be carefully considered based on traffic volume per month in your area of interest, but also level of competition in your sector. Successful campaigns consider these factors and ensure that your digital marketing budget is targeted at the right areas.

Attracting Customers

When customers visit your website, you want them to have a unique, innovative and positive experience. You want your site to be user friendly, easy to navigate and to make it fast to load and fast to find the information they need. If you look at your website is it easy to find contact details?

There's nothing more frustrating than having to search for how to get in touch, it looks like you don't want to be customer facing. Use your content to build a longlasting loyal customer base and they'll be more likely to share and like your social content. Talking to your customers and being more human will make you and your brand more approachable. Being more approachable will attract more business.

Ask yourself if your customers can follow your content and increase their consumption of it further. Can they sign up to your newsletter, blog, or Facebook easily. If they can't see the links quickly you're missing out on valuable opportunities to gain more attention. Being an influencer and creating a core following is going to pay dividends in the long run.

You'll appear more credible and trustworthy and your customers will learn to trust you more. Potential customers may visit your site several times before they finally decide to do business.

If your website isn't top notch they simply won't return. However, if you've made the extra effort to offer exciting content you'll start to build this relationship. You can also project your tone of voice via your social media.

Value Marketing

WordPress is undoubtedly one of the best web design and development software systems available for SME's. Integrated in the platform are several templates and design features.

It has become the number one web design platform to create business websites with due to its flexibility and superior functionality. Numerous plugins are available to provide ecommerce functionality and standardised content management. This can immediately give your website a high end feel which enables you to scale up areas such as blogs, forms, newsletters and integrate additional functions for social media such as online chat.

WordPress is extremely robust and user-friendly and because it's open source it is constantly improving and has great technical support.

Measurement

Measuring your performance using google analytics, a1 webstats, Buzzsumo is important. Gaining an understanding of your data and statistics will enable you to improve your site and ultimately your business. You'll be able to track what content they are consuming and improve content that they are not. You'll see what your customers search for, how much traffic each page gets and be able to track the objects and elements that they click on. Being able to measure and analyse your content offers multiple marketing opportunities. If you can measure success, you'd be crazy not to.

Using a creative marketing agency is often the key to staying ahead as they will be able to offer you advice. They will also have up to date tools, resources and expertise which you can call on to stand head and shoulders above your competitors. They can analyse your status and do a root and branch marketing strategy. A full consultation to determine current performance and provide a way of improving is vital. This will dramatically improve your chances of gaining top of funnel customers and visibility. More crucially it will also drive longterm brand loyalty which will futureproof your business over time.