SLIDE 1
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Overview
Introductions Planning Content & Building After Go Live Hands On Q & A
Roadmap for Building an Amazing Website MSBDC October 30, 2019 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Roadmap for Building an Amazing Website MSBDC October 30, 2019 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Roadmap for Building an Amazing Website MSBDC October 30, 2019 tunnel 7 Design Marketing Optimization Overview Introductions Planning Content & Building After Go Live Hands On Q & A tunnel 7 Design Marketing
SLIDE 2
SLIDE 3
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Who I am
derek allard - derek@tunnel7.com Website designer, Internet marketer Work with clients to build smarter digital presences to increase return on investment
SLIDE 4
SLIDE 5
SLIDE 6
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Who Are You?
Have you been involved in a website project? Was your experience positive? What were/are your biggest pain points?
SLIDE 7
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Today’s Goals
Offer real world insight into website projects Think about all the steps that contribute to success Gain a perspective you may not have had just yet Answer your questions
SLIDE 8
SLIDE 9
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Websites Are Foundations
And, like foundations, they should be strong Work on all devices Have compelling content (images, video, text) Support digital marketing efforts in a direct way Kept current technologically
SLIDE 10
Planning
SLIDE 11
SLIDE 12
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Goals, Users, Problems
Goals: What action do you want users to take? Users: Who are we targeting / want to target? Problems: What problem is your company solving? Let these guide the website building process
SLIDE 13
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Internal Resources
Who will be writing the content? Where will photos and videos come from? Who will maintain social media profiles? Who will maintain the website after it goes live? Thinking through these questions now will ensure you have a solid plan for success
SLIDE 14
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Research
Your assumptions about website users and the reality don’t always match up It’s your job to sleuth out what users want from the your website What are competitors doing? User surveys and user testing are invaluable
SLIDE 15
The more input you get from actual users the better off you will be
SLIDE 16
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Understand Requirements
Have a good understanding about marketing and technical needs at the start What social channels will you use? Do you use email marketing or digital advertising? Is search engine optimization an important factor? What are the technical requirements and integrations? Answers to these will help define the build of the website
SLIDE 17
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Content Modeling
Content is the most important part of any project Define content types (blog, bios, faqs, etc.) for the website and fields that are needed for each channel By planning content granularly like this at the start you will inform the navigation and pages of your website
SLIDE 18
SLIDE 19
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Sitemap / Wireframes
Sitemap: Maps out the pages / sections of the website Wireframes: Rough layouts focused on content placement and calls to action These will get you thinking about what the website needs to meet goals These two items ensure your website is well organized and logically laid out
SLIDE 20
SLIDE 21
SLIDE 22
Planning steps should inform and guide the entire project
SLIDE 23
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Website Options
Do it yourself Website builders (Squarespace, etc.) Hire a design firm to build it with you All will have pros and cons
SLIDE 24
Write Down Three Actions You Want Users To Take On Your Website
SLIDE 25
Content & Building
SLIDE 26
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
At The Start
Make sure you own your domain name Set your domain to auto-renew at your domain registrar to ensure you never lose it Make sure your website uses a secure connection (SSL certificate)
SLIDE 27
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Branding
Create a logo that matches your brand What is your brand? Hip/Trendy? Conservative/ Professional? Define a color palette and fonts to unify visual representation of your brand Having a style guide will ensure these elements are followed correctly
SLIDE 28
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Branding
Create a logo that matches your brand What is your brand? Hip/Trendy? Conservative/ Professional? Define a color palette and fonts to unify visual representation of your brand Having a style guide will ensure these elements are followed correctly
SLIDE 29
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Gathering Assets
Photography - stock or professional? Videography - a professional intro video can be compelling Professional photography / video will be more specific and unique to your business Stock vs. do it yourself
SLIDE 30
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Content Writing
Writing for a website is more brief and to the point Define who is writing the content Consider a professional writer if writing isn’t your strength If multiple writers establish voice for your brand Website content speaks directly to users and is focused
- n calls to action
SLIDE 31
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Website Design
Everyone gets excited by the design … make sure it is based on the planning work you did You don’t need to design every possible page of a website … instead think of templates (home, listing, detail, etc.) Make sure you account for mobile devices Custom vs. prebuilt template
SLIDE 32
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
SLIDE 33
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Calls To Action
Should match up to the goals of your website Register, Buy Now, Sign Up, Contact Make calls to action as clear as possible (think buttons and visual elements that draw the eye) If you can incentivize calls to action do so
SLIDE 34
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Programming
Transform your design into an actual website Getting all content entered into the content management system Building out functionality and templates Integrating with any third party systems (mailing lists, eCommerce, etc.) Website builder vs. custom website design … but for both you will not be programming - your role is content
SLIDE 35
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Content Audits
Go through the website with a fine tooth comb about two weeks before go live Make sure voice of the content is consistent, calls to action are clear, all images look good Grammar and typos should all be correct now
SLIDE 36
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Before Go Live
Make sure redirects are setup before your new site goes live (needed only if you already have an old site with different URLs) We always write a go live plan to make sure nothing gets missed … perhaps overkill for you but still useful for your content and asset needs Be thorough
SLIDE 37
Write Out Three Calls To Action With A Supporting Incentive
SLIDE 38
After Go Live
SLIDE 39
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Roll Out Marketing
How are you going to get people to the website? Email marketing, Facebook Ads, Google Ads, Print ads Have a strategy for all marketing efforts (not just the tools for it) What is your messaging? Where do people get sent to on the website?
SLIDE 40
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Your Website’s Role
Your website will be where many goals actually happen Direct users to the website for these specific actions Be strategic … every ad, social post, print piece should have a defined path where users can take an action
SLIDE 41
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Landing Pages
Generally you don’t want to send users to any old page
- f the website
Landing pages are simplified layouts (no navigation) focused on getting users to take one specific action If marketing efforts are used, use landing pages to increase conversions
SLIDE 42
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Who Loves This?
In most organizations there is one employee who loves social media This is the person to put in charge None of us are any good at things we don’t like
SLIDE 43
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Who Loves This?
In most organizations there is one employee who loves social media This is the person to put in charge None of us are any good at things we don’t like
SLIDE 44
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Analytics
Tells you if your website and marketing efforts are performing well Will also steer you in directions for smart improvements A/B testing, best traffic sources, most popular pages, conversion rates, etc. Analytics is a powerful tool for constant refinement
SLIDE 45
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Overview
Introductions Why Google Analytics? Setting Up & Defining Goals Overview of Reports Tips & Tricks
SLIDE 46
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
SCREEN CAPTURE
Google Analytics is the most common and will show how your efforts are working Don’t rely on data from social channels (tends to make things look more impressive than they are) Be ruthless in scrutinizing which social channels are working and which are not
SLIDE 47
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Keeping Current
Websites are meant to be kept current Don’t let content get stale Have a plan for getting new content on the website News, blogs and event listings are a great way to ensure current content Technically, the website should be kept current too
SLIDE 48
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Editorial Calendar
Publish on a regular basis Holds you accountable for staying on top of things Defines who, what, where, when, why for all publishing (including third party sites)
SLIDE 49
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Editorial Calendar
Publish / reply on a regular basis Holds you accountable for staying on top of things Defines who, what, where, when, why for all publishing (including third party sites)
SLIDE 50
Write Out Three Content Items For Your Editorial Calendar
SLIDE 51
Hands On
SLIDE 52
Review Participant’s Websites For Improvement
SLIDE 53
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Takeaways
Devote the time needed to succeed online, especially with website content Building a great website is only the beginning Never underestimate the strength of planning process Simplicity often leads to more website conversions Be realistic about internal resources (don’t overbuild) See your website as an ongoing work in progress Never rush
SLIDE 54
tunnel 7
Design Marketing Optimization
Thank You
All websites have room for improvement - Google Analytics will show the way Set up goals to more accurately (and easily) track successes and failures Focus only on those reports that are relevant to your website
SLIDE 55