Bell, Author at Bellrae Marketing

Should I Redesign My Website?

The digital landscape is constantly changing, so much so that it can sometimes feel hard to keep up. You may already have a website for your business, but you may feel like it doesn’t truly represent your brand well, that it doesn’t compete with others in your industry, or most importantly, that it’s not converting web visitors into clients or customers.

Now is the perfect time to take a look at your digital presence and think about what might need to be adjusted. Redesigning and launching a new website is an exciting endeavor and with the right marketing partner, it will feel seamless.

Is it time for a new website? We’re sharing five signs that it may be time to invest in a website redesign.

1. Your Website Isn’t Converting

Your first sign that you need a new website is that it isn’t converting web visitors into customers or leads. The first thing your website should do to encourage conversion is clearly state your business’ value proposition. This will increase the likelihood that your website visitor will click through any next steps to become an active customer or client. The steps involved in converting a website visitor is called the conversion funnel.

Another important feature of a conversion-friendly website are clear and easy calls-to-action. Sales copy and calls-to-action should be short and engaging like “download an e-book,” “buy now,” or “contact us today.” You don’t need to reinvent the wheel, you just need to clearly state what you are asking your potential customer to do. Ultimately, if you can’t tie new business leads to your website, you are in the market for an upgrade.

2. Your Website Isn’t Mobile Optimized

Another sign that you need a new website is if your current website is not mobile optimized and built in responsive design.

People are constantly on their mobile devices, doing their digital research on their phones or tablets. We’re seeing at least half of website visitors coming to our clients’ sites from their mobile device, and that number is growing every day. If your website is not mobile-friendly, you’ll instantly turn away many visitors.

3. You Have Too Much Text on Your Website

If your website home page is very copy-heavy, you may be turning potential customers away before they get to the important part of your story. Like a newspaper that tries to keep the most important and engaging information “above the fold,” your website should grab and interest readers “above the scroll.” Don’t count on customers to read every word to get your message. Be engaging and to the point.

That being said, having updated content on your website is important. Having regularly updating content like blogs, case studies, research reports, white papers, or news, shows potential customers the latest information about you and improves Google search rankings. Maintaining this balance of straightforward business propositions and calls to action merged with a surplus of quality, updated content can be time consuming. Bellrae Marketing has a team of content experts who can help you if you don’t know the best next steps for adjusting the content balance on your website.

4. Is Your Website Optimized with the Best Keywords For Your Brand?

One of the top sources of web traffic to most sites is via Google, or a similar search engine. Without an optimized website, you’re missing out on a lot of potential traffic. If you’ve noticed your traffic has stagnated or decreased, you may need a search engine optimization evaluation.

In addition to having the right keywords in the right places, functionality and user experience also plays a role in how Google and other search engines view your website. A website with a bad user experience (UX) will not rank highly. So make sure your web designer also has experience with SEO, in addition to UX.

5. Your Website Is Saturated with Stock Images

If your website and social media channels are full of stock images, it might be time for a refresh. Having authentic, unique images for your business has proven engagement power. Customers resonate with photos that are authentic and truly reflect who you are. Additionally, drone photography and videography can take the representation of your business online literally to new heights, should your brand warrant it.

A Full-Service Website Designer

At Bellrae Marketing we want to make the website design process seamless. We take a holistic approach to every website redesign. Our team has the capability to take care of the design and development, write on-brand web copy, optimize your website, and take new, updated photos and videos. Everything you need for your new website under one roof!

Do I Need a New Website?

Questions to ask yourself as you take a strategic look at your current website:

Is my website converting traffic into clients or customers?
Is my website adding value to my audience?
Is my website mobile friendly?
Does my website have a high bounce rate?
Does it accurately represent my business with authentic photos and content?
Is it up-to-date with new information, such as case studies and blogs?
Is my website user-friendly and easy to navigate?

Your answers to the questions above will help you determine whether a new website should be on your horizon.

We’re happy to offer you a new, free website design resource: The Website Workbook by Bellrae Marketing. This Workbook includes practical steps and exercises to help set you up for success prior to even hiring a website designer and developer. Download your free copy today to get started!

A full service marketing agency can perform many of the necessary tasks needed to grow your business. One of the biggest benefits of working with a full service marketing agency is that everything you need is under one roof, so you only have one point of contact that is managing all aspects of your marketing. You get the benefits of having an entire marketing department, without taking on the cost of hiring an in-house team.

Choosing to invest in a marketing partner is a big decision. The best marketing agency for you will depend on your unique needs. There are pros and cons to maintaining an in-house marketing department versus hiring a full service marketing agency.

What is a full service marketing agency? We’re glad you asked! Let’s dive in.

What is a Full Service Marketing Agency?

A full service marketing agency has the skills and expertise to provide a wide range of marketing services. They’re well versed in creating unique marketing plans and executing on those plans. While the specific services may vary from one digital agency to the next, a true full service marketing agency should be able to act as your virtual marketing department. For example, here are some of the services that Bellrae Marketing offers as a full service marketing agency.

Social media marketing
Website design
Website development
Branding services
Photography
Videography
Content marketing
Email marketing
SEO
Digital advertising
Metrics reporting and campaign analytics

Why Choose a Full Service Marketing Agency?

A full service digital marketing agency is the best choice for an established business that’s ready to take their company to the next level. Having one marketing agency work on all your projects saves money in the long run and creates consistency across all your marketing platforms. Hiring an in-house marketing employee for each task takes time. With a full-service digital agency, all the experts are just an email or phone call away in one place. Additionally, a full service marketing agency gives you access to a highly-skilled, experienced team at a fraction of the cost of an in-house marketing team. This diverse team focuses on delivering on your marketing goals, giving you the confidence to focus on running your business.

What about hiring multiple agencies that specialize in particular services? In a study by Statista in 2016, 24% of companies surveyed worked with three agencies at a time, while 23% employed two agencies. Working with multiple agencies and managing communication among them is a job in and of itself, not to mention coordinating interactions and campaigns between them. Ultimately, you can save time and money by choosing the right full service marketing agency that will put your needs first.

Should I Hire a Full Service Marketing Agency or a Freelancer?

The short answer is that it depends on your business needs. There are times when a freelance marketer could be better for your business. A freelancer generally hones in on one particular industry or skill set. They might be particularly knowledgeable about your industry and competitors, but may not be able to offer as many services as a full service marketing agency. If you need a specific task completed, you might opt to go with a freelancer. If you need more wide-ranging digital solutions, it would be best to partner with a marketing agency.

Getting Started with Bellrae Marketing, a Full Service Marketing Agency

We’ve already done the heavy lifting for you with our team at Bellrae Marketing. Look no further for a social media manager, photographer, content writer, or web developer because we have that all, and more, under one roof! What really moves the needle when working with Bellrae Marketing is our personal commitment to your business’ success. We treat our clients as individuals and believe that as such each business deserves its own unique marketing plan and creative, custom content. We put in the extra effort to get to know your voice, create a brand identity if you don’t have one, and have your business’ best interest in mind.

Schedule a conversation today. We can’t wait to hear more about your business!

Author: Bell

5 Signs it’s Time for a New Website