Most businesses know they need to have a website so that they can get in front of their audience, tell their story, and sell their products and services.
But what many miss are the foundations that need to go into building that website for it to power growth in your business.
That’s why so many businesses get a website built, or build one themselves, and then wonder why it’s not working.
So what do these foundations look like? Here are 8 important things you need to do to ensure your website is driving, not hindering, growth for your business.
1. A great website starts with a great marketing strategy
You need to do the mahi on your marketing strategy long before you start building. Clearly define your key messages, your ideal clients, how you are going to build that message into your website, how you are going to nurture the customer journey, and how you are going to grow the reach of your website once it’s built.
Without a clear strategy, marketing efforts can become disjointed and ineffective, leading to wasted resources and missed opportunities.
Also, a well-defined strategy allows businesses to differentiate themselves from competitors, build brand awareness, and ultimately drive growth and success in the market.
2. Your website should be built with your customer at the forefront, not your product or service
What does this mean? It means your audience are the hero of the story, not you. How are you solving their problems? How are you making them feel?
This approach fosters better engagement, increases user satisfaction, and ultimately drives conversions and sales. Also, catering to the customer experience helps build trust and credibility, leading to long-term relationships and repeat business.
In today’s competitive digital landscape, putting the customer first is key to staying relevant and competitive.
3. Make sure your website is mobile friendly
It’s probably no surprise to you that more people are searching on their mobiles now more than their computers. But what might surprise you is the number of websites we see that are not mobile friendly. Test your website across multiple devices to make sure it is working correctly and looks great.
Failure to cater to mobile users can result in a poor user experience, including slow loading times, distorted layouts, and difficult navigation, leading to frustration and increased bounced rates.
Also, search engines like Google prioritise mobile-friendly websites in their search results, meaning that having a mobile-responsive design can positively impact your website’s visibility and search engine rankings.
4. Every website needs to be built optimised for search engines (SEO)
Be careful you don’t stray from your “built for customers” strategy here. Good SEO does not mean keyword spamming or bulk Chat GPT blog articles. Create genuine, value-driven content based on a researched and planned SEO strategy.
Also, value-driven content helps establish credibility and authority within a particular industry of niche. When users find valuable and trustworthy information on a website, they are more likely to return for future visits and may even become advocates or customers.
5. So many websites we review have no conversion tracking!
This means the business has no idea how their website is performing, are unable to track and measure organic or paid marketing, and cannot retarget their marketing on Google or Facebook.
By tracking conversions, such as purchases, sign-ups, or form submissions, businesses can identify which marketing channels, ads, or strategies are driving the most valuable actions from their visitors.
6. Test everything
Yep, test your links, test your purchasing and checkout functions, test your contact forms. If you’ve never used your own website, you won’t understand how the customer feels when they do. You also may miss bugs, or issues in the process that might stop successful sales or leads.
By continuously experimenting with different elements such as messaging, imagery, and audience targeting, businesses can gain valuable insights into what resonates most with their audience.
In the end, testing enables businesses to refine their approach, drive better results, and achieve their marketing objectives more effectively.
7. Have a plan for nurturing your customer's journey
Remember, not all customers are ready to buy right now. How will you keep in touch with them, or reconnect with them? How will you incentivise them to come back?
It’s about understanding their needs, preferences, and pain points, and delivering personalised experiences at each stage. By providing valuable content, engaging across multiple channels, and building trust and credibility, you can create meaningful connections with your audience and drive long-term loyalty.
8. Have a marketing plan for after your website is built
It’s a shame, but the “build it and they will come” strategy doesn’t generally work. You’ll need a marketing plan on how you are going to get your website in front of your key audience once it’s completed.
This might be paid Google or social ads, ongoing SEO, radio ads, digital billboards, networking or good old cold calling. Whatever your tactics, having this plan clearly detailed and in place will help you drive growth and you’ll quickly get back your investment spend on your website.
Summary
Starting your website with a plan will help ensure you build it right, and include all the important things it needs to rank in Google and engage with your ideal audience.
Don’t forget to budget and plan for marketing your website once its built so you can drive people to it. Kia kaha, you’ve got this!
get in touch
Are you ready to smash some exciting goals? Or just need some help with your website, Google Ads or social media marketing? Let us know how we can help and we’ll be in touch.