After you’ve had your much-needed (and well-deserved) rest and relaxation for the holidays, it’s time to get back down to business again. When it comes to web design and maintenance, there’s nothing worse than aimlessness. Rather than float into the new year without a solid plan, why not jot down a few goals to keep you both orientated and motivated. Here is our holiday countdown of the top nine 2019 New Year’s resolutions for your business.
9. Remember Why You Do What You Do
One of my go-to tomes when it comes to marketing is Simon Sinek’s Start With Why. It’s a great reminder for me as to how to keep myself motivated to continue pushing Emphasize Design to be the best website design company in Calgary. Sinek talks a lot about how to be an effective leader, which I translate into being a business owner myself and providing advice to others on how to market theirs. Online marketing is a challenge – but a good one – because you are always trying to get someone’s attention fast and then keep them interested. The way to do this is with actual substance. Read more.
8. Get Your Brand Identity in Order
Your brand is multi-functional, and says and does a lot for your business. It is a living and breathing representation of your business’s identity. Successful brands are comprised of three parts, says website usability expert Kate Kaplan in the Nielson Norman Group’s article, “Brand Is Experience in the Digital Age,” and those are how it looks, how it feels, and how it acts. Your brand’s looks include your logo, its feel is supported through your website’s content and the products or services you provide, and the feel is how your company acts towards its customers and the community. Read more.
7. Get More Social
Social media is very tricky … it can get awfully hairy out there! The anonymity social media provides allows people to be a lot more vocal with their opinions than they would be in person. But there are lots of good ways to deal with meanies on social, and the benefits of the various platforms far outweigh the negatives. Get your great website content shared through the use of various media such as blogs, video, images, and infographics. Read more.
6. Target Your Audience
Everything you do for your business should be with your target audience in mind, including your overall website design. Your strong social media presence (see #7) should provide some very good tips about who you are already appealing to, and you can also work to charm additional potential customers by using tools such as surveys and focus groups to gauge what catches their interest. Also keep an eye on your competitors. Take note of what is making them successful at communicating with those you seem to be missing from your objective customer audience. Read more.
5. Inspire Others to Talk About You
Google reviews are great for SEO, your reputation, and your self-esteem. A good Google review not only reflects well on your business, but can also be used a testimonial on your website (with permission). Reviews let you know what you’re doing right, what you’re doing wrong, and also prove to Google that you are legitimate. Never underestimate how much others are researching your business, and Google reviews are one way how. Entice others to talk you up! Read more.
4. Put Your Customers First
Building and retaining customer loyalty is one of the most important parts of owning a business. Dedicated customers spend more than new customers on products and services, and they also tell their friends about their positive experiences more often. In short, they are invaluable. Ways to keep your customers interested include loyalty programs, availability, and personal responses. Read more.
3. Be Collaborative and Creative
Working with clients and customers is a two-way street, and a strong partnership can only strengthen your business. We pride ourselves on good communication based on active listening, teamwork, respect, and positive feedback. Read more.
2. Analyze, Analyze, Analyze
I am the data guy for Emphasize, and can freely say that I love numbers. Analytics reveal major insights about your marketing over time. Not only do analytics reveal how you are doing organically online, they can also be used to test your marketing strategies. We can check to see how your pay-per-click ads are performing, if your calls-to-action are actually enticing people to take an action, and if your website is easily being found on Google. Read more.
1. Stay Up To Date
Website design tends to be a “set it and forget it” kind of thing, but that can be extremely detrimental. Keeping your pages up to date is imperative for two reasons. The first is that you always want to be providing the very best, most accurate information to your clients and customers. Having misinformation on your website just looks bad, and it’s inconvenient to those who are looking for information. The second is for SEO purposes. Google loves websites that are consistently being taken care of as it shows that a company is thoroughly invested in its reputation. Read more.
Website Design Services From Emphasize
At Emphasize, we take pride in making you look good. Our website design services can be fine-tuned to exactly fit your needs. Contact us to learn more, and happy holidays from us to you and yours!
