Pretty much everyone and their cat, especially their cats, has a web site. Just having a web site is a good start. I'm sure it has information on it that some people are looking for. But, have you ever taken the time to look at your site from your customers point of view?
When analyzing web sites, 4t Creative looks at a few key areas:
Current Web Site Traffic
How many visitors do you currently receive? How many pages do they view and how long do they stay? How do they find your site? What devices do they primarily use to view the site?
What are your customers looking for on your web site?
If you were a customer, would you be able to find the most commonly requested information on your web site? If you are a golf course for instance, are the address and directions easy to find? Rates? Phone number? Online Tee Times? Tournament information? Catering and Events?
I know a lot of courses like to have pretty pictures, maybe even fly over videos of each hole, but you must weigh the costs of adding these to your site versus the return on investment. It all depends on your customers, what they are looking for, and where they are coming from and the experience they are looking for.
Why do you have a web site?
This is a core question that must be answered after the above information is gathered. What is the point of the web site? What is the core information you need your customers to see?
If your site is there to prove you exist and have people contact you and/or find you. Put up one page with just that information. If your site is there to sell a product then you will need much more information. Most sites are somewhere in between and most need to focus their information in to a much better flow.
Does your web site match your image?
If your web site is old and out of date, does that portray your company as also old and out of date? Many times the web site is the first impression of your company. The image of your site should at least match the view you want the public to have of your company.
There are a lot of questions here and this exercise usually takes a couple hours to complete when we meet with companies for marketing audits. Answer the questions and taking the time to truly delve deep into your web site from a customer's point of view can have many benefits, not the least of which could save you thousands of dollars on your next redesign.
4t Creative is here to help you develop your strategic marketing plan. Contact us to find out more about our consulting services.