There is much more to building a successful business website than just working with a digital marketing agency that provides search engine optimization (SEO), link building, and copywriting. Are you utilizing the services of a web design and development company? Here’s why you need more than just a digital marketing agency for your business.
First: What Kind of Business Needs a Digital Marketing Agency?
If you are like most businesses, you want to be found on the Internet because you believe you are more legitimate than your competitors. You may be aware of other businesses’ successes and you also want to get your piece of the online buying market.
The typical small business owner profile:
- I have a small business and I want to update my website.
- I want it to be “responsive” so it looks great on any mobile device.
- I want it to be easy to navigate and provide a good experience for the user.
- I need to be able to add content and images easily.
- I want to make sure it’s secure and can’t easily be hacked because I sell things online.
- I don’t want to spend a fortune.
- I want it in a timely manner, say three months.
- I don’t want to have to update it often just because the software used to make the website is outdated.
(There may be a good reason to copy this list and to refine it for your own use because it serves the purpose of the contractual agreement for using other people to complete what you can’t or don’t want to attempt. As long as everyone involved is aware of what is expected of them, there should not be much of a problem.)
For effective search engine optimization (SEO) to drive consumers to the website, the goal is to generate increased targeted web traffic and increased lead generation. How? By integrating long-tail keyword combinations into the text, analysis of the effectiveness of on-page optimization, and optimization of page content, meta tags, headline tags, and alt tags. A digital marketing agency will be able to provide this kind of service.
If you are like most businesses, you want to be found on the Internet because you believe you are more legitimate than your competitors.
Second: Why You Should Also Hire a Web Designer as Well as a Digital Marketing Agency
Not every digital marketing agency provides affordable or effective web design. You don’t know about web design (that’s not your business or career choice) and you have seen advertisements on television, or researched creating your own website by using a template or a free service. You really don’t like what you see from most of the do-it-yourself template results so you look for website designers to give you a cost estimate, and there are thousands to choose from. The very best examples are not surprisingly the most expensive.
You do more research and find that so-and-so company had their website created by someone using WordPress, and you are told that it is easy to use and inexpensive to get a web hosting service like GoDaddy. You take the plunge.
Very soon you discover that the most recent WordPress theme and plugins you have are now out of date and because of hacking and security concerns you need to update your version of WordPress. You also discover that your attempts to update the theme and plugins require more experience than you have or care to be involved with, and so you contact one of the web designers you found online who knows how to update WordPress.
Like any professional, the web designer wants to be paid for his or her time, and after you both agree to what is expected and the cost, you are told it may take three to four months to complete the site and have it live on the Internet. Four or five months later you have a site.
You want to update data and information and also add some images and content to your new site. Your web designer assures you that this is all possible with all the plugins and so forth built into your site. When you try it yourself, you are overwhelmed by the all the options and power you have available. Many web designers are still learning about tools like WordPress, so it pays to get some kind of guarantee from whom you decide to use (see the list above).
Because you are not experienced you have to rely on a web designer to do the work for you until you become experienced yourself at making the alterations to your site as you want (with your CMS, or Content Management System). You pay the price for their experience and hope that there are no problems. But there usually are.
Many times it is a problem in the code for one of the many plugins your site uses. Or there is a compatibility issue. Or, you don’t understand the logic of how to use the tools resulting in incorrect operation or display. Whatever the problem is, you need to get that corrected. That may mean a web developer (one who knows programming code inside out) will be required if your web designer isn’t a developer, too.
Now you may be sorry for choosing that low-cost overseas web design company because they are unavailable to help you. Many times they go out of business or just no longer take your calls. Maybe what they did was wrong and you now must use someone that has to correct whatever they did wrong.
Third: Finding a Good Web Developer
Finding a good web developer is not as easy as finding a good web designer. This is why I use a web design and development company. The web designer can make a slick-looking site. The web developer can ensure it all works properly. Finding a person who does both is even rarer.
So, six months or more after you started to get the new site up and operational you have a decent website. You have spent about twice the amount you expected and it took twice as long to get it completed. You still need to learn some of the WordPress design functions and your web developer should be able to help you with step-by-step instructions.
The point is that if you have little or no experience in website design, you are better off having a web design and development company, or at least someone in the same country, to perform the tasks. It takes time to learn and it isn’t for everybody. WordPress makes updates often so you should also have a company that can keep the site up to date when it is appropriate.
Final Thoughts
I have found a good source for WordPress web design and development named Golden Oak Web Design. Instruction for multiple types of WordPress users is offered and can save customers money if they consult first with Golden Oak Web Design. WordPress Maintenance Plans are also offered as a service.
