Rebranding: What Does Your Website Say About You and Your Company?

Photo Credit: John Schnobrich?on?Unsplash Rebranding: What Does Your Website Say?

Issue #23

As I continue to publish on this newsletter, I am revising my schedule to at least 3X/Week: Mondays (Branding), Tuesdays (Marketing), and Thursdays (Productivity). I hope you continue to enjoy and find value in the articles in this newsletter.

When I first became a solopreneur and started the first of my three companies in 2008, I designed my own logo and made my own static one-page website. They both looked “homemade,” but they got the job done. I got my first local client two days after I opened and signed my first international client three months later.

Over the years, of course, I revised and improved my website, and eventually, I hired a professional webmistress to redesign my site as only an expert could do.?

I joined LinkedIn in 2007, even before I started my first company. I first got on Twitter in 2009 and followed one person, my daughter. Again, over the years I greatly increased my social media presence, but I always ensured that anything I posted on social media linked back to my website. That is still true today.

Your Website Is the Foundation of Your Brand

Your brand should communicate a consistent value shown by your logo, your marketing materials, your typographical choices, your color palette, your design style, and the tone of all of your messages.

When you design (or have designed by a professional) your website, you should ensure that all of the elements are consistent all the way through and that those elements match everything else you publish or post.?

The point is to establish a consistent brand and a consistent message that builds trust and familiarity with your prospects and your customers or clients. This brand consistency should flow throughout everything you write and/or publish and everything should point back to your website.

3 Reasons Why It Is Important To Have A Company Website

Many people have business pages on Facebook and/or LinkedIn, but those are not enough. You should also have a website, even a small website with just 1-2 pages. Besides the branding elements listed above, here are three other reasons why:

1. A website gives you and your company credibility. It shows people that you are a real business. Within your chosen industry, there are many people who offer similar products and services. When your website looks good and clearly communicates your value, it will definitely help you to stand out from the crowd.

2. A website saves you and your team time and provides “1st touch” customer service. When your website details basic information that prospects and customers are looking for, such as your hours of operation, your location, your products and services, and your contact information, people are happy to have one place to quickly find that information, and you and your staff save time by not having to constantly answer those basic questions.

3. You can quickly and easily post updates and announcements on your website, even if you also publish those items separately elsewhere. Almost always when people see posts, articles, tweets, or other information elsewhere, they immediately go to your website for verification.

Why Keeping Your Website Updated is Job #1

Your website is the foundation of your company and for your brand:

- Your website should represent your company.

- Your website should promote and sell your company’s products and services.

- Your website should attract visitors.

- Your website should generate more business leads.

- Your website should help people to get in touch with you.

Even if you are also posting on social networks, even if you regularly send out marketing emails, even if you participate in regular and consistent online and offline networking opportunities, your website should say everything you want prospects and clients to know about you and about your company.

Resources

If you are an independent writer and/or a creative or solo professional and would like to discuss an upcoming project you have in mind, I invite you to schedule a discovery call with me here.

If you are an independent writer and/or a creative or solo professional and are interested in online training and/or one-on-one business coaching by an experienced professional (that would be me), you can find out more about those services here.

I look forward to speaking with you!