What Do You Need Your Website To Do?
Not a trick question.
It’s the most important thing to ask yourself before chatting with a web designer. It will determine cost, strategy and outcome. Knowing what you need for your business will help you pick the right web designer and achieve results that align with your goals.
Websites are versatile. The biggest limitation is not having a clear direction. The following will help you determine the core ingredients for your website.
Quick Links:
Saving time is the number one reason to outsource web design.
Determining The Purpose for Your Website
These are the top purposes of a website:
Sell services
Sell products
Establish trust and authority
Generate leads
Branding
If you’re selling products and want to break into the online marketplace, a site with clear product pages and path-to-purchase is key. If you offer services in a specific location — you’ll require a website that highlights each of your offerings and showcases expertise in your field. If you’re building a personal brand — a concise landing page might suffice. Organic traffic — SEO. Paid ads — really great copy and clear calls-to-action.
My point? Websites can do a lot and each page of the site should have a plan.
Building a Successful Website
Websites need certain elements to be successful. The below is true for every website, no matter the industry.
Quality Imagery: Photos are critical. Clear, high resolution imagery is an aesthetic cornerstone. Often, pictures taken from phones are heavily pixelated when resized to fit banner images. They can used in galleries but usually do not work as main images.
Unsplash is an online resource that provides high-quality imagery for free. It’s a great first stop. Adobe Stock will have specific imagery and is usually worth the investment.
Hiring a professional photographer goes a long way. These folks can typically knock out a shoot in a couple hours and deliver dozens of high-res photos to use across your site. If you shop and plan correctly, this investment is a huge payoff, as you’ll be able to use the images across your site, social platforms, emails and printed materials.
Readable Copy: Words that are concise and honest pack the biggest punch. Most people don’t want to read anything sales-forward or complicated, especially not when they’re looking for convenience.
ChatGPT is super helpful for generating ideas and drafting content. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite understand industry or location nuances and its ability to generate straightforward, readable copy is lacking. It’s a great website resource but not one to lean on entirely. Digital copywriting can be fickle and real people tend to be more creative.
Plan of Action: Knowing your marketing goals, budget and expectations is important. A web designer in Huntington Beach can help you determine the best course of action but they’re not mind-readers and don’t always have visibility into your unique business.
Finding examples of your competition is a great way to start. Most of us have folks in our industry who are doing things really well. Those are great examples. Likely, they’ve invested in marketing and created a brand identity. They provide a great way to begin developing your plan.
Next, find websites that you like — because they flow well, are eye-pleasing, have useful features or anything else. This will help with inspiration and aesthetics.
If you can do these two things you’ll be 60% there and a competent web designer will be able to bring it home.
Why Choose Me as Your Web Designer in Huntington Beach?
Huntington Beach website design.
Tom Bostrom
Hi, I’m Tom.
I have a diverse background, from designing websites in Huntington Beach to working with Fortune 500 brands.
I have over a decade of experience living and working in Huntington Beach and am pumped to help small businesses in the area succeed in their branding and marketing.
Whether it’s a new Logitech product launch or a local SEO developed website, I approach projects with strategic thinking, determination and brand-building expertise.
How Can I Help?
My work with major corporations and small business in Huntington Beach has allowed me develop these principles in my work.
Be fair
Be honest
Be innovative
Show results
My goal is to develop a website for your business, tell your brands story and leverage technology and insight to reach your audience.
Huntington Beach Web Design, SEO and Marketing Services
Looking to build or enhance your online presence?
These services are designed to make your life easier. Our websites are visually appealing and user-friendly, making it easy for your audience to connect with your organization.
We strive to understand your brand and ensure details reflect your unique services and offerings. The goal is to help you generate more leads and create more time for you to focus on your industry.
Web Design
Web design in Huntington Beach crafted to tell your brands story and resonate with your audience.
SEO Services
Huntington Beach SEO services that utilize local knowledge and tried-and-true strategies.
Holistic Marketing
Approaching your marketing holistically, with paid and earned media strategies that deliver.
SEO, Web Design and Marketing — Huntington Beach FAQs
How long will it take to build my website?
4-6 weeks.
Do you use website builders?
Yes. They provide the best option for small-to-mid-size businesses, require minimal coding and allow business owners to have control over their site. Dependent on goals and industry: Wordpress, Shopify, Squarespace.
What is SEO and why is it important?
Search Engine Optimization is optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results. This is important because higher rankings lead to increased visibility. This drives more organic traffic to your site. A Huntington Beach web designer can help improve your search engine rankings, either through global or local SEO.
How long do SEO results take?
This can vary depending on industry and competition but results start showing within 3-6 months with top rankings taking 9-12 months to mature.
Will my website be mobile-friendly?
For sure.
How much does it cost?
Basic websites start at $2k.
What do I do if I don’t have pictures or a plan?
We can figure it out together.