As a web designer, it can sometimes be easy to long for days past when all you had to do to make a client happy was put together a few pixels that looked great on a screen and watch the orders come in.

Sadly, those days are long gone. Not only are websites rarely very static anymore – there are continuous updates, content management systems, and social media profiles to integrate – but very few clients can get away with a website that doesn’t really “do” anything anymore. Layouts still matter, but so do functionalities, usability, search engine optimization, and a dozen other bottom-line concerns.

In other words, a business website is no longer just a website… it’s an important part of the overall company.
This all makes perfect sense, but we occasionally meet with business owners and marketing managers who are a little late to the party. They talk about getting the site to help them gain a competitive edge, or add an extra comma to the bottom line, but all they want to see from the design team are some samples that look like they belong in a website museum.

The artistic aspect of web design is going to be important for as long as people have eyes. It’s not exactly a secret that visually-stunning objects and ideas catch and hold our attention, regardless of whether they are in print or on screen. But if you’re serious about making your website a profitable part of your company, and not just a nice-looking digital brochure, be sure to raise topics like online sales and Internet marketing with your design team early and often. The chances are they have some insight that will help you more than you would think.

If you want to find out why Sleepless Media’s web site design services are a favorite of Santa Cruz business owners, contact us for a free quote or consultation today. We have the experience and insight to turn your web design and development projects

Remember the famous line from the movie Field of Dreams that goes, “If you build it, they will come?”

Maybe you’re hoping for some good luck and hoping that this divine strategy will work just as well for your website.  It seems to be the strategy that many website owners use.

The problem, though, is that it simply is not reliable whatsoever.  I’m sure there are statistics out there that would back this up—but I’d say from experience that there’s about a 5% chance of actually getting lucky and getting the traffic you’d like when following the “build it and they will come” strategy exclusively.  To put it another way, following this unsuccessful tactic has a 95% failure rate.

And there are lots of reasons why this is so.  Mostly because there are more competitive and actively promoted sites out there that have people working really hard behind the scenes driving their success.  It’s hard to compete with actively marketed sites when following a strategy of doing nothing at all.

So getting down to business…when is it time to get a marketing consultant to help you boost your online presence?

It’s a great question.  Really, though, the first thing you’ve got to ask yourself is if you are happy with your existing tactics and success already or if you really want to step things up a notch or two.  Many folks work their sites really hard—they’re marketing machines, producing lots of evergreen content that the search engines love—they know what it takes to succeed and the results are evident.

It takes a lot of time and effort too to follow this do-it-yourself path.  Is this you…or would you rather have a marketing expert nail these things out for you?

As far as a good time to get a marketing consultant onboard, to be frank—any time is a good time if it’s necessary.  So let’s say ASAP.  The faster you can get a great marketing campaign in place and rocking for your site, the faster you can start to appreciate the results of your boosted online presence.  The sooner the better!

Good news here is that more traffic—and especially more targeted, high-conversion traffic that’s totally dialed in to your site’s message—well, this means more sales and higher profits.  So sure, the thought of bringing an online marketing expert might sound daunting and expensive.  But this isn’t the case at all when the return on your investment delivers a tidy profit.   The right marketing guru can be completely worth his or her weight in gold (literally in some cases).

Yes, you can try your luck at the tables and hope what worked in the movie will work for your site.  Build it and they will come.  Or not.  It’s a big gamble and the odds are definitely in favor of the establishment.  Alternately, you can work your site hard and learn the ropes of what it takes to drive traffic to it like never before.  It’s a great option if you’re willing to put in the time and effort.

If neither of these sounds like attractive or practical options for you—then by all means, it’s time to bring in a marketing consultant that can really make it happen for your site!