Website Design and Development

YOUR WEBSITE SHOULD BE A VALUABLE TOOL

Many small businesses have a website “because they know they have to have one.” They don’t always understand the potential it has. A website can serve a variety of purposes, many of which can help your business run more efficiently. It is also one of the most important marketing pieces you will have, and should therefore be an honest reflection of your business. Below are some things we like to consider when working with a new website development client:

Functionality & Marketability

One big factor in website design and development is functionality. Your website should be functional in the sense that it provides the information or services that your visitors are seeking. They should be able to find what they came for easily, and take any actions conveniently. Ideally, having the right tools in place for your website’s visitors should make your own internal processes easier as well.

The other big factor in website design is marketability. Your website should be appealing, consistent with your brand, and memorable. It should tie in with other entities on the internet like search engines, social media sites, and online directories.

Simply put, your website should both entice new customers, and serve existing ones.

WEBSITE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT WITH TALK 19 MEDIA

When we take on a website design and development project, we collaborate with you to identify the goals of the site, the needs of the visitors, and the best possible layout for your budget. From there, we work with you on developing appropriate and meaningful content. Finally, we help you get the site live, and we can train you on how to maintain and update the site yourself on request.

Technically, we do most of our website building using Wordpress. Wordpress has evolved over the years from what started as a basic blogging system to what is now more or less a Content Management System (CMS). If you’d like to know more about how this all works, please contact us! We’d love to hear from you.

We specialize in website design & development for businesses and organizations in Warrenton, Fauquier, and throughout northern Virginia.

Functionality

Your website should be designed to give your visitors an enjoyable and purposeful experience, while also increasing your own efficiency and profitability. Here are a few examples of effective form and function that are common on small business websites:

Your website should provide basic, introductory information for new visitors in the places that they are most likely to land.
It should provide resources for existing customers, like forms, product or service descriptions, and payment gateways if appropriate.
If you are a retailer, it can be an online storefront.
If you offer price quotes for specific services, it can be an automated estimation tool.
It can be an initial point of contact that is designed to assess and pre-qualify new leads.

Anything the site can do that saves your business “man hours” is usually a step toward increased profitability.

Marketability

Your website should be a reflection of the experience that your customers would have in your office / store, or when soliciting your services. Fun and quirky companies should have fun and quirky websites. Professional institutions should have a more formal presence. Consistency with your other marketing materials (business cards, signage, etc.) and your physical venue is of the utmost importance. In addition to establishing and maintaining the right “vibe,” your site should also make it easy for your customers / visitors to contact you. After all, marketing is about connecting you with the right customers.