Over the years the internet has gone through some dramatic changes. Much development has gone into making the web open for all and not just trained designers and developers. Its the obvious progression and has allowed millions of website to flourish and business owners the ability to take control of their own online channels. No longer do you need to know HTML or become a expert Photoshop user. Everyone can take great photos, write good copy and build their own website with systems like WordPress or Squarespace.
Where does that leave companies like ours? Can we survive by doing what we were doing 6 or even 2 years ago? In our opinion no, and we have to move with the times and support our clients by offering them the best solution that will allow them to get the most out of their online channel. That might be through advising them on which CMS to use, or creating a robust and flexible email template.
A while back we used to do a lot of work with email design and production. We would design and code the emails for marketing teams. Things have changed now and more often than not these teams now manage their own campaigns and work from predefined templates that we create for them. You still need a good design and well constructed HTML emails that have been tested but we are not needed to actually add in copy or links, or an image.
We consider ourselves as WordPress experts and we use this system because it has fantastic tools and is so easy to use. Its also very well supported by the web design and development community.
BUT, websites do not write their own copy or blog by themselves. They do not automatically engage with customers and write comments on other sites or update themselves. All this must be handled properly and managed with a clear set of objectives that are achievable and realistic. We can design and build a website that looks fantastic but we can’t make old copy look new or magic up new visits if nothing has changed on a website.
Fortunately our customers are pretty good at doing this and have really embraced the features that come with our websites.
Let’s take one example Pippa Jameson Interiors.
www.pippajamesoninteriors.co.uk
This critically acclaimed WordPress blog has developed over the past 5 years into a trusted source for interiors trends in the UK and abroad. The website attracts on average 15,000 unique visitors a month. What’s her secret? Bloody hard work and great content regularly updated. It didn’t come easily at the start but over the years the site and Pippa have won numerous prizes.
The trick is to continue to evolve with your audience. Don’t be scared to try something new. Work on your tone of voice, practise writing, take photos and video. Connect with your customers and ask them to contribute and tell you what they are doing.
With the success of websites like this and continued development of systems like WordPress we hope to be able to continue offering our services and support to help setup many other SME’s or individuals with great ideas with their own websites for years to come.
If you would like to discuss your website and see how we can help then get in touch. Contact Stuart Edwards at getit@bythescruff.com
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