Crafting a first-class website

Having spent many months and countless hours working on my website redesign (launched last week), last month’s DesignCast titled “Marketing Smart Websites” couldn’t have come at a better time. The first in the Creative Freelancer Marketing Bootcamp Series, this webinar led by Ilise Benun of Marketing Mentor was chock-full of practical advice for creating a marketing-driven website. Some tidbits from the webinar that were useful for me:

• Show your website to clients/prospects and ask for feedback: see what is important to them – I shared my new site with several clients and friends and found their feedback very useful
• Write content that is focused and brief, highlighting your experience and expertise
• Show samples of the type of projects that you want more of
• Make sure the site reflects your overall position and strengths
• Share client testimonials
• Show a human side: videos, links to social media

Between the knowledge shared in the webinar and my own experiences, I had several ‘aha moments’ that allowed me to work more efficiently on my website redesign. I realized that a great website is well-thought out and planned—not to mention a constant work-in-progress: content must be assessed and updated regularly, design samples updated, new links and resources added. I feel better equipped now to move forward with my new website!