There is no better or more cost-effective way to market your Association to potential or existing Members than through the use of the internet. The key to having and building an online presence is to drive people to a central space or hub; this is your website. However, it isn’t just having a website, it’s developing the RIGHT website. That is why we have compiled seven reasons as to why you might need a new website:
2016 was a historic year as mobile traffic outweighed that of desktop traffic with regard to total web visits. In simple terms, this means that there were more people visiting websites from a mobile device than using a computer. So, with that being said, if your website does not adjust content to fit different mobile devices, you could be losing over 50% of your traffic. At HMCA Online, all of our website packages include a free mobile responsive, user-friendly design.
Research has shown that people would rather read something with an attractive design opposed to something that is basic and outdated. Having an attractive design can be a decisive factor for people in judging the credibility of your website. First impressions count; amateur websites may be deemed by modern searchers as unprofessional, and could cause them to abandon your page. That is why our in-house designers use their experience to build unique, beautiful websites that are dynamic and eye catching.
It is very likely that if your website content is taking too long to load, many people will have left your site. Almost 50% of users expect a site to load in two seconds or less, and will leave if it takes more than three seconds. Additionally, aside from users, Google has also advised that it includes load time in its search engine rankings. In turn, this means a slow website will not only result in frustrated searchers, but also a low search engine ranking. This is why at HMCA Online, we use high-performance hosting to increase your search rankings and drive traffic to your site.
An attractive website is all well and good. However, it will all be for nothing if it isn’t ranking well and showing up on search engines. There are a number of different factors which can affect how well your website ranks within Google search. For example, usability, relevance and, as mentioned previously, load time are three key aspects that Google consider when evaluating how helpful and reliable your website is. Our designers use SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) when creating your website to increase its visibility and improve the quality and quantity of traffic driven to it.
Social media is a massive part of today’s society. It allows organisations to reach out and gain exposure, traffic and marketing insights. Furthermore, it also provides you with the opportunity to grow relationships with your target audience. A website should be the central base for sharing this kind of social activity, and, therefore, without doubt, should have social media integrated as part of it. If you already have social media profiles, HMCA Online provides the option to prominently link them to every page of your new website.
In previous times, websites would tend to be more static. Content would remain unchanged and managers overseeing their sites would rarely update any information. However, these days, the importance of maintaining and updating content is paramount to gaining and retaining traffic. The easiest way to add, edit and update content is through the use of a CMS (Content Management System). These systems give you total control over your content and your users’ experience. If your website does not have a CMS in place, it needs to. All HMCA Online websites are created using a CMS, which allows us, or you, to make updates or changes to content whenever needs be.
Consistency is key when it comes to presenting your brand image or identity. It is important to prevent the appearance of disorganisation and confusion by ensuring that fonts, colours, logos and images are all maintained. Inconsistency may be due to re-branding, or the fact you’ve had different people working on your website in the past. Our in-house designers work directly with you and are dedicated to maximising the corporate identity of your website.
