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It’s Only Common Sense: It’s Your Website, So Own It

Please don’t believe that all website experts can tell your story. They can’t. Yes, they know all about developing intuitive or easy-to-navigate sites, and you’re smart to follow your web designer’s expert advice on, say, color tone and graphics. But that’s as far as it goes. They are technicians or IT experts, not necessarily marketing people who should be overseeing your company’s branding and storytelling.

I suggest that when these IT experts start telling you how to share your own story, nudge them firmly back into their tech lane. Think about the IT folks you know personally. Do you want them anywhere near your marketing, branding, or storytelling? Sure, listen to their strong opinions about what your site looks like, but if they give you their opinion about how to tell a story, think twice.

Your story is your story. Only you can tell it—well, perhaps with help from professional marketers who are well versed in storytelling and branding.

No offense to IT folks or web designers. What they do is very important, even critical to providing a platform or venue for good storytelling. But they themselves are not experts in storytelling or branding.  That’s usually not what they’re good at. Storytelling is a completely different skill set, something you may not have either.

Your website is the face of your company. It’s where people go to learn more about your company. The purpose of all your marketing, social media, content creation, and messaging is to drive current and potential customers to your website. So it’s vital to present the best possible site—one that’s a true, accurate, attractive, clear, and precise representation of your company. Think of your site as a snapshot or public image representing who you really are. Why wouldn’t you display your company in the best light possible?

If your site looks like a distant relative designed it as a family favor, that’s on you. Remember, your site is a reflection of your company, so be sure that your customers and potential customers know your story—know exactly who you are—and aren’t just dazzled by your site’s design and easy navigation. Without a clear company story, all that time, money, and effort you expend on marketing to drive people to your site will be wasted.

I implore you, when it’s time to develop your website, come to the table with your story—namely, a clear understanding of who you are, what you stand for, and what you can do for your customers.

Your website should be a welcoming place. Think of it as a meeting place where people who are interested in doing business with you come, visit, and look around to see if you and your company are the type they want to do business with. Your site should be warm and interesting. It should feature ideas and information that will convince new and returning customers to do business with you.

Your site should feature:

• New and helpful information through FAQs, including your company’s story, capabilities, qualifications, and specifications.
• Success stories.
• Referrals and references.
• Tips, tools, and useful advice.
• Icons that link to your social media. Please keep this updated. There’s nothing sadder than going to your “what’s new” page and there’s nothing new.
• Links to other published content.
• Most importantly, your team and their contact information. Feature photos and bios of your key people, especially your experts and those who make your company special,  from customer service people to technical experts. They should all be there. Present them in a friendly, open way so that your customers will feel comfortable reaching out to them with questions about products.

When building a new website, make sure you have constant access to it. You should be able to make changes and additions whenever you want, without having to involve the website developer.

In the end, it’s your website. You paid for it. It should reflect your company in the best, most accurate light. Always remember that you, not your website developer, controls it.

It’s only common sense.

Dan Beaulieu is president of D.B. Marketing Group.