There’s a good chance that you know your website is a huge marketing asset for your business. However, there’s also a good chance that your website is — how shall we say this — a bit neglected. It takes a lot of effort to strategize, write, design, and maintain a website for your business. And when you’re head down trying to grow your presence and be visible in other ways for your business, your website is often the very first thing to get neglected.
I get it. It’s normal.
But it doesn’t have to bog you down any longer.
In fact, here are four episodes of Talk Copy to Me that can help you understand the role a website plays in attracting and converting leads, how to determine when the right time for a website update is, what you need to do throughout your website, as well as what website “rules” are meant to be broken.
Let’s dive in.
1. Do I Need a Website for My Business?
🎧 Listen in and read the full episode show notes about why a business website is vital here
Do I really need a website?
It’s a question that so many of my leads or even colleagues have asked me in some form throughout the years. And I understand why. Maintaining a website takes effort, especially as the copy needs to be updated as your business grows and your message changes. And business owners are busy people pulled in so many different directions. They’re looking for one less thing to worry about.
However, regardless of the effort it may take to maintain a website, the bottom line is that it doesn’t matter what year it is, what new social media channel gets launched, or how well you can sell your products in person. If you run a business, you also need a website.
This solo Talk Copy to Me episode breaks down the importance of creating a digital stomping ground for your business and discusses whether rebranding could be the right move for your business, as well as how you can approach your very first business website.
Key Takeaways:
- Having a website for your business is vital, regardless of the rest of the marketing you may do to promote your brand
- Learn how new service providers, startup founders or business owners can approach creating their first website
- Understand how businesses who currently have a website can determine whether it’s time to rebrand and how much gets changed on their website
2. How to Make the Best Website Investment with Katie O’Brien
🎧 Listen in and read the full episode show notes about making a smart website investment here
How do you know when it’s time to update your website? Or similarly, does the dilemma of whether to DIY your website or hire professionals keep you up at night?
It’s very important to me that all of my full done-for-you website copy clients are truly prepared to invest in their website before I take on their project. Why? Well, the first answer is that a website investment can be a big financial commitment. If you’re hiring the work out, you’re paying a significant amount of money to both a website copywriter and a website designer. And because I try to make the most strategic financial decisions for my business. I want you to be able to as well.
But it’s not just a financial commitment that you need to consider. Working on a big project like this also requires a time investment as it’s not something that can get completed in a day (no matter what anyone tells you!). And what doesn’t get talked about often enough is both the business audit and the mindset shifts that go into a full website investment.
But Katie O’Brien and I will cover all that (and more) in this episode.
Key Takeaways:
- What comes first: Copy or design? (And how they influence each other in regard to user experience)
- Whether to DIY the work yourself or hire a website copywriter and designer for a new site launch or a website rebrand
- Timeline and project scope considerations to ensure you’re making the best website investment
A bit more about the guest expert for this episode:
Katie O’Brien is an experience website designer and also one of my closest friends in this big bad business world. We’ve known each other since 2016 and I will be forever grateful for the impact she’s had on me personally and professionally. I’ll always cheer on people that I admire in the business world, but Katie deserves one of my absolute highest recommendations.
3. The 4 Buying Journey Questions Your Website Must Answer with Lorraine Ball
🎧 Listen in and read the full episode show notes about the questions your website should answer
To rank high in the big ol’ world of the internet and convert viewers into buyers, your website must be equipped to answer your leads’ questions without them even needing to consciously think through those questions as they view your site.
Talk about a lot of pressure, amiright?
It’s as if you need to be a mind reader to know what your audience is wondering about and then supply that information at the very right time in their buying journey. Yikes.
Here’s the deal: there are a few key things all website visitors have in mind when they’re reviewing a business website. In this episode, Lorraine Ball and I will talk about what those things are so you can make sure your website is doing the work it should be.
Key Takeaways:
- How people search for answers to their needs, problems, or desires on a business website
- Where the answers to transaction-related questions belong on your website
- How to search your own website to determine the type of questions your leads may have
A bit more about the guest expert for this episode:
In this episode, Lorraine Ball lays down a roadmap to help you understand your clients’ buying journey as it relates to those precious pages on your website. Calling on all her experience as a marketer, she stresses the importance of good website design, SEO, and the use of reviews, testimonials, and case studies for buying decisions. But I promise that description doesn’t do her introduction justice. Lorraine is a wealth of knowledge so go listen now, and you’ll understand for yourself.
4. Set Your Own Website Rules with Teresa Schlup
🎧 Listen in and read the full episode show notes about breaking the rules on your website
I love being a copywriter who gets to work with individuals all over the globe because of the internet.
What I don’t love is when people in this online business world like to spout suggestions, or even best practices, as if they were hard-and-fast rules that everyone must follow.
Here’s the thing friend. I don’t care if this is the only thing you ever learn from me. Because it’s certainly one of the most important things I try to teach people.
There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to marketing your business.
None.
There are so many things that are dependent on another. And the intricacies of your business are not necessarily the same as the intricacies of another business. Which means the only true answer to your marketing questions is: “it depends!”
So imagine my joy when Teresa Schlup joined me on the Talk Copy to Me podcast to discuss your website being a place where you get to make the rules. In this episode, we cover topics such as deciding the pages to include on your website, the benefits of competitor research, the importance of a unique selling proposition (USP), and much more.
Key Takeaways:
- How competitor research could help you understand how to better showcase your own USP
- Whether or not blogging is the right addition to your SEO marketing and website strategy
- Why knowing your customer will help you determine the best approach for your business website
A bit more about the guest expert for this episode:
Teresa Schlup knows her way around a website. Not only is she personally a rule breaker — in the best way possible — but she also is a website designer for both WordPress and Squarespace. Having the knowledge on how to design for both website platforms helps her know exactly what individuals need when it comes to designing their business website.
Not sure where to start?
It doesn’t matter where you begin! These episodes are full of information that can change the way you think about, manage, and update your business website. They can guide you on everything from the initial “Do I need a website?” question to the detailed nuances of creating compelling content and structuring your site in a user-friendly way that helps your website viewer feel like they really like your business and are excited to work with you or buy from you.
By listening to these episodes, you can make sure your business website isn’t just a mere digital address that never gets visited, but instead that it’s a powerful tool that may possibly drive your business to new heights.
The added benefit? Improving your website isn’t just for the personal benefit you’ll get if your business grows. It helps your leads and clients too! You’re giving your potential customers an easy-to-navigate and engaging experience that answers their queries, establishes trust, and ultimately propels them closer to making a purchasing decision. Win, win, win.
Remember, the online world is evolving continuously and rapidly. So, bookmark and revisit these episodes whenever you need a refresh on strategizing your website or when gearing up for a website overhaul.
If you’re interested in more episodes like this, check out the Talk Copy to Me series that focuses on website pages and the series about website audits and edits.
