It’s a mystery to most small business owners: “What does a good website cost, and more importantly, what is it worth to my business?” While we at CLC love all the forms of marketing communications that we produce, we recommend that websites are the primary investment. Why? Because a well-planned and well-maintained website can connect and convince in a cost-effective way.  

Marketing images are effective communication because 90% of the information that the human brain processes is visual. But when consumers are awash in a sea of competing images, it’s a challenge to stand out. The concept of branding grew as marketers began to capitalize on the psychology of familiarity— humans gravitate towards what they know. Unfortunately for small marketing budgets, it takes 12-20 repetitions to create that familiarity. When those touches are made through traditional channels like direct mail, the costs add up quickly.

While most organizations now know that trying to be successful without a website is pure folly, they don’t always consider how that website can contribute to the necessary repetition of branding. Even a mostly static site will be consulted multiple times if it contains easy-to-access information that’s important to the target audience. If you want to get even more visits, kick it up a notch—by becoming a source of fresh information, making sure the site is accessible to people on whatever device they have handy, and making sure the experience is pleasurable. Attention to UX, both macro and micro, matters as much as the content. When a website is deep or multi-faceted and offers different levels of engagement, it gives visitors a reason to return. It delivers the multiple impressions necessary to build your brand.

As you connect, connect, connect, and connect again, you have many opportunities to convince. The relationship that your website builds will hopefully be the last non-human interaction between you and your potential customer, so be sure to make the most of this cost-effective member of your marketing team. Invest, assess, and adjust. And call us if you need a little help getting started or along the way.