In this wild time where we are all reevaluating our businesses and what really matters, we thought it was time to rally the troops and bring you some helpful information – the secret sauce for an exceptional website. Here are some honest thoughts and advice from several of the great people we work with on Switchback Creative projects. Some is advice directly from us and our team, while some is from the freelancers we have the pleasure to work with on a project by project basis.

In this post we are focused on our best website advice in a few key areas.

Why focus on website development? In the coming months and years, we predict we will see everyone coming online in some form, – especially those who were not occupying meaningful digital space before the onset of Covid-19.. A good web presence has long been critical to a successful business – but ‘good’ isn’t good enough anymore. We are all going to be more discerning on who we work with and where we spend our time and money going forward.

A templated website approach is fine for a lot of businesses but if you are looking to deliver next-level quality experience to your website users and stand out and above competitors and new sectors then a high quality, custom website built with creatives, developers, and strategists is the way to go.

We have a lot of great content here so we broke it into 2 posts. Stay tuned for part two of the Q and A.

Question 1:

Why does exceptional design, writing, photography, custom code and clear strategy matter when developing a website for your business?

From a copywriter

“More than anything, exceptional writing in marketing comes with having a clearly defined strategy. SO – a clear strategy, including a well-developed brand voice, is what matters when developing a new website for your business. In identifying key pieces for your website (e.g. purpose of page, key audience of page, key messages required to support the PURPOSE of the page, clearly defined actions and engagement, etc.) the actual content (the text and backend SEO meta tags) will trigger the right action you want from the reader.

Further more a strategy:

• – Gives you clarity on why you require a website in the first place (“because that’s what I need to do” is not a good enough reason)
• – Provides clarity on what will be on the website and, more importantly, WHY it’s there
• – Allows for content that will connect and engage with YOUR audience, encouraging them to ACT
• – Often acts as the base upon which all other marketing is developed. If the website does not have a proper strategy behind it, you decrease the likelihood of other marketing materials being successful in connecting and creating action in your audience
• – Ties your website into your larger business goals, helping you to meet your goals with intention and purpose!!” – Lindsay Harle-Kadatz, Copywriter, The Write Harle

From a web developer

“Exceptional design and code matters because your brand, meaning your website in this case, is going to be the first thing potential customers are going to see and initially judge your business on. Having your brand customized to your exact needs, not templated out to look like what everyone else is using, will help your brand stand out from your competition. People are going to check out your website before they do business with you. You want to make sure everything is on point with how your look and feel should be. I think working with custom design and code will help make sure this happens.” – Trevor Rounce, Full Stack Developer, Switchback Creative

From a designer

“The better the core elements we can get from a client, the better our ability to work with them to develop things such as writing, strategy and photography. It means we can add more depth and texture to the website as we work with the design. All of these elements come together to create that connection between the business and the client – essentially the more substance we have to work with, the more dynamic and stronger the product is in the end.” – Jordana Clark, Graphic Designer, Switchback Creative

From a photographer

“Having a strong online presence is important for any business. In today’s fast paced world, we only have a couple seconds to grab the attention of customers; to make that first impression. Photos are often the first thing that people notice when they’re on your site. Are your photos a true reflection of the professional that you are? Are they telling the story of your business? Do they make you stand out from the crowd? Professional photos on your website help to ensure that your brand and your message are clearly communicated.” – Kate, Photographer, Kate Daniel Photography

From a strategist

“Clear strategy maintains your brand – that means how your business looks, feels, talks, acts. Everything on your website needs to flow from that strategy in order to deliver a clear and compelling story that others want to be a part of. Getting very clear from the onset of a project (like a new website) is critical for many reasons. The project itself will flow organically once all people involved have a united, clear direction to follow. Your clear strategy ensures that when your clients are interacting with your website things feel natural and that they are experiencing the brand as it should be – clear and consistent.” – Alanna Maria, Strategist, Love from Maria

From a designer

“Exceptional design matters so much in a new website if you are looking to elevate your business profile because it means you can help potential clients move through your information exactly how they need to. The user experience is built around what you do best and how you work. You aren’t spending time trying to fit what you do into someone else’s generic design and causing confusion. You are able to get to the point, showcase your core business and entice them to act and learn more about you.” – Suzy Rounce, Creative Director, Switchback Creative

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Stay tuned for part two up next.

Thank you to the great people we get to work with for their contribution to this content. These people know what they are doing and have created amazing things with our great clients over the years.