In today’s digital business climate, your website is your most important and powerful marketing tool, hands down.
In order to successfully carry out any marketing strategy, you must have a dynamite website. Why? Your website is what attracts visitors and informs them about how your company can provide what they want and need.
This is probably not news to you. If your website hasn’t changed in a few several years or more (and you’re reading this article!), you may realize it’s time for a re-do.
Here’s the part that you may not be aware of.
To be effective, all websites must be responsive for mobile devices, well-optimized for search engines, and built in a content management system (CMS) platform. Beyond those prerequisites, there are two distinctly different types to consider. You can decide to build your website as a branding website or as a lead generation website.
Keep reading to find out the differences between the two, and how to decide which type of website is best for your company.
Branding Websites
Branding websites are sometimes called “brochure” websites. They are built simply to tell visitors all about your company: what you do, who you are, how you can help prospective customers, the solutions you provide, etc. Branding websites show your viability, convey messages to visitors about your brand and provide fundamental information about your organization.
Sound familiar? This is probably the type of website you currently have.
Lead Generation Websites
Lead generation (or high performance) websites are quite different from branding websites. These websites are designed and built based on your buyers needs, wants and search habits.
Lead generation websites attract the people who are searching for what you offer by providing answers to their questions and solutions to their problems.
So how do you choose which website will be most effective for your company? First and foremost, your choice should be based on your company’s goals and objectives.
When to Choose a Branding Website
Branding websites should not necessarily be written off as the “old school” website choice. Branding websites can be exciting and should even include some educational content.
There are several situations in which a brochure website is the better choice. For instance, if your company is a startup, and you’re still trying to build an audience and determine your target audience, you should choose a branding website. Similarly, if you do not have the time or resources required to launch a lead generation site and develop ongoing marketing campaigns, a branding website is the better choice.
When to Choose a Lead Generation Website
Lead generation websites require ongoing search engine optimization that includes consistent content development in the form of blogs and offers.
These sites provide additional content and functionality beyond that of a branding website, in the form of blog posts, content assets, and other types of resources. By offering visitors free content in exchange for their contact information, you’ll be able to take the next step in leading these visitors through the buying process.
If your company’s goals involve generating new business leads, growing your company’s visibility, or increasing your ROI, you should consider choosing a lead generation website. You might also choose this type of site if you have expertise that will establish your company as a thought leader in your industry, or if you want to expand to a new market.
One important thing to know, however, is that lead generation websites usually involve a 20% to 50% higher cost than branding websites. Even after the launch of the new site, you’ll need additional resources for ongoing SEO and content creation.
So before you make any decisions, make sure you budget properly.
Ask the Experts
Armed with this new information, you’ve probably got questions:
~How do I create a new website that’s aligned with my marketing strategy?
~What kind of resources are needed to develop and maintain a lead generation website?
~How do I know what kind of content will attract the visitors I want?
Now is the time to reach out to the experts to learn more about how to reach your goals with your website.
Digital marketing firms like Hello Marketing Agency can help your company develop marketing goals and design a marketing strategy that includes the right website for your company’s needs. And we’ll provide the expertise and resources to execute efficiently and achieve results.
To learn more, read about how Hello Marketing Agency did just that for a company that’s probably a lot like you:
