May 2017 MiMfg Magazine 19
Rescue Your Website Before It ’ s Too Late !
By Charlie Westra • Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center
Superheroes hold a special place in our culture . Whether you fall into the Batman camp or see Superman as the consummate crusader , these caped characters all have a distinct persona , carefully crafted around a position of strength and superiority . In the world of manufacturing , battling the forces of competition requires a similar strategy of building a powerful and positive image . Quite often , it starts with how a company appears online .
When your customers or prospects visit your website , what type of message are you sending ? Strong and capable , or outdated and irrelevant ? Can you imagine Spider-Man cruising around in a rusty old pick-up instead of swinging from skyscraper to skyscraper ? Now with that image in your head …
Here are five reasons why regularly upgrading your website is NOT optional . It ’ s my version of the Fantastic Four , plus one :
1 . VISUAL APPEAL – Captain America wouldn ’ t be as amazing without his shiny starred shield . In real life , your customers should be impressed when they visit your website . Are those images too small or too grainy to see any real detail ? Or do you have pages of text , but barely any compelling photos ? ( No , a picture of your building is not compelling .) Let visitors know you ’ re a progressive , modern company that invests in technology . Include eye-catching elements , images and videos that engage your audience .
2 . CONTENT – No one wants to watch an Avengers movie without thrilling action sequences , just like no one wants to visit a website with dull content . Ask yourself the following questions : Does your most recent case study feature a company that is no longer in business ? Did your social campaigns lose traction after a relative stopped posting for the company ? Does it seem that no one gave a second thought to editing and formatting ? If you answered “ yes ” to any of these questions , now is the time to act . Find something that will bring people back to your website . ( Think sequel !) Need
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Steps to Superhero Status
talent ? A careers section may be a good option . Have spare parts available ? Add a catalog to your site .
3 . SECURITY – You need armor . ( No special suit required . Promise !) Website security often is overlooked . On average , it can cost a business nearly $ 2,500 to repair after a security breach . You might think hackers aren ’ t concerned about a company like yours , right ? Wrong ! Injected malware can cause serious damage . At a minimum , find out which type of protection you have . If you don ’ t have any , make sure you have a back-up copy of your site and invest in an appropriate defense . It could save you thousands of dollars , and your online reputation . Consider an SSL certificate , to help safeguard any data transferred online .
4 . MOBILE COMPATIBILITY – Superheroes don ’ t just work in an office , and neither do your customers . Consider the importance of mobilefriendly sites . Importantly , Google now prioritizes mobile sites in search rankings . People will generally stay longer on sites that are easier to view and navigate on smaller screens . Why ? Because navigation buttons are easier to click , the text is clearer to read , plus scrolling and larger imagery are used .
5 . SEO – Did you perform well in search rankings optimized for a late ’ 90s audience — when Clooney was Batman ? Or worse yet ... Keaton ?
Are you fighting to show up on ( yawn ) page 13 ? Correct placement and designation of appropriate page-specific keywords is of the utmost importance . Crafting engaging and effective metadata titles and corresponding description tags takes time and skill . Don ’ t trust it to a fly-by-night company . ( Tony Stark would disapprove .)
The Ending ( It ’ s Really Just the Beginning )
Before the new Wonder Woman movie hits theaters , let ’ s clear up two common misconceptions . First , you don ’ t need a budget the size of a Hollywood blockbuster for your website to look incredible . Secondly , beware of the “ set it and forget it ” mentality . A website is supposed to be a living tool . It should evolve as you introduce products / services and integrate new capabilities and technology .
Don ’ t settle for a website that is just “ good enough .” Strive for stardom . After all , an effective web presence is one real-life super power that any business can achieve . 6
Charlie Westra is the growth services program manager for The Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center . He may be reached at cwestra @ the-center . org .
Since 1991 , the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center has assisted Michigan ’ s small and mediumsized businesses to successfully compete and grow . Learn more : www . the-center . org .