“We have had more activity in 24 hours than our static website saw in 6 months!”

That delighted comment by Mary Georgiev, Creative Director of Imagine Creative, was prompted by visitor response to the ‘blog’ that is now the interactive heart of Imagine Creative’s new website.

But what prompted the radical redesign?

“We’re constantly asked by our clients to cast a fresh eye over their marketing and advertising activities – including their online presence explains Mary – and, because we’re always looking for new ways to improve our customer relationships, it made sense for us to run what we do through the same tests.”

“When we took the time to objectively reassess all of our marketing communications, we realised – based on responses and leads generated, that the least effective piece of communication was our website.

Truth be known, the static website hadn’t been updated in 4 years – so, once people visited and got all the information they needed, there really was no incentive for them to return.”

From static website to interactive blog
The creative evolution from static website to interactive blog, provides valuable insights that could be priceless when working with clients.

Static websites reflect the early character of the Internet, when corporate communication was more focussed on pushing information out rather than actively encouraging interaction and feedback with visitors.

The rise of social media like Facebook and Twitter has changed the way people now interact on websites. More importantly, it has also raised the bar for what people expect from a corporate website.

“Our new ‘blog’ interface allows us to update content more easily, and regularly,” says Mary. “We can now link more easily to social networking websites like Facebook, Twitter and Linked In. This gives us greater exposure, and we have greater opportunities for discussion and work”.

“Take something as simple as reposting all previous articles (from our earlier electronic newsletters) in one place, on the new blog. The spike in response after just 24 hours was a real eye opener!  The new interface means we can now link all these articles to key social and professional media networks – instantly raising our profile and exposing the business to a wider audience. It gives Imagine Creative a louder voice and more credibility within the industry.

Leveraging Google Analytics
‘Googling’ for information on the web is almost a reflex response. And with the flood of information that can be returned in a search, ranking as high as you can on a search page, is crucial.

While there are many factors that can affect your search result rankings, two of the most important are: refreshing your web content regularly, and maximising its usefulness and relevance to visitors.

As Mary explains: “The new system is crucial in helping us rank higher in Google analytics and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).”

“We have greater control over what people see. And their comments or responses give us a better insight into which content interests them most. This, in turn, means we can customise our articles to better suit our readers.”

The beauty of the new site from a practical and operational standpoint, is its enhanced cost-effectiveness: “From a build perspective, our investment was minimal,” explains Mary. And keeping people in the loop is now easier and more cost-effective than ever. We can instantly update case studies and examples of what we do, feature articles on things we find relevant and provide insights into industry trends that our clients (and prospects) find of value.”

From a bottom line point of view, spending huge amounts of money to create a ‘static’ website that no one comes to visit – or visits once, never to return again just doesn’t make great marketing sense.

Staying relevant with an online presence that keeps visitors returning and wanting more will expose your business to opportunities that may not have been available before. We know, because it’s working for us…

Enhance your customer relationships and online presence.
Call Imagine Creative on: 1300 139 398 or visit: www.imaginecreative.com.au