is your website up to speed?

@michaelflint

03.20.14

Welcome!

@michaelflint

03.20.14

Introduction

Michael Flint

Owner, Metropolis Creative in Boston

I have 3 kids

I like to brew beer and play hockey

@michaelflint

03.20.14

Website design is process-based

1. Branding and Discovery

2. Architecture

3. Design

4. Technical (coding)

5. SEO and Social

6. Review

@michaelflint

03.20.14

1. Branding and Discovery

All marketing materials tools work together.• Emails• Social channels• Printed materials• Your staff• Your office

@michaelflint

03.20.14

1. Branding and Discovery

• Brand rediscovery/definition• What are you really trying to do?• Define target audience(s) (prioritize them)• Define your messaging for each audience• What is your UVP?• Define your CTAs clearly (and prioritize)• Look at competitors• Define technical functionality• Lastly – what do you like visually?

@michaelflint

03.20.14

2. Architecture: Sitemap

@michaelflint

03.20.14

2. Architecture: Wireframe Sketches

@michaelflint

03.20.14

3. Design

• Set the Brand

• Clean design

• Clear messaging

• Clear calls-to-action

• Great photography

• Use color intentionally

@michaelflint

03.20.14

Before

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03.20.14

After

@michaelflint

03.20.14

Before

@michaelflint

03.20.14

After

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03.20.14

4. Development

• Involve the dev team from day one• Lead with the concept, not the solution• Discovery: include time to determine the best approach early• CMS / platforms to consider• Hosting: which host is right for you?• Other tools / plugins: why reinvent the wheel?• Responsive / mobile • Prototypes & Staging • Content entry: who and how? • Testing, and launch

@michaelflint

03.20.14

Published

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03.20.14

Admin

@michaelflint

03.20.14

5. SEO and Social

• Twitter, Facebook, and “more”• Blogs, RSS, commenting• Other social tools: Pinterest, Google Maps, Yelp

Social Engagement

• See my content: direct link to channel• Subscribe to my channel: like, follow, subscribe• Engage with me: retweet, comment

@michaelflint

03.20.14

5. SEO and Social

S.E.O: Search Engine Optimization

1. What does Google want? Google wants what you want

2. Keywords are key phrases, so use them:

• in context• consistently• repetitively• unique per page

@michaelflint

03.20.14

5. SEO and Social: Key phrases

S.E.O. Technical Notes

• Domain name• File names• Page titles• Headers• Page content (and alt-tags)• Meta description• Links (in and out) with keywords

@michaelflint

03.20.14

Thank you!