Let me guess. You’re in the process of getting your internet based business up and running and you’re thinking to yourself, “I don’t need the high-priced assistance of a professional website consulting agency. I can easily get by without them.” Ahem – wrong. If there’s one thing I can tell you today that will help you further your business’s online presence, then it’s to STOP thinking like that – now.

In my eyes, and I’m sure many of you out there that are reading this will agree with my next statement – using a professional website consulting agency will do wonders for your online business. Now, the skeptics out there might think I’m just saying this because I work for a web design agency. And you’d be right.

I’ve seen too many instances of companies ignoring the guidance and advice of a website consulting agency, only for them to realize the mistake 6 months later when their website isn’t cutting it. Honestly, if I had a penny (well, not a Canadian penny since Canada stopped using pennies, so it’ll have to be an English penny), for seeing this same occurrence happening time and time again, then I wouldn’t necessarily be swimming in a pool of coins like Scrooge McDuck. But, I’d be happy knowing that what we say and what we know is correct.

So with that in mind, what does a website consulting agency do? Well, lucky for you I’m about to share several things – secrets, if you will – regarding what a web design agency does and how it will help make your online adventure a recipe for success!

Create a Unique and Professional Looking Website

Yes, there are software programs and templates available that you can use to help you design your own website, but just because they exist, it doesn’t mean they’re going to be a good match for you. More often than not, the final result looks amateurish and generic. Therefore, making arrangements to have a website consulting agency design the website for you benefits you in many, many ways, including:

• The website will have a polished look that instantly makes visitors trust your services.
• Everything is uniquely designed and perfectly reflects your company’s personality.
• You know that all the images and content has been legally obtained, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally misusing someone else’s intellectual property.
• The website will be designed to direct traffic flow.
• When your website needs to be updated, the website consulting agency handle the changes smoothly, minimizing the disruption.

Don’t assume that having a website consulting agency design your website means that you’re giving up control over that aspect of your web based business. Before the website, or any changes go live, you will have a chance to look over the project. If you don’t like something, the agency will start over and keep tweaking the design until you’re happy.

The Content is Fresh, Optimized, and Top Quality

Creating a great looking website is not the answer to everything. Yes, it helps, but there’s another aspect to the website that is often overlooked.

In order for your web based business to be successful, you have to constantly create content and work on your SEO (search engine optimization). These days, being highly ranked means that not only do you have to start out with great content, but the information posted on your website needs to updated frequently. Making these changes can be time consuming and doing it yourself could mean that you let other aspects of your business fail.

However, a website consulting agency is usually the perfect solution. They already know all the tricks and secrets needed to make sure search engines LOVE your website and they have the resources needed to quickly create top quality content. Not only will they keep the content on your website fresh and interesting, but they’ll also create the right back links and post informative articles on behalf of you.

The various types of marketing a great website consulting agency provides, includes:

• Email Newsletters
• Blogs
• Video Marketing
• Social Media Marketing

Going Mobile

The number of people who actually use a real computer seems to be shrinking, and that’s a fact. These days a majority of the general public prefers the convenience of smartphones and tablets when they surf the web. If you don’t have a mobile version of your website, or incorporate the use of “responsive design” (a relatively new technology which makes the design and content of your website adapt to the screen size it is being viewed on), mark my words – you will definitely lose a portion of your potential customers.

By offering your audience an easy-to-use, great looking, and engaging website you are making a statement that you mean business. And, if you go one step further and give them a mobile version or responsive design, then your audience will love you for it. Why? Because at the end of the day, no matter what, your website isn’t designed for you. It’s made for your audience. And if you prove to them that you are being considerate of their wants and needs, then they’ll be a fan of your business for a very, very long time.

However, at the opposite end of the spectrum; if you do decide to go down that long, dark, and dangerous road that are free and generic “that will do for now” templates, then I wish you all the best. And, I’ll be here waiting for your call in 6 months.