Long-time Sanctuary Client: Seal Master Corporation
Web Design Services
Your website is one of your greatest assets in digital marketing.
Your website is where people can find information on your products or services, but it's also something you can leverage to turn those visitors into loyal customers and grow your business. Your website is your #1 marketing channel.
While web design may sound like the focus is on looks, it's really about creating a resource that connects with your key audience, provides them with helpful content to explore and move them through their customer journey, and gives them something to take action on.
Simply put-if your website is not attracting, engaging and delighting your customers, it's not working. But why isn't it working, and what needs to happen to make it successful?
Hint: The culprit is not always design (i.e. how it looks), but rather the content or even the functionality and how easy it is to navigate. If it doesn't work for your visitors, then it definitely won't work to achieve your goals.
Top reasons for a visitor to leave a website
SOURCE: GoodFirms.com
Slow Loading
Non-Responsive
Bad Navigation
Outdated Design
Poor Content
Obtrusive Use of Audio/Video
Beyond the visual aspect of a website (which is important, don't get us wrong), it must also be secure, function well, be easy and intuitive to navigate, load efficiently, give users the helpul info they're looking for, work on mobile devices, give users plenty of chances to take action, and give off a good first impression of your company/brand.
If that sounds like a lot of pressure to put on your website, it is! It truly does provide the foundation for all digital endeavors. But that's why we go through our very detailed and extensive discovery and planning process up front. Learn more about our unique process below.
Web design is a process. Explore ours!
Discovery: To see what's working in your industry
Your website isn't "set" once you've launched it. While it will naturally attract visitors from organic search, it won't convert much without a holistic digital marketing strategy to go with it. But before we can put together a plan for your new website and (ideally) subsequent marketing efforts, our team takes time to do extensive research and assessment of your current website and results. This helps us form a clear picture of how we can make this new website successful for you based on your unique goals and key performance indicators (KPIs).
We perform a site audit, keyphrase research, technology and development research, Google Analytics deep dive, competitor analysis and more and then reach a consensus as a team on how to move forward.
Planning: To deliver on your KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)
Once our definition phase is complete, we'll present our research and findings to you along with our recommendations for your new website. With your input, our strategists will create a revamped sitemap with proposed navigation updates and a clear picture of all pages that will exist on your site.
Our strategy, content, design and development specialists collaborate to come up with a plan to successfully execute our recommendations. Read more on our website process here.
89% of consumers shop with a competitor after a poor user experience.
Source: WebFX
Grow your business with holistic web design, marketing and support services.
WEBSITE DESIGN
We design websites that get results.
Design isn't just about looks, it's about creating visual appeal that's easy to navigate and entices users to take action.
Having the right website that's designed with your target audience in mind will allow you to:
- Grow your digital presence.
- Make taking action a no-brainer for site visitors.
- Bring in more leads and conversions.
- Build trust with a professional website that represents your brand.
At Sanctuary, we focus on responsive, UX design that gets results.
Effective UX website design comes down to three main things:
Usability
UX design is a process that improves the overall experience for website users. This is where strategy and design come together to ensure that your unique goals are achieved. We ensure that your visitors have no issues navigating your site and finding the help and information that they need. to solve their unique problems.
Accessibility
When you restrict certain people from being able to access and navigate your website, you're tarnishing your brand and taking leads off the table. UX design accounts for website accessibility, which ensures that people of all abilities can navigate, understand and interact with your site.
Efficiency
The key to a website that not only looks great but functions well is having design and development teams that work well together. A designer could come up with the most striking, impressionable website design, but if developers can't code it in a way that keeps the site fast and efficient, it won't be successful.
94% of first impressions relate to your site's web design.
Source: WebFX
Website Development
A striking design isn't enough.
Our development team takes your unique, custom design and content and turns it into a functional, user-friendly website that looks great on all popular mobile devices and computer platforms.
With roughly 4.6 billion users online, there's no better reason to get your business online. But in order to create and maintain a valuable web presence, you need a knowledgeable development team to present your website to the world.
Partner with Sanctuary to:
- Properly code and present your content
- Add required functionality to your website
- Make your website load quickly
- Manage and maintain your website
Decreasing mobile site load times by just one tenth of a second resulted in major increases in conversion rates - specifically, 8.4% for retail sites and 10.1% for travel sites.
Source: HubSpot
E-Commerce
We plan, design, customize, secure and market your digital storefront. We ensure that you can be found online, and the online purchasing process is simple and trusted for your customers.
We cover your bases and more with all the must-haves of a successful e-commerce website.
Secure Payment
When credit card information is involved, a secure platform is imperative to keeping your customers protected. We have experience setting up secure payment gateways and protecting passwords and other critical information so you don't have to worry. We can even help you to take security to the next level with hands-on, ongoing vulnerability scanning and monitoring on a monthly basis.
Easy Order Management
After the launch of any new website, our team offers our clients one or more training sessions to ensure that they're able to make necessary updates to their site, such as adding products, adjusting prices, or accessing return or refund information. Your website will streamline order management so that anyone can do it-not just someone with a technology background. After all, it's your store; you should be able to easily manage it!
Scalable for Future Growth
Need an e-commerce website to boost online sales? We have years of experience working with WordPress E-Commerce. The best part is that you can start off with a small online store and add more products and features over time when you're ready to expand. Having the right partner to support you makes it easy.
Compatible with Mobile Devices
Nearly 73% of all online purchases are made from a mobile device, making responsive website design and development vital to your overall success. Every single one of the websites we create is responsive because we know your customers want versatility in how they can access your website. On-the-go shopping capabilities mean more opportunities to make a sale!
SEO-Focused
WordPress websites tend to rank higher than others, and it's no coincidence! WordPress is an open-source software platform that use semantic markup and are written with high-quality code. In plain terms, WordPress websites are clearly organized and easy for search engines like Google to index and understand.
WordPress
We're specialists.
In order for your site to get crawled correctly by search engines and rank for organic search, you have to have a very smart, intentionally built website. At Sanctuary, we believe WordPress is the best CMS to help you do just that. Our team has been working with WordPress for decades at this point and there is no better choice.
Google favors WordPress as one of the best CMSs you can choose because of its focus on SEO, conversions, usability, and security.
First things first-what is a CMS?
A CMS, or content management system, is a software platform on which users can build, edit and manage a website without having to code it or needing extensive programming experience. WordPress is a CMS that gives you full control and ownership of your website and is extremely user-friendly.
WordPress is all this and more:
Conversion-focused.
WordPress is developed to help you succeed online. From the simple, user-friendly and mobile-friendly themes available to help customers easily find what they need, to the countless plugins available to add new features and functionality to your website, WordPress is the ideal CMS that can grow alongside your business.
SEO-focused.
WordPress websites tend to rank higher than others, and it's no coincidence! WordPress is open-source software written with high-quality code and it uses semantic markup. In plain terms, WordPress websites are clearly organized and easy for search engines like Google to index and understand.
Secure.
WordPress is developed with security in mind, and our development experts can implement additional security measures to ensure you and your customers' data is protected. We always use best practices when selecting plugins, and provide ongoing software updates to help keep your data secure and hackers out.
Easy to manage.
After the launch of any new website, our development team offers our clients one or more training sessions to ensure that they're able to make necessary updates to their content. The WordPress dashboard is straightforward and easy to use for anyone, not just those with a background in coding.
Versatile.
WordPress is known for its vast selection of plugins and themes that can help you customize the look and functionality of your website. Need an e-commerce website to boost online sales? We have years of experience working with the popular WooCommerce plugin that's ideal for online merchants both small and large using WordPress.
Widely used and supported.
Our developers have been building WordPress websites for over a decade, so we have the tactical experience needed to overcome nearly any challenge. Plus, there are countless forums out there that offer guidance from experienced coders and developers, unlike some of the rarely used CMS's that only a handful of companies know how to work with.
Download Our Free White Paper
Leverage WordPress to Grow Your Business: A Guide to Optimizing Your WordPress Website for Conversions
Whether you've had your site for years now and you know it needs a major overhaul, or you've recently invested in a new site, you can benefit from making the switch to WordPress and carrying out a web strategy to get more conversions and leads. This white paper will explore why WordPress is a top choice for growing your business, and we'll guide you through how you can leverage it to get better results.
Hosting
Dedicated hosting is absolutely the best choice for a business that wants to take its website seriously. You want your site to be as fast as possible and be reliable for your customers, which means you need a dedicated, experienced technical support team to monitor and support your website.
A strategically designed and developed website should always be paired with reliable hosting, and we can provide you with both. Ongoing hosting and support from Sanctuary will ensure that your website is always available, updated and secure.
You can get hosting anywhere. But if you want an experienced, dedicated partner, contact us today!
Ongoing Marketing
Once you have a solid website, you're ready to market it. Get the most out of your new website with a comprehensive, ongoing digital marketing plan.
The range of digital marketing tactics, what we do, and what it will cost varies for each of our clients. Ultimately, we recommend a comprehensive strategy, made up of the tactics that will deliver measurable results for your business, on a budget that fits your needs.
Sanctuary is a unique partner that has the experience to design an amazing website for your business. We couple that expertise with decades of knowledge in digital marketing. This unique combination drives real results that ultimately grow your business.
SEO
Get your website discovered by the right people for the right reasons with search engine optimization (SEO).
PPC
Get a great ROI on your ad spend and bring in new conversions and leads with pay-per-click advertising (PPC).
Social Media
Grow your following and your business! Connect with the right audience through social media marketing.
Content Marketing
Content is the crux of your entire digital strategy. Create a rich customer experience with content marketing.
Email Marketing
Promote new products or services, follow up with leads and nurture your customer list with email marketing.
Reporting & Analysis
Keep track of KPIs and see tangible results of your digital efforts with our performance and analysis services.
42% of people will leave a website because of poor functionality.
Source: Top Design Firms
When is it time for a new website?
Take an honest assessment of your current website to determine if it's time for an upgrade…
How does it look?
This is a subjective point, of course, as a website that looks good to one person might not look so great to someone else. However, what you want to look for here is whether or not the site looks out of date. Does it reflect the image that you want to convey for your company? As you browse around the web each day, does it seem like you are going back in time when you land on the website for your business? A dated website might not seem like a big deal, but it can cause a potential customer to think that your entire organization is a little behind the times. Remember, it's often the case that your website will be the first interaction a person ever has with your business. Is your site delivering the right message? If you want to be seen as current, relevant, and valuable, make sure your site isn't making you look like yesterday's news.
Functional considerations.
In addition to looks, you also need to confirm that your site is functioning properly from a technical perspective. For example, test your page speed scores to make sure the site is loading fast enough for modern standards. Today's web users expect sites to load quickly, and they might just tap the "Back" button if the page doesn't render in a matter of moments. Also, search engines may penalize you for having slow load times, so this is a key point. Sites built on old technology, or sites that are bloated from years of added plugins and minimal maintenance may slow down to the point where they are hard to use. In addition to site speed, be sure every link on your site still works, and any forms can be submitted successfully without an error message. This kind of performance review for your site is important whether you decide to build a new site or simply update and repair the old one.
A mobile world.
If your website was built prior to the mobile revolution of the last decade, it's almost certainly time for a renovation or rebuild. The big issue here is mobile-friendly responsive design, as modern sites need to adjust the way they are displayed so they look nice and function properly on all mobile devices. Your site may be getting 50% or more of its traffic from mobile visitors, so you are missing a huge opportunity if the site is hard to use on a smartphone or tablet. And, as with slow page load times, there may be negative search implications for having a site that doesn't respond properly to mobile users. If for no other reasons, it's worth building a new site so you can serve the mobile audience properly.
Serving your goals.
Beyond all the technical pieces of the puzzle, you should spend some time thinking about the big picture of your site and the place it holds in your business. What are you trying to accomplish by having a website, and are you accomplishing those goals with this current version? For example, are you hoping to make sales through your site, or do you simply want to display contact information to generate leads? Websites can be used in many different ways, but the design and function of your site need to match up nicely with your mission. If you don't currently have cohesion between your site and its purpose, building a new one may be the best way to make that happen.
The consensus?
A business should replace its website roughly every three years.
We deliver real results for real businesses like yours.
Our web design projects bring in tangible results for our clients. But at the end of the day, we know you want a website that also looks visually appealing and embodies your brand. Good news-we do both! Take a look at our portfolio of website projects.
Hall, Kistler & Company
Industry: Accounting
We increased organic search traffic by 263% in the first year post-launch of Hall, Kistler & Company's new WordPress website.
Becky Dorner & Associates
Industry: Nutrition & Dietetics
We increased sales from new customers by 66% with the new e-commerce website and ongoing marketing strategy.
JAM Industrial Supply
Industry: Retail
We increased online revenue by 319% in the first year post launch via a thoroughbred e-commerce store.
Seal Master Corporation
Industry: Manufacturing
We increased organic website traffic (YOY) by 107% with key website content and speed updates.
Learn more about designing a great website
What Makes an Effective Website Navigation?
What Makes an Effective Website Navigation? A website without a reliable and easy to use navigation is doomed for failure. According to Contentsquare’s 2021 Digital Experience Benchmark report, the average time on page across all industries is 54 seconds. This means that if a user does not engage with something on your site within a […]
Understanding and Implementing Schema Markup
Schema markup has become a powerful tool for enhancing online visibility and improving website user experience. By understanding and correctly implementing schema markup, you can reap the benefits of this growing trend. What is Schema Markup? Schema (noun): a representation of a plan or theory in the form of an outline or model. From this […]
Top 5 Plugins for Every WordPress Website
Top 5 Plugins for Every WordPress Website WordPress is a great CMS to get your website up and running. One of its best advantages is the number of plugins, both free and paid, that can help build and optimize your site. According to Wordpess.org, there are over 59,000 plugins currently on offer. And these are […]