Is Your Website Communicating Effectively?
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I had a first this morning. I just had my first ever meeting with a communications specialist. Being in this business nearly 8 years I have a sense that I've seen everything there is in web development: designers, developers, copywriters, SEO specialists, account managers, and server administrators. I often wonder, "What direction is the web going to go? I think I got my answer today. I sat down with Stephanie Santos-McCleese to discuss the web presence piece of an overall communications strategy for a client of hers.
Stephanie, a communication specialist, has worked with some of the world's biggest auto makers, oil companies, and universities to help refine and perfect their overall message to the world. Recently launching her own PR firm, her goal is to design & implement strategic communications plan for your business. What does that have to do with a website you ask? Everything.
The idea of a communications specialist is a new idea to me - maybe not in the general sense, but in the way it relates to great website. A communications specialists makes sure that all the hard work you put into your website doesn't go to waste by saying the wrong thing. Have you ever been to a website where you got lost in all the text? Couldn't find the answer you were looking for? Asked in frustration, "Where are the store hours!??" That's where Stephanie steps in. She makes sure you are communicating the right message in the right way.
The more I think about this, the more I realize that there is indeed another key to an exceptional website that I have never really focused on before: effective communication. It's no longer enough to just have a great looking website. If you want to raise the bar on your website you need to have a great talking site as well.