13
DON’T HIRE A Until You Read This Book Web Designer
1 Copyright 2016 © RKA ink
D O N ’ TH I R E A
Until You Read This Book
Web Designer
2 Copyright 2017 © RKA ink
Your website is justthe beginning...
Your Guide to PreparingYour Business For
Online SuccessSo, you want to hire a web designer? Here’s the truth: whether you’re launching a brand new venture or
redesigning an existing dot com, your online success
relies on a whole lot more than the fonts you choose,
the theme you install, or the web designer you hire.
Building a successful website and online presence is
all about understanding what your prospects need and
want most, crafting a brand that meets those needs, and
can be easily found online, and making it irresistible for
prospects to engage with you once they get there.
This is why we believe design and strategy belong together.The right web designer will work with you, not only to
craft a website that looks fantastic, but that helps you
attract the right visitors and inspire them to take action,
with systems that save you time and money in the process.
Before you build a new website, the best way to set
yourself (and your web designer) up for success is to
clarify what sets you and your brand apart and how you’ll
lead prospective clients from just learning about your
brand to becoming its biggest cheerleaders.
We created this guide to do just that so you (and
your web designer) can take the ‘net by storm.
Hey! I’M RKA!
I’m Rachael Kay Albers, the
founder & creative director of
RKA ink. I’m also the lead web
designer & digital strategist
around these parts.
Our mission is to help
small businesses with big
visions make a meaningful
impact online.
[ Learn more about RKA ink ]
3 Copyright 2016 © RKA ink
BUSINESS& BRAND IDENTITY
MARKETING& SALES FUNNELS
WEBSITE MAP & CONTENT
1 2 3Where you’re headed next,
what sets you apart, and
how your brand behaves.
How you’ll lead prospects
from learning about you to
being your biggest fans
What you need from your
website and how you’ll lay
it out to achieve your goals
Here's to a new digital you, Rachael +
4 Copyright 2016 © RKA ink
Purpose
Your business’ Vision & Mission: where you’re headed and how you
plan to get there.
Position
Your brand’s Market & Message: who you’re
selling to and what sets your offerings apart.
Personality
The Behavior & Essence of your brand: how you act and how this makes
your customers feel
Your Brand IDENTITYYOUR BRAND IDENTITY
DIVIDES INTO 3 CORE TENETS: PURPOSE, POSITION, AND PERSONALITY
The Three Ps
You will revisit the 3 Ps again and again, whether you’re crafting a marketing strategy, writing web copy, or designing new products and services.
Each time you launch a new service or sales campaign, ask yourself: Does this align with my business’ long term Vision & Mission? Do I have a compelling Message that speaks to my Market? Am I staying true to my brand’s Behavior and Essence?
On the next page, you’ll find a breakdown of each of these elements, with questions to help you clarify what your brand is all about and guide your digital strategy.
5 Copyright 2017 © RKA ink
VISION: Where do you see yourself (and your business, in general) in 3-5 years?
What impact will your business make on the world? (This should be a stretch
goal! So don’t be shy!)
Brand BUILDING BLOCKS
On the left you’ll find your Brand Identity worksheet: a series of questions leading you through Purpose, Position, & Personality.
For more clarity, we’ve included definitions of each element below:
VISION
One sentence that ties together
your unique style of doing business
with your vision of the future/who
you will be in the next 3-5 years.
MISSION
A short statement about who you
help and how you help them; your
mission should energize and inspire
you each time you share it.
MARKET
Your positioning statement, part I:
covering your target market
MESSAGE
Your positioning statement, part II:
clarifying the benefits of working
with you and what sets you apart
BEHAVIOR
A list of personality traits describing
how your brand acts and reacts.
ESSENCE
One word that describes how your
ideal client should feel when they
interact with your brand
MISSION: Who do you help and how do you help them? How do you describe
your business in 30 seconds or less? (Think elevator speech, but cooler.)
MARKET: Dig deep into your ideal client. Who is this person? What do they do?
How old are they? What do they do for fun? What are their values? What is the #1
problem weighing on their hearts that you can help them solve?
MESSAGE: What is the #1 benefit of working with you? What makes you different
from other people offering similar services? Why choose you? Your unique value
proposition, flavor, superpower...whatever you call it!
BEHAVIOR: Imagine your brand is a person – how does your brand act? How
does your brand treat clients? What are your brand’s top 5 to 10 personality
traits? Think adjectives here. (e.g. fun, goofy, serious, wild, safe, etc.)
ESSENCE: If you could boil your brand down into one word that captures the
lasting impression you leave on clients – what would it be?
6 Copyright 2017 © RKA ink
WHERE ARE LOYAL CLIENTS BORN? The importance of the sales funnel to your web strategy
HAPPY SALES FUNNEL=
HAPPY WEBSITE
How does someone go from
learning about your business to
becoming a loyal, enthusiastic
client? Through your sales funnel!
Your sales funnel lays out exactly
how you can move your audience
from awareness of your brand to
advocacy for your brand. A successful
website strategy depends on a well
planned sales funnel, especially
because your website is in the middle
of the funnel! On the next page, you’ll
find a model of a sales funnel and tips
for how you can create your own.
AFTER BRAND IDENTITY, IT’S TIME TO TALK MARKETING STRATEGY.
A sales funnel helps you plan outeach step of the marketing process.
The Hustle
Your Marketing + SALES
Marketing encompasses the different tactics you use to get in front of your ideal audience, from blogging and social media to email campaigns and targeted ads.
Sales funnels are how you strategically order and combine these tactics, to generate leads and nurture them into happy clients.
Your website is not the only player in your sales funnel, which is why you want to design your funnel before you redesign your website.
7 Copyright 2017 © RKA ink
BRAND AWARENESS
VALUE PROPOSITION
LEAD MARKETING
LOYALTY BUILDING
WEBSITE VISIT
LEAD GENERATION
LEAD ACCEPTED SALE
CLIENT ADVOCACY
marketing & Sales funnel
Building overall awareness of your business:Targeted ads, social media marketing, content marketing, guest blogging
Moving your audience from awareness to interest: Driving people to your website or landing page
Calling visitors to action by sharing value:A low-cost or free entry point (purchase or opt-in) so visitors can experence your work, becoming “leads”
Following up with your qualified leads:Automated email or direct contact, thanking leads andoffering complementary services that deliver more value
Converting the lead into a client i.e. making the sale: You might think a sale is the end of your funnel
but each sale is also your next opportunity
Rewarding loyal clients, gaining referrals: Happy clients are not only loyal clients, they
will become your best referral sources
Developing new products & services: Turn feedback into innovative new services that delight clients and meet their changing needs
Educating visitors about how you can help them:Website content (About, Services, FAQ, Blog, etc.)that introduces visitors to your offerings
fgl
7U
Uf
JB
iV
l
55W
AWARENESS to
Advocacy
In order to draw visitors to your website, you must first build awareness that your business and brand exist. This is where
SEO, ads, social media, content marketing, and networking come in. Every time you share a blog on social media, attend a
business conference, or place a Facebook ad, you are building brand awareness. It’s important to remember that each of
your brand awareness building activities should incentivize people to visit your website.
Once people visit your website, its job is to educate them about your brand: who you help, how you help them, and why
you’re the perfect one for the job. (Remember the 3 Ps!) Most importantly, your website should call visitors to action via an
entry point product, gift, or incentive. This might be as simple as a contact form or quote form, a sample of your work, a free
consultation, or an invitation to join your newsletter list. The question you should ask yourself when planning a call to action
is, “What do I want visitors to do when they land on my site?” (More on this in the next few pages.) When a visitor responds
to your call to action and passes through this first entry point, they have now become a lead.
Once a visitor becomes a lead, it’s up to you to respond with even more value: introducing them to your core products and
services, sharing helpful content, and keeping them informed of updates and developments. Anytime a lead interacts with
you or engages with your call to action, you should have a plan for how you will follow up and/or close the sale. You can do
this by manually following up with clients or creating an automated email marketing campaign. Plan this part carefully and
it’s only a matter of time before this lead becomes a sale.
But you’re not done yet! Each sale is an opportunity to create a long-term client relationship. Listen to client feedback with
an open heart while continuing to create services your clients want and need and the person who starts as a visitor will
become your biggest fan! Best case scenario: tons of referrals and happy testimonials!
The Funnel
8 Copyright 2017 © RKA ink
What is the message of my website?
What do I want visitors to understand about my business
when they first land on my website?
WITH YOUR SALES FUNNEL SKETCHED OUT, YOU CAN BEGIN PLANNING YOUR SITE MAP. START BY CLARIFYING WHAT
YOU WANT YOUR WEBSITE TO SAY ABOUT YOU:
YOURSiteMAP
Now break it down into a single sentence:
I help [insert your ideal client] to [insert value you provide/problem you solve]
with my [insert your business superpower]
NEED A FEW EXAMPLES?
Web Design Wedding Photographer Health Blogger
I help heart-centered
entrepreneurs grow their
businesses online with my
attractive, user-friendly
web designs.
I help brides & grooms
preserve their priceless
memories for a lifetime with
my creative, high quality
wedding photography.
I help busy professionals
live healthier, happier,
more balanced lives with
my quick, easy-to-follow
lifestyle tips.
FOR A WEBSITE THAT
Works Smarter
9 Copyright 2017 © RKA ink
NOW THAT YOUR MESSAGE IS CLEAR, YOU CAN START YOUR WEBSITE WISH LIST.
Your Website Wish List details every possible piece of
content you want to share with the WWW. Don’t worry
about cutting down or organizing this list just yet. (That
comes in the next step!) Follow along with the questions
below and write down everything that comes to mind.
Brainstorm all the possible ways your
website can benefit you. Do you want
sell more products? Grow a blog
readership? Start a community?
Widen your client base?
Consider what visitors are looking for
when they visit your site. What are
their goals? What questions do they
have? How can you help?
This is your call to action. What is the
single most important thing you want
visitors to do when they visit your site?
Sign up? Buy something? Book an ap-
pointment? Comment on your blog?
YOUR WEBSITE Wish List
WHAT DO I NEED MY WEBSITE TO
DO FOR ME?
WHAT DO VISITORS NEED FROM MY SITE?
WHAT DO I WANT VISITORS TO DO
ON MY SITE?
NOW LET’S ORGANIZE!
10 Copyright 2017 © RKA ink
MESSAGE
CALL TO ACTION
Do you need this content to clearly communicate your website message?Or, on the flip side, is your message clear without this content?
Will this content help you achieve your goals or call your visitors to action in some way?
MAXIMIZE THAT CRUCIAL FIRST IMPRESSION BY ORGANIZING YOUR CONTENT ACCORDING TO
YOUR MESSAGE, CTA, & VISITOR GOALS
OrganizingYOUR CONTENT
VISITOR GOALS
Does this content meet your visitor’s needs? Is it a frequently asked question? In other words, does it make your site more user-friendly?
If you answered No to any of these questions, the content in question is not crucial. You might want to consider tossing
it for the sake of clarity & user-friendliness.
Keep or Toss?
11 Copyright 2017 © RKA ink
FRONTPAGE
INNERPAGE
SIDEBAR& FOOTER
FRONT PAGEThis content is a crucial part of your goals & messaging
INNER PAGEThis content helps yourvisitors but isn’t vital.
SIDEBAR & FOOTERThis content builds upon the front page & inner pages.
This content should be in your main
menu, featured on your home page,
and throughout the site.
Examples: About, Services, Book Now,
Contact, Newsletter Opt-In, Blog
Link to this content from your front
page content, but don’t distract from
the essentials.
Examples: Photo Gallery, FAQ, Free
Resources, Testimonials
Place this item in the sidebar, footer,
or tuck it into inner page content.
Examples: Social Media Links, As Seen
In Links, Tags, Categories, Privacy
Policy, Refunds,
NOW THAT YOU’VE REDUCED YOUR WISH LIST TO THEMOST ESSENTIAL CONTENT ELEMENTS, YOU CAN ORGANIZE THEM
BY DROPPING THEM INTO ONE OF THESE 3 CONTENT BUCKETS:
NEXTSteps
Now it’s time to schedule a
chat with RKA ink to discuss
your new website. What are
you waiting for?
SCHEDULE A FREE 1:1
12 Copyright 2017 © RKA ink
About RKA INKAt RKA ink, we offer the perks of a digital marketing agency with boutique sized personal attention. Our team of dynamic design, development, and marketing professionals care about your business’ mission.
Because we know that small businesses today need more than a website, we combine strategy and design to help our clients make a meaningful impact online - and look good doing it! Our websites are SEO friendly, mobile responsive, and handcrafted to inspire user engagement and grow sales.
Want to explore working together? Lets talk! Click here. GET A WEB DESIGN Quote!
