4 REASONS YOUR WEBSITE DOESN’T MATTER

Things have been shifting lately AWAY from website priorities … away from caring about the look of a website or even updating … could some of this be the current economic vibes? Sure. But in general, a lot of business owners are trying to depend on social media, word of mouth, being on a preferred vendor page, or simply advertising to get their clients … to avoid the investment into their websites.

Below are 4 reasons your website doesn’t matter … ish

1. PEOPLE WILL SEARCH ON INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK TO FIND ME OVER MY WEBSITE

Yes, they may find you there and be inspired by something beautiful you posted or a meme that made them laugh … but now people are using ChatGPT and Claude to search … They are using it to make final decisions on things they find as inspiration on social media platforms … so let’s say you posted a gorgeous reel showcasing a wedding you designed … the potential client will then go to ChatGPT or Claude to search: how to plan a wedding at XYZ venue … AI will then help them decide who to hire for that venue, why that venue may or may not be the best decision for them, and then ‘if prompted’ will list the vendors they suggest to hire to plan a wedding or event at that particular venue.

Now more than ever it’s VITAL to train your website to be found on ChatGPT and Claude … and other AI apps and interfaces. It’s used over Google and, IMO, will soon replace Google altogether. Basically look at it as this:

SOCIAL MEDIA GETS THE ATTENTION.

ChatGPT / CLAUDE SHAPES DECISIONS.

Your website may matter more than any other time before … and making sure your website designer is up to date in the latest on making your website matter to ChatGPT and AI is key. If you have been seeing a drop in inquiries … it might be that ChatGPT doesn’t even know you exist … I have been training my own website lately to be found on AI apps … it takes A LOT OF TIME … it’s frustrating … but absolutely must be done. I am also doing this for my clients.

2. I AM ON ALL THE IMPORTANT PREFERRED VENDOR LISTS IN MY AREA

If you are on a preferred vendor list, your website may not matter to be placed in front of potential clients … you got pushed to the front of the line! Congratulations! But, when a venue or vendor adds you to their preferred vendor list, it means that your company name and website are listed either in an email or on a 'take home' sheet ... if you are really a shining start in the venue/vendor 's eyes, they may say a few words about you and your services (major frosting if they do ...) but for the most part, it's up to the couple to then go home and check you out ... and how do they do that???

THEY GO TO THE WEBSITE LISTED ON THE SHEET

... and they probably do that to all the people listed on the list ... which means:

YOUR WEBSITE IS BEING COMPARED TO THE OTHER WEBSITES ON THAT LIST

Is that a good thing??  Is that a scary thing?  I have had a few clients who come to me and say that they know they are losing to their competition based solely on their website ... and how do they know???  They are losing to them based on the list that was passed out.

My point? If you are on a preferred list of any kind, be the SHINING STAR online compared to all the rest of the businesses on that list ;)

3. I HAVE A HUGE FOLLOWING ON INSTAGRAM, SO MY POSTS AND REELS GETS TONS OF VIEWS FROM POTENTIAL CLIENTS

I love that! What an accomplishment! I’m sure your feed is gorgeous and filled with so much inspiration … now what happens if someone goes from all the pretty on your feed and pops into your website either from the link on your profile page or from a quick search to find you online … is the subject matter the same? Are the vibes vibing? Will their momentum come to a screeching halt or does the website match the Insta feed …

Imagine what would happen if you visited Anthropologie after seeing their GORGEOUS catalogue and it was dark, gloomy, and filled with last season's fashion?  The momentum that their magazine created was so high and then the visit to their shop made all of that excitement drop.  Not ok.  The same is true for your potential clients who come to your website.  Where are they coming from??  Instagram? TIKTOK?  Green Wedding Shoes? Style Me Pretty?  If they are coming from something BEAUTIFUL that has them super psyched about planning their wedding and then they click into something UGLY << your website >>

THEN THE FIRST THING THEY ARE GOING TO DO IS CLICK OUT.

This is a serious thing, people ... UGLY websites will hurt your business.  If you are posting all of your gorgeous content on social media because you want people to hire you, then think long and hard about what those potential clients will be clicking into if they go to your website after ... in fact, go to your Instagram feed right now ... and then click into your website in a new window.  Go back and forth ...

HOW ARE YOU FEELING??

Good?  Bad?  Embarrassed by your website?  Proud of your website?

When I work with my clients and I design websites for them - I make sure to design a website that not only looks GORGEOUS and supports my client's vision: but keeps the momentum CLIMBING for potential visitors coming from social media.

4. I AM AN OG IN MY INDUSTRY - THE CLIENTS WON’T EVER STOP COMING AND THEY DON’T CARE WHAT MY WEBSITE LOOKS LIKE BECAUSE MY REPUTATION IS SECURE

This is an amazing place to be as a business owner … I used to feel that way about myself … I thought my business was untouchable … and then one day I did a quick search and realized that TONS of new website designers were popping up all over and that they weren’t even on my level because they just sold the service of putting together templates that were available on Show It and I freaked out … a lot … Here’s a question to ask: when does someone realize they should have hired someone else? … typically after the last song is played …

WHAT DO I MEAN BY THAT?

If someone hires a website designer because their services are cheaper than mine … and they pay a deposit, put in the time to send materials, start the process … and then halfway through realize “this is not the website of their dreams” … do you think they are going to just come back and hire me? Pay another deposit, pay more money? Usually no. Usually I don’t hear from those people until they can afford to do it all again … months, years later I’ll get the email: I should have hired you from the beginning … and then they do!

Here’s my point:

These days a business can start one day and be successful within a year - achieve things it used to take 5 years to make happen.  The people coming up are faster, smarter about social media, they are using ChatGPT and Claude, and they are HUNGRY.  They've seen what YOU have done and they want it.  They learned by watching and they are tech savvy.  These people are dangerous to an already established company.

I'm dangerous.  I can take a newbie business owner and mold them into something that looks and acts like it has been there for years.  My eye for detail, design, and the right images to use make me lethal and a huge asset to a new company who may not have a huge portfolio yet.  My experience as a website designer who used to work in the wedding and event industry makes me one of the most unique businesses because I've seen it all - from my days as a wedding coordinator to running a wedding blog - to growing my own social media following of over 250,000 organically - to understanding the ins and outs of blogging to grow traffic. I have taken brand new businesses and built them a website that makes people stick around - that makes people call them.  My clients see HUGE jumps in the clients and the budgets they are working with after their websites launch. This is how POWERFUL a well built website can be.

So, are these 4 reasons a website doesn’t matter? Maybe? Take from it what you will … I’m here if you want to discuss what I can do for your online face.

XO~ Heather