How to Build Your Forever Website

Published on April 21, 2021

In real estate, a lot of buyers dream of their “Forever Home.” It’s a place where they can live… well… forever! It’s a consistent, lifelong investment and source of equity. It’s something that owners can pass on to their children or grandchildren years down the line.

In short, a Forever Home is about stability and security. And it doesn’t just apply to real estate and families. In fact, your brand can have a Forever Website. And it’s easier to build and maintain than you might think – as long as you think and work strategically.

Want to create the unique site that’s comfortable, accessible, and, above all, valuable for your brand? Here are four important things to keep in mind as you craft your Forever Site:

Include a CMS for Your Content

We once wrote that the first thing you should focus on for your site is content. And we maintain that today! Good content is the backbone of a successful web presence: It establishes and reflects your branding, it makes you visible on social media and search engines, and it inspires brand loyalty and retention.

On the modern internet, content is the once and future king. After all, why even have a web site if you have nothing to say?

So when you’re building a lasting website that works for you, you need to be conscious of how you’re going to create, upload, and maintain your content. To that end, you’ll want a content management system (or CMS) built into your site, so that you can add and edit blogs, images, and other multimedia elements to your site on a regular basis.

Without an accessible CMS, you’ll be stuck with one of two options whenever you want to add the slightest update to your site: Either learn how to code (which is much easier said than done), or be left dependent on your developer and their hectic schedule.

Optimize Your Site for Conversions

Every website has to have a goal. Without a purpose, it’s little more than a digital paperweight, collecting binary dust and taking up bandwidth without ever actually creating any value for your brand.

As you settle into your Forever Site, be serious – and realistic – about what you actually want it to accomplish. Do you want to make sales direct to the consumer? Do you want to position yourself as a thought leader and secure newsletter signups? Do you want to encourage further dialogue with prospective customers?

Once you’ve thought about all of these matters, share your ideas with your web development team. From there, you can work out your next steps, a process that will include crafting your conversion funnel (i.e., the path that your users take from first click to last), thinking of your “call to action” messaging, and maybe creating an effective lead capture form or contact system.

Remember Your Mobile Users

Your Forever Home needs to be ready to stand up to the natural wear and tear of years of busy living. In other words, it needs to be able to stand up well into the future, despite storms, age, and young kids.

In internet terms, the future is mobile. More and more users than ever are spending all of their time online on smartphones or tablets. They’re Googling, they’re watching videos, they’re using social media, they’re visiting new websites, and they’re even completing their purchases, all on small screens.

Your site needs to be ready to keep up! Make sure you develop your Forever Site with the unique needs of mobile users in mind. We’re not exaggerating when we say that capturing mobile users could mean the difference between a successful website and a complete dud.

Make Your Site Accessible

Your website is your brand! The colors, the font, the logo, and the graphic design all need to work together to create an accurate, winning refection of who you are and what you stand for.

There are millions and millions of websites out there. Many of them are crappy; some are even dangerous. Don’t let your important site get lost in the shuffle! Make it stand out and make it trustworthy by including an “About Us” section and a “Contact Us” option, complete with address and phone number. The web may change, but these site elements will never be less than essential.

Does all of this sound like a lot? It is! The good news is that Geek is here to help every step of the way. Whether you’re looking to create unique content, develop a brand, or create a Forever Site of your very own, our team is here to help you get it done. Drop us a line today to get the conversation started!