Customizing Your website
Advanced Steps For Customizing Your Website
Introduction
Your website has been designed to project a professional and high-end image. Some clients change everything and some change nothing. You can personalize your site by adding or changing photos and/or written content on any of the pages. We recommend using the content as a starting point and changing it over time. It’s up to you.
What you can change: Any photos, videos, any text, all colors and fonts.
What you can’t change: Anything that would change the structure of the site.
For accuracy and efficiency, we require that content and edits are submitted via email or through a file sharing program like DropBox or Google Drive. Just let your Account Manager know what changes you want to make and consider it done!
Fonts & Colors
Fonts and colors make a big difference in your website's look and feel. Text, background, navigation bar, and accent colors can easily be changed. If you have a logo, send us a digital copy and we will match the colors and font. The sky’s the limit for colors, your Account Manager can show you the options and how they look on your website.
Home Page:
Hero image: The main photo or video on your homepage can be changed. A high-quality, digital image or video is required. Also note that the aspect ratio (shape) is horizontal and rectangular. Professional photos and videos can be found online for as low as $15. Our favorite photo resource is www.shutterstock.com.
Headline: The headline on the main image should clearly state what you do so visitors know they’re in the right place. This should also align with your keyword strategy as your headline phrase will be picked up by Google’s crawlers.
Welcome Message: This message is just a short block of text welcoming your customers to your website. We recommend short and sweet. If you want to change it, just email us!
Panels: The panels are the photos with text boxes below your welcome message. These are usually used to call out main categories of work, (Commercial, residential, etc.) but can be modified to feature specific services or specialities. (New construction, Panel upgrades, EV chargers, etc.). The photos add visual interest and should be related.
Testimonials: A third party endorsement adds credibility. You can add more as you get them, just email them to your Account Manager.
Lead Form: Many site visitors will view your site after hours. This form is another way to generate inquiries. The message to the left and the fields in the form can be customized.
Footer & Service Areas: The footer appears at the bottom of each page and has your service areas (which helps your SEO) Your contact information also appears at the bottom of every page so clients can easily contact you.
About Page:
Your About Us page can include all the written content that you want. Keep in mind that most site visitors view your site on phones or tablets, so we generally recommend to keep it brief.
You can change the photo across the top of the page.
This page can include your mission, values, awards, your company story, photos of you or your team - anything to show that you’re credible and established. Simply send any photos and content to your Account Manager.
Services Pages (Commercial or Residential)
The commercial and residential service pages are so potential customers can quickly see what services you provide. The lists can easily be edited. Just email your Account Manager with what you want to add, remove or change from the services and we’ll make it happen.
Individual Services Pages (26 page website)
These pages are created primarily for the SEO benefit. Having specific service pages adds ample content for Google’s crawlers to find.
In addition to the on-page benefit, these pages all contain off-page metadata (keywords and descriptions specifically for search engines). The written content and overall on page messaging is created to maximize SEO signals to Google.
The pages feature mini-galleries and you can swap out the images with photos of your work.
The photos or written content on these pages can be changed. Just submit any edits (including photos) and we’ll take care of it.
Photo Gallery
People love pictures - so over time you should keep adding photos of your projects to your gallery. The gallery originally starts with professional photos from your services pages. These can be deleted or changed. For this gallery, iPhone photos usually work. Your Account Manager can give you guidance as needed.
Contact Us
In addition to your contact information appearing in the footer at the bottom of every page, the “Contact” is always visible in the navigation so clients can find your phone number or email easily. The fields in the form can be modified and more fields can be added if desired. The message and the photo can be changed.
Other / Advanced / Tips:
Header Images: The image across the top of the secondary pages is the header image and is usually cut from the hero image for a consistent look throughout your website. These can be changed and/or customized. Be aware, the long and thin orientation limits what photos can be used.
Adding Pages: Additional pages can be added (on a per quote basis). These can be for additional services, case studies, careers pages, product information, etc. Let us know what you have in mind!
Photo Tips: For home page photos: High quality, professional images are recommended. Your homepage is the first impression so a quality, engaging photo creates a professional image.
Written Content: On most pages, we recommend a less is more approach to written content. While written content can help your SEO, most of your site’s visitors are on a phone or tablet and lots of written content can be a turn off to your customer. Your site’s content is designed to be the perfect balance between SEO signals while being user friendly.
Submitting Changes: We ask that all content is submitted in writing via email (or Dropbox, Google Drive or a similar service). *Be sure that text and photos are clearly labeled and properly described so our developers know where things go. Grouping photos in folders is also required. (“Photo gallery pictures, ”home page photos”). The more thorough you are the better. We appreciate extra effort in this area!
Keys To Success: Your website is your company’s virtual storefront. In the future more and more people will visit your website to get information about you, your company and your services. An effective web presence means that you’re easy to find, and you look good when people find you. Over time, your website will grow as you add content. The larger your digital footprint the better. Ask your Account Manager what you can do to generate more traffic and get more customers through the Internet.
Account Manager Your Account Manager’s first task is to make your experience easy. In addition to getting your site live and customized, your Account Manager is a resource for your online success. ZDigital’s mission is to help you be successful through digital marketing. We are here for you. Contact us with any marketing or technology issues and we’re happy to help!
Don’t Forget The Marketing & SEO Upgrades! Now that your site is live and looks amazing, let our team of digital marketing experts help to drive more targeted and qualified traffic to your site. We have marketing and SEO upgrades starting at just $99 a month. Let us help your SEO success through keywords, backlinks, search engine registration, social marketing, reviews and more.
SEO takes several months to work, so getting started now is an investment in your future. If you want to be more aggressive, targeted ads in Google can get you leads immediately. Your Account Manager can explain the options and answer any questions you may have. Let us make you our next success story!