When looking for a Tampa web design firm, you want to get one that will be able to pull of what look you are gunning for. And this is particularly the case if you are going after a local audience. So here are some pointers when creating your local website.
Defining your target audience
You already know the importance of defining your audience. However, when it comes to determining your local audience, there is more to the work than simply listing down their profiles. Familiarizing yourself more with your particular location will help in better determining the specific audience that will be visiting your site, as well as give you plenty of ideas on how to better grab their attention.
Studying your potential audience personally will also help to better understand how they think. And Chris McCarthy says that this is where you have the advantage when dealing with just a local target. Unlike a broad audience that is spread out on a large area, yours is confined to only a small location. Thus, it would be easy for you to get in touch with them. In fact, you can conduct your audience study simply by talking to random folks on the streets.
Designing the website
One element that many Tampa web design firms make sure of is that the websites they make for their clients are easily recognized by the intended audience. Here, Kate McMillan advises that taking particular elements of the location and incorporating it into the site design is going to aid a lot in that recognition. For instance, if your site is promoting a restaurant in the Tampa area, adding familiar visual cues (such as the Florida International Museum) near your actual location will help potential customers spot your place.
Another great element that you can emphasize in your website design is the local culture surrounding your area of business. Local terminology, in particular, helps create a sense of familiarity for your audience whenever they visit your online pages. Of course, be courteous enough to introduce these local cultural elements to visitors who are not familiar with the location.
Getting your site noticed
Even with a design that is sure to get the attention of local viewers, you won’t go anywhere unless they can find you. Hence, Kevin Vertommen says that it is important to make sure that your site can be easily search by users online. As such, listing your site location on online directories like Google Places and Foursquare will always come in handy.
Also, don’t forget the impact of local search engine optimization on the visibility of your site. As such, be sure to add plenty of location-based keywords into your pages to ensure that these will show up more prominently.
Need a Tampa web design firm to work on your site? Feel free to contact us today.