Visibility

What’s the first thing you do when looking for a product, service or place to go? You Google it, of course. Your customers are no different.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the visibility of your business on search engine results pages (SERPs). You want your website to rank high on the first page of results when people search for what you offer. If you are a local business serving the public, showing up in the Google map listings can mean the difference between a visit to you or a competitor.

Hundreds of factors go into SEO, starting with how your website is built. DIY websites give you limited control and access to these methods. cb{d} makes sure your custom website is set up for SEO success:

• Keyword research and integration
• Schema markup: special behind-the-scenes code that delivers crucial information to Google, such as your location, and greatly improves search visibility
• Fast load times, a significant factor in SEO rankings
• Google Analytics integration: allows you to see how people reach and use your site

Clean Code

Many DIY website templates look stylish on the surface but are supported underneath with massive amounts of inefficient code. (If you want to take a look, right-click on a webpage and select “View Page Source.”)
“What’s the problem?” you might ask. After all, your customers don’t see the code.

The issue is that Google does. Google (and other search engines) scan the code to determine what your site is about and which parts are most important. And when Google has to weed through thickets of code to find the pertinent information, it can affect SEO.

The professional web developers at cb{d} code cleanly, delivering information to Google in an efficient package. Clean code has other benefits as well:

• Easier for screen readers, making your website more accessible
• Reduces load times, which positively affects SEO and also prevents customer loss from slow loads

Cohesive Branding

When you’ve worked long and hard to build your brand, your website should make it shine. From typography (font choice) to colors, custom layouts, button styles and imagery — our professional web design team incorporates as many elements as possible and ensures no detail is overlooked. The end result matches your brand, creating a cohesive appearance.

To cite just one example: our design team uses a bold or primary color from the brand palette for call-to-action buttons so they catch user attention without clashing. If the brand logo has more curves or circular shapes, they use corresponding rounded corners or pill-shaped buttons.

You must keep track of these many details when using a template. Discrepancies can ultimately cheapen the brand you worked so hard to create.

Responsive

Users may view your website on their desktop, tablet, TV or phone. It must look and function equally well on dozens of different screen sizes. Any difficulty finding information or using the site may lead to your potential customers exiting in frustration…and heading right to your competitor.

Some DIY website builders require you to adjust mobile screens separately, which can lead to a lot of headaches. cb{d} websites go beyond the basics to offer a consistent experience on all devices. Future updates automatically conform, so you won’t have to worry about making multiple adjustments each time you need to edit or add to your site.

Built for Conversions

A conversion is any desired action a user takes on a website that directly or indirectly leads to a sale. Common examples include:

• Buying a product
• Booking a meeting/appointment/demo/service
• Making a reservation
• Signing up for a mailing list
• Requesting a quote or information via form
• Calling you

Our web design experts know and implement best practices to ensure usability and encourage conversions. These practices affect every aspect of a web build, including the navigation, content and design. Even the shape, color and placement of call-to-action buttons make a difference!

This is especially important if you invest in digital media ads (social media, search/PPC, video, etc.) Your ads are only as good as the website pages they lead to; relevancy of the ad to the target page is a key factor. A cohesive experience not only encourages conversions but can improve ad performance and even lower costs. Our web and digital marketing teams work together to deliver optimized results for your ad campaigns.

Copywriting

When you DIY your website, that means writing your own content (website copy). Most business owners we’ve worked with over the years don’t like to write and wouldn’t have the time even if they did.

Yes, new generative AI tools can make writing faster and easier. But while AI handles generic informational copy well, it’s not there when it comes to effective marketing copy that:

• Conveys the unique value proposition (UVP) of the business
• Connects to a specific target audience
• Captures a unique brand voice and tone
• Compels site users to take action

There is also more to web copywriting than the writing itself. The content hierarchy — how the content is organized across the site and on each page — greatly impacts usability, accessibility and SEO.

Not all web design firms include professional copywriting as part of their website package, but cb{d} does! Our in-house copywriter works closely with the design team to create websites that encourage user action.

Opportunity Cost

Time spent building your own website takes you away from the core business activities that make you money. Updates (like edits, additions, or changing out photos) may take considerable time, too.

When cb{d} handles your website build, you’ll have few time commitments outside the initial information-gathering and reviews of the copy, design and final site. You’re free to take care of your customers and gain new ones.

All cb{d} websites include a very friendly Content Management System (CMS) that allows our clients to make updates easily and without needing any coding knowledge. We provide free training. We can handle updates for clients who prefer a more hands-off approach for a reasonable hourly rate.

Support & Security

If you build and host your own website, you’re on your own when something breaks or needs an update. cb{d} offers full-service annual hosting for websites we build. This plan helps ensure you don’t lose opportunities due to an offline site.

• Proactive software updates
• Software licenses for premium security, anti-spam, secure form email notification delivery, backups, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tools and dynamic forms
• SSL security domain certificate
• Expert support