Don’t Let Your Site Redesign Affect Paid Search 

At some point in time, every website needs to be relaunched. The design trends change and technology evolves, and you don’t want to be left in the dust. Having a slow, unattractive and underperforming website is a good way to lose customers. But, redesigning your website doesn’t automatically “fix” everything. A site overhaul can spell trouble for your PPC strategy.
Below are a few key areas to pay attention to during the redesign process.
Phone Numbers
Is your phone number displayed at the top of your pages? Contact information should always be visible. However, during a relaunch, the phone number may be absent from a few pages or disappear altogether. It’s also possible that the digits are smaller and difficult to spot.
Remember, people like easy. You don’t want prospects to have to click to find your phone number. When redesigning your site, be sure that your number stays on top of all pages and is clear and legible.
Trust Signals
Trust signals also tend to go missing during a site redesign. Like the phone number, you might notice that testimonials or affiliations are only present on some pages and not others. As you update your site with a new layout, be sure that all trust indicators are where they should be. In fact, you may want to add some more! Trust is one of the most important elements in a business-customer relationship.
Examples of trust signals include:

• SSL certification
• Social shares
• Affiliate logos
• Customer testimonials
• Product reviews
• Contact information
• Newsletter subscribers
• Payment assurance certifications
• Multiple payment methods

Tracking Codes
Tracking codes return information on accounts so that marketers can make data-driven decisions. If you don’t use tracking codes, you limit your success. You can only make decisions based on your experiences and knowledge rather than what’s actually happening. There are many tracking codes to keep an eye on, but some are more important than others. During a site overhaul, we recommend paying attention to:

• Google Analytics code tells you where your traffic is coming from and what this traffic is doing. You can learn a lot about your audience this way, including when they are most likely to visit your website, how long they stay and what information they’re most interested in.

• AdWords conversion code keeps an eye on customers who have clicked on your ads to see if/when they convert. What steps will the person take next? Do they want to complete a form? Download an ebook?

• Remarketing code is used for remarketing campaigns. When a person visits your website but doesn’t convert, you use a tracking code to show them highly targeted content in the future. You can use Google Analytics for this purpose as well.

• Website call metrics code tracks PPC visitors who call your company from your website. Again, this is a lot like remarketing. The person who called is a hot lead and you probably have additional opportunities to convert them.

Thank You Pages
Do you have a thank you page on your current website? With an update, it’s possible that this page will dissolve. Pay attention to the communication automatically sent to users when they complete a contact form. Not only is this message a nice way to express gratitude, but also it reassures the person that their message went through successfully.
Why Does All this Matter to Paid Search?
You may be wondering why all of these small details matter to your paid search strategy. Does it really make a difference if your phone number is on the contact page only? Will a missing trust signal disrupt a sale?
Phone numbers, trust signals, thank you messages, etc. all play an important role in paid search. First, your website must convey trust and confidence. People want to do business with the people they trust, so missing testimonials or broken product descriptions can make your business appear lazy or spammy. If you can’t get your descriptions right, how will you make your customers happy?
Second, you must make things easy for potential customers. People shouldn’t have to dig for phone numbers or be unsure of the payments accepted. Any hesitation can lead to a lost sale – and a lost customer. Lastly, remember that not all prospects will start on your homepage. If a person is brought to your FAQ page or Services page, you want them to see the same contact info and trust signals as they would on your homepage.
Bottom line: Keep the above factors in mind before starting a website redesign. For more information on running a successful paid search campaign, call WSI Net Advantage at 510-687-9737 or fill out our contact form.