To be professional from the start, every new business owner needs to include the 7 parts of the new business web site. I set up a complete online presence for my client, Novarum Roofing of Texas using these guideposts. Over the past few weeks, I had the pleasure of working with Brandon Vines to create web presence and branding for Novarum Roofing, his new DFW area roofing business. Brandon saw a need for a roofer that focuses on getting homeowners the highest quality roof when they need to file an insurance claim. His business truly puts the customer first. In just a few weeks, we created a web presence to represent the Novarum values and help customers get to know Brandon.
A Simple and Memorable Logo
Every business needs a logo. A logo should be simple and memorable. It should easily fit into a horizontal rectangle so that it will be easy to see in the logo space of a website theme and on signage. It’s fun to be clever with a logo, but it’s better to leave clever behind if it interferes with its ability to be quickly read.
Brandon and I looked at two concepts for logo design: the donkey in front of a structure reminiscent of the birth of Christ, and the N as a roof. We opted for unforgettable and meaningful over traditional. The business, Novarum, is named for a a Catholic social justice Encyclical that warns against immoral capitalistic practices and encourages a moral conscience among business owners. As a roofer concerned with getting his customers a high caliber roof, even though it means a smaller profit margin, this is deeply meaningful to Brandon.
Branding
Brandon wanted his clients to feel calm yet optimistic, so I selected fonts and colors to communicate these feelings. My rule of thumb is to use a bolder typefaces that convey personality for headings, and something less bold and easy to read for paragraph text. I recommend choosing 4 colors, 2 that don’t bother the eyes when placed side by side. This usually means two mid tones, as well as a dark color and alight color. Novarum’s palette uses a confident cobalt, a serene “Collar Blue” and we dubbed a warm “shingle red” for fun and contrast. An optimistic green will be used sparingly.
Personal Connection
I used to be a painter who worked alone. My clients are my favorite part of being a designer. As a designer and a customer, I want the website to reveal the person behind the business. Sure, flashy websites can be impressive, but the internet is a vague place, and we need to know who we are dealing with.
Usually, hiring a great photographer is a part of fostering a personal connection. Novarum Roofing launched quickly so we skipped the fancy photos and focused on a great selfie of Brandon at work on a rooftop. He took this picture before we met, and it’s this genuine photo of him in his element, up on a rooftop. I created a portrait graphic based on it. When you click the graphic, it takes you to the original photo so you can really get to know Brandon, professional and personally.
Unique Graphics
Even if you don’t create a vector portrait for your site, you need graphics that set your site apart. When you visit a website, it’s like stepping into a room. Your website graphics help the viewer connect with the space they’re in. With Novarum Roofing, we do this with color and type, and also with graphics. I created unique website icons for Novarum. You can see the triangular rooftop shape from the logo repeats in each of these custom elements, which are the same color.
Your Name at Your Name Dot Com Email Address
Clients feel secure when they can reach out to you@yoursitename.com instead of YourName182@someotherwebsite.com. This is why I set my hosting clients up with a free @yourname.com email address. Many hosting providers offer @yourdomain.com emails, and they can also be purchased through Google My Business for about $70 per year.
SEO
Every site needs Seach Engine Optimization, or SEO. SEO is set up within each page or blog post, but there are also a number of things that a business owner can do to optimize their web presence. Simple things like opening a Google My Business account, or having friends link to your page help your page move up in search engine rankings over time.
Call to Action
You know how you space out and forget what you’re doing when you’re browsing the web? Your customers need you to remind why they came to your site. In Brandon’s case, his customer needs to schedule a roof inspection or contact him. This is why I put a call to action on every page. Call to actions can be things like schedule an appointment, newsletter sign up, or shop now!
While a truly great website is a work in progress, make sure to include the parts of the new business web site in this article to keep your site from looking like the new kid on the block. Eventually, your site will be come become a rich resource or space that users visit frequently for their needs. Do you need help building your online presence? Let me help you like I helped Novarum Roofing.
