In today’s digital-first marketplace, your website is the foundation of your marketing, sales, and customer engagement strategy. Pickett & Associates often reminds clients that while social media platforms, advertising networks, and third-party directories are useful tools, they’re only extensions of your marketing. Your website is the one piece of digital real estate you truly own and control. 

Your website isn’t just about looking good. It’s also your lead magnet and reputation manager. The trouble is that too many businesses settle for cookie-cutter sites that look like they were designed during the dial-up era. The hidden costs of a weak or clunky website? Think of them as the silent profit killers: lost sales, shaky trust, and constant maintenance headaches. It’s like trying to win a race with flat tires, you’ll spend more time fixing problems than moving forward. 

Our P&A resident website guru, Wes Weber, has been a pioneer in the digital realm for three decades, transforming the online presence for companies of all sizes. In addition to P&A clients, Wes has worked with Indianapolis Motor Speedway™, Chicagoland Speedway®, Route 66 Raceway®, Martha Stewart, Rachel Ray Every Day, and the 2002 Winter Olympic Committee. Here, he weighs in on a big question for many of our clients: How can businesses drive more traffic to their websites? 

What are some of the top ways we help our clients’ websites drive more traffic? 

Building a beautiful website is only the beginning. Driving the right traffic to it requires a blend of technical expertise, content strategy, and ongoing marketing support. Some of the most effective ways we help clients grow include the following (see below); when your site isn’t built to support these tactics, you end up leaking traffic and opportunities. 

1. SEO-First Development
     • Clean architecture, fast page speeds, and mobile-first design.
     • Keyword-driven content and ongoing optimization.
     • Technical audits to eliminate indexing or crawlability barriers.
     
2. Content Strategy & Marketing
     • Publishing thought leadership, blog content, and resources that match what prospects search for.
     • Evergreen content that continues to bring in traffic over time.
     • Content mapped to different stages of the buyer’s journey.
     
3. Conversion-Focused Design
     • Intentional layouts, visual hierarchy, and clear calls-to-action.
     • A/B testing landing pages to constantly refine what works best.
     • Minimizing friction (e.g. reducing form fields, clear next steps).
     
4. Campaign Integration
     • Ensuring your paid ads, social posts, and email campaigns send users to optimized landing pages (on your site).
     • Consistent messaging and tracking across channels so you know exactly what’s working. 

What are the benefits of having a pro help out instead of doing it yourself? 

Many small business owners are tempted to use DIY website builders or piece together their online presence on their own. While this can work temporarily, it often comes with hidden pitfalls: lost time, poor SEO performance, weak security, and designs that don’t convert. By partnering with Pickett & Associates, businesses benefit from: 

• Strategic Expertise: We don’t just design websites, we align them with your broader business goals. Every color, call to action, and page layout is chosen with results in mind. 

• Time & Cost Efficiency: While DIY might seem cheaper, it often requires dozens (or hundreds) of hours learning technical skills, fixing errors, and troubleshooting. With our team, you can stay focused on running your business while we handle the heavy lifting. 

• Professional Quality: From coding standards to mobile optimization, our websites are built to last. A DIY site might “look okay,” but may be missing the technical foundations that affect SEO, accessibility, and security. 

• Ongoing Support: Businesses evolve. Having a professional partner means your website can evolve with you by adding new features, updating content, and staying secure over time. 

Are you ready to drive more traffic to your website? Contact us today to learn more about how we help our clients build and maintain gorgeous, functional websites that gain them customers and keep them on track for the growth they desire.  

 

Your website is more than just an online brochure. It’s the hub of your entire marketing strategy. Buying decisions start with an online search; most consumers say they won’t return after a bad website experience, so the quality of your site directly impacts your bottom line. P&A designs and markets websites that not only look great but also build trust, drive traffic, and convert visitors into customers. 

To help business owners understand why their website matters and how it can be a powerful marketing tool, we asked our team website expert, Wes Weber, who has over three decades of experience with clients such as Rachel Ray Every Day, the Winter Olympics Committee and more, for some answers to the most common questions we hear from clients: 

Why is it important for businesses to have a central hub like a website? 

WW: Think of your website as your company’s digital headquarters. Every other marketing activity, whether it’s a social media campaign, a Google ad, or an email newsletter, should lead people back to your site. Why? Because it’s the one place where you set the rules. Consider these: 

• Ownership & Control: Social platforms can change algorithms anytime, but your website lets you control content, lead capture, and customer experience.  With a custom website, you’re building a long-term asset you fully own, unlike DIY builders, where you’re essentially renting space with limited control and no lasting equity. 

• Lead Generation: Conversions happen on your site. Optimized landing pages can generate even more leads. 

• Analytics & Insights: Track visitor behavior, interests, and drop-off points to improve marketing strategy. 

What are some of the benefits of having a simple website design? 

WW: Less is often more when it comes to design. A clear, minimalist approach gives you advantages in usability, performance, and trust. A cluttered site might feel impressive to its owner, but to a first-time visitor, it often signals confusion or lack of professionalism. 

• Instant Clarity: Users decide in milliseconds whether a page is worth staying on. A clean design helps them understand your offer immediately. 

• Speed & Performance: Complex layouts, heavy scripts, or excessive graphics slow things down. A simple design loads faster, which both Google and users reward. 

• Better Mobile Experience: With over half of all web traffic coming from mobile devices, simple designs adapt easier and avoid awkward scaling or misplaced elements. 

• Emphasis on Essentials: When you reduce distractions, your brand message, value proposition, and calls-to-action get center stage—not buried under excess content or decoration. 

Why is security important for a business website? 

WW: Security is often overlooked, but it’s one of the most important aspects of your website’s credibility and performance. An unsecured site doesn’t just put your data at risk, it damages customer trust. 

• Having an SSL certificate signals trust to Google and to users 

• Without proper safeguards, your site could be compromised, leading to lost revenue and reputation damage. 

• Implementing security practices like encryption, firewalls, and regular updates help you stay compliant and reduce liability. 

 ***Pickett & Associates implements SSL certificates, routine security updates, malware scanning, and backup systems to keep our clients’ sites safe, fast, and reliable. 

How can a custom website that’s unique to my business pay for itself?

We’ve already talked about how a clunky website can quietly drain your wallet.  Now let’s flip the script and look at why investing in a high-quality site is one of the smartest moves you can make for your business or organization. A professionally built website: 

• Improves search rankings by following the latest best practices 

• Builds trust and credibility by looking sharp, staying secure & avoid looking outdated 

• Drives more conversions with effective navigation and calls-to-action 

• Keeps visitors engaged with smooth user experiences 

• Shines on mobile devices 

• Cuts down on ongoing maintenance headaches 

Your website isn’t just a marketing tool; it’s your brand’s digital handshake. And let’s be honest, nobody trusts a sweaty, flimsy handshake. A secure, well-designed site builds confidence, draws people in, and convinces them to stick around and contact you. The digital professionals at Pickett & Associates blend smart design, sharp marketing, and rock-solid security so your website works hard while you sleep. Ready to give your brand a firm, confident handshake? Reach out to us today!