PRÊT-A-MODE
Homepage & Marketing Guide
Before you begin
How should a business owner or practice director plan a website with search and content marketing?
Not every business needs a website, search, a blog, and social media at the same time. Start by looking at how customers check information and make inquiries. Then use the website as a reference point and connect only the channels you need.
Website first
When a website alone is enough
- When referred customers need a place to check your company, profile, and services
- When your services are clearly defined and most customers come through referrals or offline relationships
- When accurate information and a clear inquiry path matter more than producing ongoing content
Beyond the website
When to plan search and content together
- When customers compare providers through search and assess their expertise before contacting you
- When customers need ongoing explanations of your process, standards, and frequently asked questions to understand your services
- When you already have a blog and social media, but they are disconnected from the information on your website
Before adding channels, define each channel’s role and present the same business consistently on each one.
The role of each channel
One message,
expressed in different ways
Website
A reference point for your services and the people behind them
Bring your profile, service scope, and how to get started into one place. Your website is also where people who find you elsewhere can verify the facts.
Search
A way to reach people looking for your services
Match page titles, copy, and technical structure to the terms people search for. What visitors find on your website should match what they expected from the search results.
Blog
Space to explain topics in depth
A blog works well for detailed explanations of common pre-consultation questions, selection criteria, and your work process. Each post should stay consistent with your website's service descriptions.
SNS
A way to build interest and maintain relationships
Social media is useful for sharing brief examples, work updates, and your perspective. People read this content quickly, so essential information should also be available on your website or in the original source.
The process
Start with the decisions that come before design
01
Start by defining your business
Write one sentence for each: who you serve, what you offer, why customers seek you out, and what they need to know before a consultation. If these answers are unclear, that uncertainty carries into your design and content.
02
Build the core path through your website
Arrange the first screen, owner or director profile, service descriptions, supporting materials, and inquiry or application in a logical order. A clear path matters more than the number of pages.
03
Set up the search basics
Give each page a distinct title and description, and make the visible content readable by search engines. Check basics such as mobile speed, internal links, and a sitemap.
04
Choose topics to explain regularly
Use frequently asked questions and recurring consultation topics for your blog and social media. Choosing topics you can cover consistently is more practical than adding channels first.
05
Improve based on real responses after launch
Before visitors make an inquiry, check how they arrive, what they read most, and where they leave. Revise the copy and navigation, then adjust content priorities.
Choosing a provider
Look at how the provider works, not only what they deliver
Scope
What is included: design and development, copy preparation, search setup, and ongoing content management
Info
Who prepares the owner’s profile and service descriptions, and how the work is reviewed
Operations
Who handles copy revisions, technical maintenance, and content updates after launch
Measurement
How visits and inquiries are measured, and how the results guide improvements
Ownership
Whether the client can manage the domain, accounts, source materials, and deliverables
Consistency
Whether the website and external channels make conflicting promises
Prêt-A-Mode
What Prêt-A-Mode covers
Prêt-A-Mode organizes the expertise and service descriptions of business owners and practice directors for their websites and connects search structure with blog and social content direction.
Brand website and landing page design and development
Owner profiles, service descriptions, and supporting materials
Foundational structure that search engines and answer services can read
Blog and social content direction based on website topics
Support for content drafting and uploading through Faire Click
Post-launch reviews and maintenance planning