The world of PR is in a constant state of change. Evolving trends and emerging technologies ensure that the business of PR is always moving forward. Consider how much the PR industry has changed since the focus was primarily on traditional media, and you realize just how much digital disruption has turned PR on its head.
Websites are now one of the major areas for PR pros to focus on, and while every business worth its salt has a dedicated online presence, it’s a mistake to dismiss your company website as outside of the PR remit. When the majority of consumers visit your website before any other form of contact, then it’s essential that you take the core PR trends and integrate them into your site functionality.
Here are three ways that your website is good PR:
It serves as your key information source
Much of the work of a PR department is about corporate social responsibility. All PR practitioners have a focus on giving back to society through the company that they work for, and your website is the ideal means for doing that. Content that you produce and share that is easily viewable and accessed on your website means that more members of the public are able to do so. Keeping the public informed about the latest news and corporate updates makes the role of the PR manager far easier. The fact that your website is able to display both video and imagery that may not be suitable for emails or press releases makes your website your most useful PR tool.
It provides information through landing pages
Too many businesses focus their attention on the homepage and then neglect their product pages or blog content pages. This failure to understand just how people use the internet is one of the major reasons for online invisibility. Most site visitors will come to your pages via external links from social media or news articles, and that means every single page of content on your website has the potential to be a good outlet for new PR strategies. Ensure that you have consistent branding, ease of navigation, and a call to action, and your website works naturally as an extension of your public relationships with your clients.
The evolution of accessibility
PR pros are used to being available as and when needed. Answering calls from the press or responding to the latest industry news is part and parcel of the PR industry. That availability transfers to your website too. The trend of mobile browsing continues to grow, and will no doubt remain the most popular way for people to browse the internet. For the PR manager, this couldn’t be better news. When everyone has a smartphone in their pocket, your PR department has a direct line to the public, capable of keeping them informed no matter where they might be in the world. However, your website does need to be device friendly, and if it isn’t, then you should use developers that are experienced with mobile conversion, or Shopify experts to guarantee that your site visitors aren’t abandoning you for design reasons.
PR may have changed its focus, but the core values remain the same. Recognizing that your website is the most valuable PR tool at your disposal has never been more important.
