Designing and/or Redesigning your Business Website

Sea TREK’s new website has launched.

Check out the new design at www.sea-trek.com

The technology behind Sea TREK is always advancing. We strive to provide the most current innovations to our customers.

With that it mind, it is important that our website (the virtual doorway to our business) reflects that same cutting edge emphasis. Staying up-to-date and on-trend with technology and design is important because it helps tell our story. It shows that our company’s principles are consistent. Across every aspect of Sub Sea Systems and Sea TREK it is apparent that we are always breaking new ground. From the soon-to-be-released upgrade to our helmet design, to our creative marketing strategies, and our new website – it is apparent that our core values are quintessentially progressive.

When redesigning the website we considered 3 important facets.
In no particular order:

1. The current and upcoming trends in user experience and web design.
2. Our brand’s personality.
3. Our target audience.

1. Trends

The web changes so quickly. It is important to research what trends are out there and what is working and what is not. You can trap yourself if you are not careful when considering the things you’d like to mimic and/or adapt.

You must be aware of the growing mobile friendly world. Use queries (or responsive templates.) Google search rankings are negatively effected if someone is searching on their smartphone and your website is not optimized for mobile.

High-resolution images (that load quickly) are vital to making an impact. Full screen video is a surprising way to showcase your business. If a picture is worth a thousand words, video is worth exponentially more.

Be social! Connect your social media accounts and even allow guests to interact with your content by using hashtags.

2. Brand Personality

Every brand should have a voice. In an ever more digital and automated world, it has become more and more important to show a genuine personality. Whether emphasizing humor, creativity, beauty or happiness it is paramount to making your business stand out.

Once you have decided on your voice — stick to it. Consistency is key to convincing customers that you are sincere. You have to decide how to convey your message. Illustration, photography and tone in written content — all combine to define your unique brand personality. Find inspiration in your environment, in your employees and in the real world. The internet is helpful, but your message will be lacking if you only copy what you see.

3. Target Audience

Who are you looking to reach with your website? Create imaginary general audiences and then narrow them down. Draft your customers’ personas and assess your design using the demographics you wish to reach. Are you targeting teens? Cruise guests in their golden years? Existing businesses? Entrepreneurs? All of the above? Find a way to reach these audiences with the content you create. Maybe you offer a discount to people who use a specific hashtag (teens), and you have a page emphasizing how your business offers team-building experiences for employers. Use creativity to stand out in a sea of businesses.

And, as always, follow the rules. Use the proper code to emphasize titles and sub titles. Use alt tags for all of your images. Name images with descriptive words and use dashes between words, for example: sea-trek-helmet-diving.jpg, and make sure your content includes the key words that describe your business.

To learn more about current trends, you can check out Google's material design or Awwwards.com.


If you are a Sea TREK operator interested in upgrading or designing a web site and would like help — Andrea Murphy, our Social Media Manager & Web Designer (aka head guru for all things online!), is available to provide inspiration and advice. Contact andrea@subseasystems.com for more details.