How to Make your Website Media Orientated
If your business is dependant heavily on conventional, electronic and new media, then your company website needs to project the image of a press-friendly website. In other words, make finding your press releases and other information easily accessible for the press. By making your website press friendly, we’re talking about a website that goes beyond just being equipped with the specific browser or version, specific screen size or resolution, or excessive use of JavaScript or Flash for basic navigation and information-finding.
Getting your website at the top of a search engine list isn’t hard, but keeping it there spells more work. The same is said for getting your website press ready. Here’s a check list that can help you get the quick fixing it needs to make it easier for the press to contact you:
1) Set your sites
At the least, your website should be a regular website with the basic applications and design as well as information to keep it normal. Basic websites enable your company to be easily picked up by Google spiders. Being findable is the first thing on your list. Your clientele should at least be able to find you by typing in your company name. Make sure that your company is live on the internet and has the same URL as advertised.
2) Start with the basic facts
Each and every website is designed with the primary goal or focus of the company. For companies selling a product or service, the website is product oriented and if it’s a corporate website, then corporate information, investor information and so on is made the main focus of the site. No matter what the first information is displayed, the ‘About Us’ page is crucial to a website. This page should include:
a) Your company’s full name as you’d want it to appear in a news article, including any Inc., Corp, LLC, e.g., “Your Company, Inc.”.
b) What your company is all about all said in a few short sentences. Sentences like ‘MyCompany makes embedded-technology collars, leashes and other accessories like its award-winning WiFi/USB Collar for domestic pets and other animals,” from which a journalist could extract, “MyCompany, a maker of animal techno-accessories.”
c) Also include where your company is headquartered in and include other helpful facts that are newsworthy such as contact information, time zone etc’.
3) Identify who the press should contact
Establish a point of contact for your media group. Most companies would get their Media or Public Relations department to be the point of contact to answer press queries, send out press releases and maintain media relations. The marketing communications department is also responsible for the media so make sure that whoever that is responsible to the media, sends out the right information inline with the company’s agenda. Make sure that the contact email that you use is simple and general such as info@mycompany.com or media@mycompany.com.
4) Include Links to your Press Releases
Usually, the media contact information should be included into a designation page for the media just as how you would have a designated section for ‘Investor Relations’ or ‘Customer Service’ and ‘About Us’. The ‘Contact Us’ page of you website should list all the contact information for your entire site’s potential visitors and it should also be linked to its designated page. In the ‘Media Relations’ section, include in press releases and are easily clickable and readable.