Building Websites That Truly Engage and Connect With Your Audience

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Welcome back to the business ignite podcast, where we light the fire

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for business growth and marketing success.

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Your hosts, Ethan Walker, Samantha Reed,

bring you the latest trends, expert

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insights, and actionable strategies

to fuel your business journey.

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Let's ignite your potential.

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Ethan Walker: ever find yourself

on a website, just clicking and

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clicking, but you just get nowhere.

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Mm hmm.

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Happened to me the other day, actually.

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I was just trying to find a simple

return policy, but I ended up down

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this rabbit hole of Well, I'll

just say irrelevant information.

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Samantha Reed: Yeah.

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Ethan Walker: So frustrating.

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Samantha Reed: Yeah.

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It highlights something

really crucial, I think.

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So many websites, they miss the

mark when it comes to, like, their

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core purpose, which should be to

make our lives easier, not harder.

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Right?

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Ethan Walker: Absolutely.

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And that's where this whole idea of like

building a website customers will love.

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Samantha Reed: Right.

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Ethan Walker: Comes in.

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Samantha Reed: Right.

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Ethan Walker: It's not

just about aesthetics.

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You know, it's about creating a

really effective online experience.

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Samantha Reed: And

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Ethan Walker: that's what we're

going to be diving into today.

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Yeah.

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Um, we have this great piece from 95

Visual, a site customers will love.

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You provided some great

material for us to unpack today.

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Samantha Reed: It's a

really interesting piece.

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Right off the bat, they do something,

I don't know, kind of unexpected.

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Okay.

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Instead of jumping into, you know,

design tips or the latest tech

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trends, they really emphasize

something much more fundamental.

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Ethan Walker: Ah.

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Samantha Reed: Aligning your website

with your overall business goals.

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Ethan Walker: See, that might seem obvious

at first, but I think it's something that

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businesses overlook, surprisingly often.

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Samantha Reed: Absolutely.

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A lot of times we get so caught up in

the like, make it pretty part, that

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we forget about the why behind it.

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Why are we even doing this?

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So, think about companies, and

the article mentions them, like

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Apple or Google, they're synonymous

with constant innovation, right?

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And their websites, they

totally mirror that.

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Always pushing boundaries,

exploring new possibilities.

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Ethan Walker: So if rapid growth

is your business objective, you're

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not going to have a website that

feels static or outdated, right?

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It needs that same kind of dynamism.

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Samantha Reed: Yeah, absolutely.

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But even these giants, as the article

astutely points out, they are constantly

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seeking and integrating user feedback.

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Oh, interesting.

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So think about like iPhones and Androids.

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Okay.

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How they've evolved over the years.

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Yeah.

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Those changes weren't made in a vacuum.

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They were a direct response to what

users wanted, what worked, what didn't.

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Ethan Walker: Which leads us to another

great point the article makes, the

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importance of gathering feedback.

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Don't just guess what your

customers want, ask them.

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Samantha Reed: And that's something you

can, like, implement right now, today.

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Yep,

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Ethan Walker: right.

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Samantha Reed: Regardless of your

website's size, your business model.

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Ethan Walker: It really got me

thinking, like, what methods do I even

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use to get feedback on my own work?

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It's so easy to just get, like,

caught up in the day to day and

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forget to, like, pause and listen.

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What about you, listener?

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What are some ways you gather

feedback, whether it's on your

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website, your business in general?

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Samantha Reed: Yeah, how do you

know what people are responding to?

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Ethan Walker: We want to know.

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Samantha Reed: This next point from the

article I think is really intriguing.

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Um, it's the importance of focus.

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Ethan Walker: And I love how 95

Visual illustrates this point

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with a bit of humor, right?

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Like, haven't we all stumbled

upon websites that are just this

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hodgepodge of unrelated content?

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Samantha Reed: Over the place.

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The

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Ethan Walker: example they gave this car

wash site with pictures of kittens on it.

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Right.

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It's almost comical.

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Samantha Reed: It is comical.

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But

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Ethan Walker: it

highlights a real problem.

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Samantha Reed: Yeah, it can be incredibly

disorienting for visitors to your site.

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Ethan Walker: Right.

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Samantha Reed: If a website

offers too many disparate things.

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Ethan Walker: Right.

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It's like, what are you even about?

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What is this?

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Samantha Reed: Yeah.

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People are going to be like,

wait, what, what are you doing?

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What is the core purpose here?

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Think

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Ethan Walker: about it like walking

into, A store that sells, I don't know,

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like high end shoes and telescopes.

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Samantha Reed: Right, exactly.

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And you'd be

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Ethan Walker: like, I don't

know if I trust your expertise

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in either of these areas.

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Samantha Reed: Yeah, are you shoe

people or are you telescope people?

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Ethan Walker: A couple of

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Samantha Reed: those.

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With

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Ethan Walker: Lane.

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Exactly, and that cluttered feeling.

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Yeah.

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It makes people click away just

as quickly as they clicked in.

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Samantha Reed: That's

right, you're out of there.

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And the article offers a really actionable

takeaway here, which I appreciate.

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They say, regularly audit

your website content.

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Ask yourself, like, does everything

on my website truly align with my

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core offerings and my business goals?

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Ethan Walker: This kind of

brings us to a challenge I

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think a lot of us can relate to.

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Samantha Reed: Yeah.

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Ethan Walker: You spend weeks, maybe

even months, right, building your

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website, perfecting every detail.

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Yeah.

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Launch day arrives, you're so excited.

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Right.

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You're ready for the world.

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Samantha Reed: Let's do this.

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And

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Ethan Walker: then

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Samantha Reed: It gets, it tumbles.

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Ethan Walker: It can be a real letdown.

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It

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Samantha Reed: 95

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Ethan Walker: visual article?

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Thankfully,

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Samantha Reed: yeah,

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Ethan Walker: they offer some

really insightful advice here.

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Samantha Reed: Okay.

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Ethan Walker: They suggest having like

a bank of fresh content ready to go.

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Samantha Reed: Oh, interesting.

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Before

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Ethan Walker: you even launch the site.

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Samantha Reed: So front load it?

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Ethan Walker: Yes.

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Samantha Reed: Okay.

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Ethan Walker: And it's about more

than just like, you know, new

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products or service announcements.

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Right.

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It's about having, you know, Articles,

resources, you know, blog posts, whatever

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it looks like, think of it as like

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Samantha Reed: keep it fresh,

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Ethan Walker: providing

genuine value to your audience.

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Yes,

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Samantha Reed: give them a

reason to not just visit.

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Ethan Walker: Yeah.

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Samantha Reed: But to stay.

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Ethan Walker: Yes, to explore,

to like come back for more.

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Samantha Reed: Engage, yeah.

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Ethan Walker: It's about creating

a website that feels alive.

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Samantha Reed: Right, like there's

always something new to discover.

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Ethan Walker: Exactly.

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Samantha Reed: But more than

that, it's about tailoring that

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content to your specific audience.

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Oh,

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Ethan Walker: for sure.

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Samantha Reed: Right, what

questions are they asking, what

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problems are they trying to solve?

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Ethan Walker: That's such a good point,

because the type of content That keeps me

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engaged on a website dedicated to like, I

don't know, vintage vinyl records, right?

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It's going to be very different

from a website dedicated to like

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sustainable gardening practices.

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Samantha Reed: Exactly.

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It's about understanding

your niche, right?

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Yeah.

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And offering something

genuinely valuable to people.

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The people who are in that world.

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Ethan Walker: Okay listeners, this

is where we want to hear from you.

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Samantha Reed: Yes.

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Ethan Walker: Thinking about your field,

your interests, what kind of fresh content

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keeps you coming back to a website.

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Samantha Reed: What are you clicking on?

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Ethan Walker: What are you clicking on?

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What makes you feel like a website

truly understands your needs

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and what you're looking for?

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Samantha Reed: Yes.

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Ethan Walker: What keeps you

engaged and wanting more?

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Samantha Reed: So important.

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Ethan Walker: It is up.

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Samantha Reed: It's an important

question to consider because as 95

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Visual emphasizes, building a website

that resonates with your audience,

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it's not a one time endeavor.

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Ethan Walker: Right.

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It's an

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Samantha Reed: ongoing process.

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Ethan Walker: It's a journey.

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It really is.

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Yeah.

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Samantha Reed: It's a journey.

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It's ongoing.

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You're

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Ethan Walker: always

refining, you're tweaking.

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You're making sure you're really delivered

on what your audience is looking for.

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Samantha Reed: Yes.

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And it, it actually

brings up a point that.

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While not explicitly mentioned in the

95 visual article, I think it's so

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relevant to this whole conversation

about making a website people will love.

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Ethan Walker: Okay, now

I'm really intrigued.

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Tell me more.

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Samantha Reed: Accessibility.

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Ethan Walker: Oh, okay.

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Samantha Reed: A website that is

truly designed with the user in mind,

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considers the needs of all users.

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Right.

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Including those with disabilities.

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Ethan Walker: Such an important point.

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Samantha Reed: Right, because we're

talking about making the online world

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inclusive and welcoming for everyone.

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Absolutely.

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We're talking about elements like,

uh, clear navigation, alt text for

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images, keyboard only functionality.

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Yeah.

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These aren't just, like,

keyboard shortcuts.

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Technical check marks on a list, right?

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Right.

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These are design choices that demonstrate

a real commitment to inclusivity.

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Ethan Walker: It's about

recognizing that people experience

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the web in different ways.

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And like, designing with that in mind.

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Samantha Reed: Yeah, absolutely.

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So as you embark on this journey, right,

of creating a website your customers will

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love, remember that accessibility is a

key ingredient in that recipe for success.

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Ethan Walker: It's all about

building those, like, lasting

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connections with people.

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Samantha Reed: Lasting connections, yes.

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Ethan Walker: Well, there you have it.

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Samantha Reed: That's it.

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Ethan Walker: Actionable insights.

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We

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Samantha Reed: did it.

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Ethan Walker: Fresh perspectives.

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Samantha Reed: Always.

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Ethan Walker: And a reminder

that building a truly great

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website is an ongoing process.

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Samantha Reed: It never ends.

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Ethan Walker: A big thank you to 95 Visual

for this really thought provoking piece.

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Samantha Reed: Yes, thank you.

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Ethan Walker: And to you,

our listeners, thank you for

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diving into this topic with us.

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Samantha Reed: Yes, thank you.

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Ethan Walker: Remember, we're always

eager to hear your thoughts, so hit us up.

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Samantha Reed: Yes, let us know.

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Ethan Walker: What

resonated with you today?

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What will you implement in

your own online endeavors?

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Until next time, keep

exploring, keep learning,

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Samantha Reed: keep iterating,

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Ethan Walker: and keep

those feedback cards coming.

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Yes, please.

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Speaker 2: Thanks for tuning

into the Business Ignite podcast,

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where we fuel your business

growth and marketing success.

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share this episode with a friend.

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Keep the fire burning and remember,

your success is just one strategy away.

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Until next time, stay ignited.