Crafting the Perfect Website: Roger Jorns on SEO and Design Strategies

Welcome back to Branded: your comprehensive guide to creative branding. On this episode, we dive deep into the intricacies of web design and SEO. We are thrilled to be joined by Roger Jorns, the founder of Reanimation Design, a web design and marketing company specializing in SEO and better website design. Roger brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in helping businesses get found on Google and structuring websites to effectively tell their story. We met Roger at the Badass Business Summit (BABS), and his insights tie directly into our goals for 2025, emphasizing the critical role a well-designed website plays in establishing a personal and professional brand. In our conversation with Roger, we explore everything from how he got started in web design to the importance of having a clear call to action on your site. We also discuss the evolving nature of SEO with the rise of AI and how to navigate the modern landscape of paid versus organic search. Key takeaways:

1. Importance of Structure in Web Design: Roger emphasizes the need for a clear and actionable call to action (CTA) on your website’s hero image. He discusses the common mistakes of being too vague or too wordy and highlights the necessity of guiding visitors on what to do next when they land on your page.
2. Defining and Using Hero Images: The hero image is the first thing people see when they visit your site. Roger explains how using images strategically can guide user behavior, incorporating psychological tactics like eye tracking to direct attention to the CTA.
3. Common Web Design Pitfalls: From broken images to non-responsive mobile design, Roger outlines the most common issues he encounters when revamping websites. He shares horror stories but also practical advice on how to avoid these mistakes.
4. The Evolving Nature of SEO: Roger tackles the hot topic of whether SEO is dead or evolving. He clarifies that while some old tactics are obsolete, SEO is very much alive, though it's continuously changing. He introduces the concept of "search everywhere optimization" to adapt to how consumers search across different platforms.
5. Role of Paid Ads in Modern Marketing: Larry and Roger discuss the effectiveness of paid ads versus organic growth. They conclude that while paid ads can drive significant traffic, a strong website foundation is crucial for retaining visitors and converting them into customers.

We hope you find Roger’s insights as valuable as we did. He breaks down complex web design and SEO strategies into simple, actionable steps that anyone can apply to enhance their online presence. If you want to connect with Roger or learn more about his work, you can visit his website at reanimationdesign.com or find him on LinkedIn. Don’t forget to hit that subscribe button so we can continue to bring you these amazing episodes each and every week right here on Branded. Until next time, I'm Larry Roberts. And I'm Sara Lohse, and we'll talk to you next week. [embed]https://youtu.be/Ac6NHItKLVI[/embed] About Roger Jorns Roger was born at a young age...O wait no. Roger has an interesting journey to starting a Web Design and Marketing Company, he has 2 degrees in Theology and has worked at a lot of different places including Starbucks, selling Cutco, Best Buy, and even working as a Web Developer. But perhaps his greatest joy is his Beautiful wife and awesome sons. They are the reason he does it at all. Roger loves helping businesses figure out how their website gots into their overall marketing plan. He loves taking a design and making it come to life on screen so that a story can be told through it. www.reanimationdesign.com www.linkedin.com/roger-jorns https://youtube.com/@reanimationdesign