Our development team attended this years WordCamp at Whitley Bay, here’s what you need to know…

Wordcamp conferences are a goldmine for any website owner.

These global events bring together the brightest minds in the industry, to share their expertise and insights on how to get the most out of your WordPress products.

And lucky for us, the latest one was just down the road…

During the day, we heard from some fantastic speakers and companies, with topics ranging from content playbooks and high-performance websites to accessibility and client relationships.

We learned a lot, and we’re now excited to share some of our key takeaways!

Accessibility Is Vital

According to the World Health Organisation, more than a billion people (16%) worldwide experience a significant disability.

This means brands with inaccessible websites are failing to accommodate a huge chunk of potential clients.

The session, led by Rian Rietveld, showed us some technologies to help with accessibility and some best practices to follow.

We’re feeding these back to the company to ensure we’re doing everything we can to be accommodating. From 2025, certain accessibility features will become a legal requirement, and we want to be ahead of the game. We know how important accessibility is, and it’s one of the pillars we want to build on as we help companies level up their online presence.

Some valuable tips from Hubspot on how to make your website more accessible.

(Relevant) Content Is King

Next, we discussed content and how agencies can sometimes misunderstand the point of generating it.

As of 2020, Google had billions of pages available, covering nearly every topic worldwide. So, your content needs to be good enough to earn its place at the top.

Bad blogs were described as “objectively garbage”, and the focus needs to be on creating relevant, on-brand content that follows three steps. Content should attract the customer, convince them that you’re the best choice, and convert them to make a purchase.

One of the final slides gave us key areas to look at:

Consider How to Reach Your Target Audience

To effectively reach your target audience, it’s crucial to understand their needs and preferences.

Engage with them directly to uncover what frustrates them, how you can address their issues, and what information they seek.

With these insights, you can tailor your content and services to meet their expectations more precisely.

Be a Problem Solver

Transform your website into a problem-solving platform that caters to your audience’s needs.

Address their key questions and offer solutions to their challenges. Featuring the names and faces of real experts can add a personal touch and help build trust and credibility, showing that knowledgeable individuals are behind the content.

Influence Their Next Steps

To influence their next steps, capture your audience’s attention early in their browsing journey.

Engaging them at the top of the funnel and guiding them through your content strategically is essential, ensuring they stay on your site rather than drifting off to explore other options.

Become a Publisher

Try embrace the role of a publisher to stand out online.

Offer unique value and original insights, as more than simply summarising existing content will be necessary for high rankings. Ensure you have meaningful contributions beyond the basics, providing your audience with fresh perspectives and deeper understanding.

Broaden Your Scope

Broaden your competitive scope by considering platforms beyond Google.

Explore and establish your presence on TikTok, Reddit, Amazon, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Each platform offers unique opportunities to reach and engage with your target audience in diverse ways, enhancing your overall online visibility and influence.

Jono Alderson led the session. Formerly the Head of SEO at Yoast, Jono is well known for his expertise, experience, and energy. His talk left a real impression on us!

Make Client Relationships Better

Next, we heard from Mollie Pugh. She talked about client management and why it’s such an important part of our work.

At Outrank, we know that customers are our lifeblood, and this was a fantastic reminder of why they’re so important.

She said effective client management is crucial for web agencies, as it directly impacts the success and satisfaction of your clients. Every team member plays a vital role in maintaining strong customer relationships. Establishing clear roles and responsibilities ensures that everyone knows their part and stays motivated. Transparency and openness are essential in building trust and facilitating honest communication.

Employees are likely to be 86% more effective when given high role clarity (Effectory, 2019)

It’s also important to remember that it’s acceptable to challenge requests and say no when necessary. The value of a “yes” diminishes if you never say no. Regular team meetings to track progress are vital, fostering a culture of feedback where team members and clients can be candid and collaborative in addressing issues.

Profiling your client is essential on a tactical level. Understand whether they want to enhance their image, prefer being courted, desire simplicity in their interactions, or have high expectations. Align your account management approach to their profile by anticipating their needs and providing the answers they seek. This proactive approach ensures that you meet and exceed their expectations.

Stakeholder mapping is another critical aspect of client management. Identify who is working on each project and what unique contributions they bring to the table. Understand the direction they are taking the business and its clients. Asking the right questions will provide the answers to navigate and manage client relationships effectively. By focusing on these strategies, web agencies can build strong, lasting relationships with their clients, leading to mutual success and growth.

Overall, we had a great time at WordCamp Whitley Bay and came away refreshed! We’ve connected with some speakers and hope that what we’ve learned can be filtered through the company to do even more for our customers!

Check back in with Outrank soon to see what we’re doing, how we’re improving, and what we offer to help your business grow!