6 handy tips for building a world class recruitment website

From the rise of social media to the ever-evolving Google ranking saga, the internet continues to change the way the recruitment industry goes about its business. The fact is that with 5,110 new recruitment agencies having started in the UK alone in 2015, it’s never been more important for your website to stand out from the competition.

Managing your website effectively can be a daunting and difficult process, and making it sing is even more challenging. Here PS Website Design outline 6 handy tips to making your recruitment website work better for you in 2016.

 

1 - Content is key

It used to be the way forward for recruitment businesses to engage both clients and candidates in short, snappy sections of content designed to draw the reader into a conversation with the recruiter. Put simply, this approach is now detrimental to the performance of your site.

A shift in Google algorithm has meant that your website should be rich in carefully-written, shareable content in order to sit high in the Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) rankings and hit better numbers. When a potential client or candidate searches for jobs in your field, your website’s SEO proficiency determines whether your site comes up trumps on page one of their search results, or twiddles its thumbs in the lower reaches. The more search-relevant content on your site, the better.

2 - Engage an efficient Applicant Tracking System

If a candidate has taken the time to visit your website, it’s important to turn them into a lead. A good Applicant Tracking System (ATS) takes data from an application form, for example, and even if there is no relevant vacancy at that time, gives the recruiter the ability to liaise with the candidate with an effective Customer Relationship Management system.

3 - Embrace Customer Relationship Management

Like SEO, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) can be a daunting process, but once you’ve got it mastered, it can rapidly streamline your process and work wonders for the proficiency of your recruitment business.

By utilising data yielded from, amongst others, an efficient ATS, CRM allows your firm to manage relationships and interactions with potential clients and candidates by storing every useful detail of their interaction with you; their qualifications, their personal details, the sort of jobs they are interested in targeting. This power allows easy access to relevant leads and provides the ability to branch out to them as and when, directing email marketing campaigns at very specific areas of your client base. Smart, huh?

4 - Get the tone of the site spot on

It’s vitally important that not only the visual impact strikes the visitor, but that the entire feel of the site accurately reflects the personality of your firm and how you go about your business. A friendly, laid-back tone is unlikely to fit right with a highly technical c-suite recruitment firm. Think of your site like you would a candidate CV; striking the right tone is key.

5 - Keep it social

We all know the benefits of effective social media management by now - it’s a modern and cost-effective marketing staple for any recruitment business in 2016. 94% of businesses seeking to recruit use LinkedIn, for example, and in 2015, 43% of job referrals came directly from social media. The benefits are endless; brand awareness, personable marketing, industry authority and so on, and including a feed or link to your carefully-managed social media channels is a great way to engage potential leads and gain useful followers.

6 - Get mobile.. Fast

It’s a minimum expectation for any website to be mobile-friendly nowadays. Mobile now makes up 51% of the world’s total browsing time, compared to only 42% on desktop. What’s especially interesting is that this appears to be especially prevalent in the recruitment world. In 2016, around 65% of graduates went about their job search on a mobile device, and 62% of passive candidates visited a mobile recruitment site.

Throughout February, our #IndustrySpotlight is on the recruitment industry. Check out @PSwebsitedesign on Twitter or our Facebook page for the latest hints and tips on how to get the best our of your recruitment website, branding and digital marketing.

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All statistics correct at the time of research. Featured image courtesy of Pexels and used under the terms of Creative Commons.