Most of you have a website—even if it is something simple that a friend or a family member created for you several years ago. Today, we’re going to address five common website shortcomings, along with the steps you need to take to remedy them.
1) Create a clear, simple, and appealing home page. Your home page should be as clear as possible for your audience. It should convey your most important marketing message to your visitors, and should point them in the right direction if they’d like more information or are ready to purchase your goods / services. But many business owners haven’t identified a message and end up with a home page that is a disorganized mess of information and options. The reaction of most of your overwhelmed visitors is going to be hitting the “back” button on their browser and looking for help somewhere else.
2) Integrate lead capture forms on every page. Ultimately, your website exists to capture leads (or make sales, if you’re an e-commerce business.) If a visitor has to navigate to your contact page, then copy/paste your email address into his mail program, and then write a message just to get in touch with you… it’s not going to happen often. Use forms that can be easily filled out, and include them on every page. Why would you want to make it difficult for a potential client to get in touch with you?
3) Refine your website copy. It’s important that the text on your website is well thought-out and well written. Many business owners that we’ve spoken to admit that they put the whole thing together in a day or two—and barely thought about the copy they wrote. Go back and review your copy—make sure it’s clear, readable, and that it highlights the key benefits of your products and services.
4) Make navigation easy. If you make it difficult for visitors to find the information they need, they’re not going to bother. Your website should be well-organized so that prospects and clients alike can easily find what they need. The important pages should be clearly visible in your navigation bar, not hidden in sub-menus and secondary menus.
5) Create landing pages designed for specific audiences. Most of you sell a variety of products and services that appeal to different audiences—or at least, that have very different wants and needs. If you were making an in-person sales pitch, you’d obviously customize your pitch for maximum appeal to the prospect… so why wouldn’t you do the same for your online prospects? Create landing pages that are designed for maximum appeal to specific audiences, or prospects with specific needs.
An effective website will capture leads, close sales, and help you grow your business. If your website isn’t performing as desired, these five steps will help. If you’d like more help, get in touch with us today!
Spotlight Branding
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