I have a website, now what?

I have a website, now what

  Not too long ago, when you asked a business person if they had a website, you may have heard a yes or a no. A website was not a “must-have” for a business. Today, however, a website is the business, in many cases.
 
The problem is that nowadays too many websites are built like print ads. They have an “About us” page, a “Services” page, and a “Contact us” page that are informative but do not address the customers’ need or solve their problems. This approach worked just fine in the 90’s and early 2000’s. Today, however, a website must have a presence; it must be built as an office or as store, just like the one you occupy, and no less valuable. Consumers are much more educated today and are faced with a tremendous choice of providers who also are offering great products and services. To succeed, you must transform your website into an exciting, inviting place of business, and you must ensure that the customers have more than enough reasons to click on the “Buy now” button. To accomplish this goal, you need to be aware of the following:
 
Web Reputation: If you don’t have a positive web reputation, or customers can’t find much about you on the internet, your best marketing effort will not be very effective. Customers may come to your website, but if they are unsure of the quality, the safety, or the value of your product and service, they may leave just as fast as they came in. Trust is a very important factor in consumers’ web purchasing decisions.What will people find when they google you?
  

Action: Take steps to build up your web reputation by posting testimonials, product and service reviews, by writing articles, linking relevant sites to your website, and attracting well-regarded individuals or organizations to endorse you.

 
Search Engine Ranking: Being found in the first page in Google has become so important that in many cases it can make or break your business. The battle for ranking is fierce and the ranking can change over time.

Action: Unless you are a search engine guru, it pays to hire someone who can help get your site to show up early in the results
 
Internet Marketing: Search engine success alone is not enough. To bolster visibility, you need to create other enforcing mechanisms.   


Action: Start an ad campaign to show your ads along with the “natural” or “organic” search results. List your company in search engines maps and relevant trade sites that have a page rank of 5 or higher. This helps increase traffic and create a consumer “top of mind” state   

On-page products and services presentation: A website needs to give the visitor a reason to stay and browse.   

Action: If you are selling products, using large, detailed images with product specification and product reviews are important to gain the visitors’ trust and turn them into customers.  

Be generous: If you want your customers to stay on your website, browse your products, and purchase your items, what are you offering in return to entice them to do so?
  

Action: Give the visitor useful and valuable information. If you are a dentist, offer information about dental health or tooth whitening they can use; if you are a contractor, offer information about things the customer can do themselves to maintain their home. The information must be valuable, actionable, and easy to follow. You can also provide links to useful sites, or compile information from multiple sources.

 
Engage the customer: We live in a new age of social engagement and networking. People like to express their opinion, have their voices heard, and contribute to the choice of products and services.
  

Action: Ensure that your website has a place for submitting feedback. Polls and forums are great tools to empower consumers because it enables them to express their opinion about a product or service.   

 
Reward the customer: Everyone wants to feel valued and appreciated for being a loyal customer. What are you doing to reward customers’ loyalty?
 

Action: Start a customer loyalty and appreciation program. It could be as simple as earning points towards products and services, discounts for repeat business, vouchers for third-party products, or even free stationary and supplies.

 
To learn more about an upcoming event that can help you transform your website, call us at 615.823.5353, or click here for details: http://businessways.com/WebSeminar