Business Owners, please ask yourself the following questions:
- When you look at your website are you proud of it?
- Does it reflect what's really going on in your business?
- Does the branding on your website match up with the rest of your marketing material?
- When speaking with new customers are you keen to direct them to your website?
- Or are you constantly writing emails describing your products or services because your website doesn't do an adequate job?
- Is your website responsive? Or is near impossible to read it on a smart phone or tablet?
Your website is your digital shop front. It needs to look as good as you are at what you do. If you are selling products, the images should be big and crisp with links through to your selling pages. If you are selling services, they need to be listed clearly with incentives to choose your company.
How to attract new customers via the Web
You've got under 30 seconds to communicate your offering.
If your homepage isn't 100% clear on your business offering you are going to lose most first time visitors to the back button.
Busy is Bad.
To get new visitors to dig into your content, you must limit their choices. Simple websites out perform those cluttered with content/choices.
Faces are good.
If your business is built on its people, your website should reflect that. Pictures of real people quickly establish trust. New customers appreciate putting a face to a name.
Websites should solve problems not create new ones.
Your company website is something that should streamline business activities. Instead of spending several hours a day responding to emails with common questions, let your website do that work. You will quickly discover your new FAQ section will include some of your most visited pages.
Today mobile search accounts for roughly 51% of all searches and desktop has 42%. (Updated Jan.2017)
In 2011 this number ranged between 8-12%. The mobile customer is YOUR customer and it's time to pay attention. Responsive website templates come standard with most Open Source content management systems. Typically it doesn't cost any more to have your new website design render properly on all mobile devices, provided you go with the right template.
If you are tired of looking at a website that is missing the mark on quality and does not accurately reflect the caliber of your business then now is the time to pull up your boot straps.
You and your team will be re-energized by the momentum a new website can generate.
Always honest,
Jen
