Monday, February 25, 2008
- Justin Boeckman
Most likely, your business already has a website. If you don't, let's talk. Your business website may fill a variety of roles, from simply informing people of the goods and services you offer to providing a full blown e-commerce system geared towards driving online sales. But the one thing all business websites have in common is that they attempt to drive more revenue and help your business grow.
However, if you are like most companies, your website probably isn't generating business. So, what should you do? You need to redesign and/or optimize your web site to convert website visitors into new business for your company.
It's not an easy task, but luckily, there is someone who can help. A person who can tell you exactly how to structure your website in a way that will convert new business. Who is this person?
Is it YOU?
No one knows your services and products better than you, so it makes the most sense for you to develop your own web site, right? Sorry, I would have to disagree. Even that person you have on staff that knows some HTML likely doesn't understand the industry trends that can help you determine where your calls to action should be placed for maximum visibility.
Is it a Professional Web Designer or Web Design Company?
I bet since we are a web design company you thought I was going to say "yes, yes, yes." Sorry to disappoint, but no. Although you should start with a web design company / professional, they shouldn't determine the final design and functionality of your site.
Who could it be?
The answer is -- your customer! Your customer is the one who should determine the way you design and implement your website.
No, I’m not talking about going to each one of your customers and asking their opinions. I'm talking about monitoring your customers' behaviors using an analytics software. With analytics software you can evaluate how people are getting to your site and the paths they are taking once they arrive.
Our Internet Marketing Department has experience helping many clients develop a plan to gain the maximum benefit from their web site by analyzing customer behavior. Most times we find that even though a website is designed very well, it can still fall short in reaching a target audience. This usually leads to low conversion rates and loss of business.
Here are a few action items from our experience that you can easily perform to help increase conversions:
- Design your site to be easy to navigate. Create topics and make sure your copy is specific to the audience that might be viewing that particular page.
- Make sure your call-to-action is clearly identified. If you want someone to contact you, draw their attention to the contact form or information with more than just a link in your main navigation.
- Blog about industry information. Blogging will help you establish yourself as a resource for potential clients. Even if they aren’t ready to sign up today, they will view you as a credible resource online.
- If you sell products consider allowing people to purchase products without signing up for an account. The easier someone can purchase your items the better.
- If you have a secure certification make sure to place the seal your certificate authority gives you on your site to assure your potential clients that their information will be safe.
If you would like more information about our Internet Marketing Services get our Free Search Engine Analysis or contact an Internet Consultant today.