If you're spending money on any kind of advertising to promote your business and website, you could be leaving money on the table if your website isn't up to par.
There are many ways to get visitors to your website, including a search engine optimization program, pay per click, email marketing, social media programs, blog sites or just handing out your business card that has your website address on it. However, what visitors do once they get to your website is just as important as getting them there. If you finally landed that business meeting you've been trying to get for a year and showed up in shorts, a T-shirt and tennis shoes, what's your chance of a successful outcome?
There are many factors in determining whether you'll capture sales via your website. The most important things when grading your website's ability to convert is its overall quality and visual appeal, which promotes credibility. It should also load fast and be easy for consumers to read, navigate and find the information they need.
Here are 10 things you can check off when grading your website's ability to convert visitors into customers:
1. Easy to use. Make your website easy to navigate; too many options just confuse and distract visitors. I recommend no more than six primary buttons (e.g., Home, Products, Services, About Us, Contact Us). Avoid clutter! Too much information just makes it hard for your visitors to find what's important. Be succinct and to the point. You can put other content and detailed information behind a click-for-more-details link or as a drop-down menu under a primary link. For example, put resources, FAQ's, articles, media, etc. as a drop-down item under About Us. Make it easy for visitors to find your products and services. Put links to more information below summary paragraphs.
2. Be visual. Add a slideshow to the top of your homepage with three ads to five ads that instantly communicate your top marketing message(s). Find visuals that instantly communicate what you offer or how you can solve a problem. Use this area to communicate your unique selling proposition or your top two to three "why buy" statements. These ads should grab visitors attention and be memorable.
3. Trust and credibility. Separate yourself from the millions of businesses that are hiding from their customers by posting your privacy and return policies. Be fair. For example, if something is on back order, let consumers know before they try to order it. Also, not everybody uses Internet Explorer anymore. Test your site in Chrome, Safari, Firefox and on iPads to ensure the experience is the same across all primary browsers.
4. Promotion boxes. Use promotion boxes with coupons or specials on your best-selling products or services. Doing so allows you to show off the best of what you have to offer as well as give visitors another reason to buy. Shoppers love the word "free"; try integrating it into a promotion.
5. Most desired action. Have a most desired action (e.g., free shipping when you order now) easy to find, such as in the header. Make it easy for visitors to contact you. Put your phone number in the header, which should be visible on every page.
6. Lead capture. A small lead-capture form should be visible on your homepage (e.g., schedule an appointment, win a prize or join our mailing list). Make it super easy to contact them. Only ask for name, email address and phone number, as well as the best time to contact them for the service needed. Some consumers are surfing the web at 3 a.m. or are too busy to make contact, but will send a message to you with their contact information.
7. SEO optimization. Don't dilute your primary keywords with hundreds of keywords. Choose the five most relevant keywords to your business and use them consistently in your titles, meta tags and homepage copy. Good copy is important for Google position. Include a welcome message, short company description and summary mission statement below the first view on your homepage — include your top keywords in this copy as well. The rest of your copy should be located under Services or About Us (or a drop-down menu under About Us).
8. Video. Add video to your website. Video communicates effectively with visitors and has SEO value as well. Use video to describe your products, discuss your service or feature customer testimonials.
9. Social media links. Add links to your Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube pages. A certain segment of your customers will prefer using these sites to connect with you. Having a "Like" button on your homepage makes it easy for visitors to opt in to receiving information from you.
10. Add reviews and testimonials. Feature your best customer reviews and testimonials in marketing campaigns. Video testimonials, if you have them, are particularly effective. If your Yelp reviews are good, add a few of them to your site along with a Yelp logo with a link to your Yelp page.
Jared Gerber is the owner of IMAGINE IT Web Design & SEO. Jared can be reached at jared.gerber@imagineit.com.
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