In theory, your business website should be a 24/7 sales machine. Customers and potential customers should be able to access the site at any time, educate themselves about the value you provide, and ultimately order a product or service right then and there—or at the very least, be able to reach out to you by e-mail or by phone to set up a consultation, or to ask for more information.
Would you say this is true of your business website? Is your website like a highly productive sales representative—or does it just sort of sit there, an online placeholder for your company?
An even more telling question: What happens with the traffic your website receives? Do you get a lot of visitors who turn into full-fledged, paying customers—or do you find that your website simply does a poor job of converting leads into actual sales?
If your website isn’t converting, there’s got to be a reason for it—and it’s probably one of these:
- If your website isn’t converting, it could be because you’re not offering real value. We say this all the time, but it’s important: Many business websites are conceived with the notion that the site needs to be all about the business, telling the business’ full story in play-by-play detail, when in reality the website needs to focus on the consumer. Think about it from your customers’ perspective: What kinds of value can you offer to them? What benefits do they receive from ordering your products or enlisting your services? What solutions can you offer to their problems? Those are the things to focus on with your small business website.
- Your website may not be converting because you’re not educating. In addition to offering value, your site also needs to offer perspective. You need to address common inquiries that customers have about your products—are they easy to use, cost-effective, etc.? What are their applications? What is the customer process like at your company, and what should a client expect when he or she does business with you?
- Another reason your website isn’t converting: You’re talking to the wrong people. Who are your clients? What are their problems, and their values? How can you ensure that your website is targeted to their needs? This is where buyer personas might come in handy.
- Your website may not be converting because you lack compelling calls to action. You can’t just assume that people will pick up the phone to call you; you have to ask them to. You should have a compelling call to action on every page of your site.
- Finally, if your website isn’t converting, it may be something as simple as a lack of contact information. You need to make it as easy as possible for people to place an order, or to ask you questions about what you do. Do you have company contact information on every page of your site? Is it complete and up-to-date?
Need more help troubleshooting your company website? Reach out to the Grammar Chic, Inc. team today: Call 803-831-7444, or visit http://www.grammarchic.net.
The Red Ink 