Step 10: Use analytics to see what needs work.
Whether you are a Do-It-Yourselfer, or you’ve hired a professional to create your website, you absolutely must watch the traffic on your site and analyze it to see what’s working and what isn’t. Some DIY sites offer their own website analytics, but if yours doesn’t, I strongly recommend Google Analytics – a free tool that helps you track the visitors …
Step 9: Quality photos.
OMG! This is critically important! I say this all the time: “It’s better for you to have a really awesome photo of a potted plant on your website, than a mediocre photo of something related to your business.” The quality of the photos matters far more than the actual content. Why? Because the quality of the image is the first …
Step 8: Get your video on.
If you want a better website, add video. It’s engaging, it keeps visitors on your page longer, it’s great for Google Juice, and it’s more motivating than plain old text. Embedding a YouTube video isn’t hard, and don’t let your web designer tell you it is. The hard part is producing a video that people will want to watch. The …
Step 7: Integrate your platforms.
No, I’m not talking shoes. I’m talking Social Media! Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube are at the core of most successful online marketing strategies. But just having those platforms and posting to them isn’t enough any more. Today, it’s more important than ever that all your platforms be integrated. Your website should have links to all your Social Media platforms, …
Step 6: Testimonials
Testimonials work. I can tell you that I personally don’t put much stock in testimonials, because I know that companies don’t post anything but their most glowing reviews on their websites. But I can also tell you that research shows that Americans in general put a great deal of stock in testimonials. Not only do they read them, they are …
Step 5: Sweeten the pie.
One goal that I believe your website should have is to collect your visitor’s contact information so you can stay in touch with them in the future. I’m a big believer in email marketing (as you know if you receive my monthly newsletters). And capturing your website visitors’ email addresses is critical for a successful email marketing campaign. Let’s face …
Step 4: Make it motivating.
Professional sales people know that any good sales presentation leads the prospect down a prescribed path, through a series of phases that logically progress to the final YES. They know how to Close the Sale! And although business leaders want their websites to motivate people to buy, very few websites actually do that. In fact, it’s been my experience …
Step 3: Simplify the navigation
Google has hundreds of thousands of pages of content on their website. But they manage to keep their homepage clear of clutter and simple to use. It’s not a question of quantity, but of organization. Here are a few tips to keep your website easy to navigate. Every page should have the same main navigation bar, with the same links, …
Step 2: Make every page impressive.
In step 1, I encouraged you to WOW your visitors on the homepage because that’s the best place to make that awesome first impression. But the truth is, many of your website visitors won’t land on your homepage first. Especially if they found you on Google, chances are very good that they will click on a link that takes them …
Step 1: Open with WOW!
You wouldn’t show up for a job interview with a mustard stain on your shirt, would you? Well, first impressions are important on the web too. Your website is your corporate image, so if it doesn’t dazzle your visitors, what IS it saying to them? That you are a so-so sort of a company? That you are Just-like-the-other-guys? Or worse? …
