Focus on your customer
Too many websites speak only about products and services. For the most part, consumers don’t really care about products and services. Consumers are interested in how products and services will benefit their lives.
Suppose your business builds Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software. Instead of creating a website that focuses on and database size, try focusing web pages on the specifics of building a relationship. For instance: How often should I contact a customer after he calls me? How can I get to know a customer better without being intrusive? How can I send emails that my customers will actually receive?
Clean design
An effective website is one that is easy to navigate, is not cluttered with ads, and loads instantly. According to Dr. Gitte Lindgaard, from Carleton University in Canada, the average person can determine the relevance of a website in 0.05 seconds. In comparison, it takes the average person .300 seconds to blink their eye.
Unfortunately, many businesses want to integrate the latest bells and whistles that either slows the page’s loading time or distracts the reader from the website’s core message. Before writing anything on a web page, ask yourself, “Does this add value to my reader?”
Be a real person
When someone approaches you and asks what your business does, do you say “We provide integrated software to increase corporate synergies?” Of course not, the person asking you would most likely have no idea what you are talking about.
Speak on your website as you would speak in person. This allows the reader to feel more engaged, and they will quickly understand your business, your products and your philosophy.
Remember, you have only a fraction of a second to capture your readers attention. There is no time to waste by making them think.
Capture leads
Not everyone who stops by your website is going to purchase your product or service the first time. That’s OK. But you need to capture the names and email addresses of those potential customers who are interested in your product and service, but aren’t ready to buy, just yet.
Many websites have a “call for more information” button. That’s no longer good enough. You need to tell customers what kind of information they will be getting. How this information will help them. Remember, you need to focus on your customers, even when trying to capture their names and email addresses.
Optimize for search
Last but not least, you need to make sure that your website is found. The old adage “if you build it, they will come” most certainly does not apply to websites. Millions of them are lost, seen only by the employees of the company.
The businesses who dominate search, dominate the web. Discover what phrases your customers are using to find your products or services, and optimize your website for those specific terms and phrases.
