6 Solid Ways to Improve Your Website - All New Thinking, Methods and Strategies
Your website is a window into how your marketing mind works (or doesn't work!). You can tune up your site by changing your thinking. Here are 6 categories to rethink to improve your website:
1) Rethink the very first thing they see
Old thinking: Put the company name and logo at the top. Problem: Potential customers don't care about either of those things.
New thinking...
Clarify (and welcome) your audience. Make sure it's clear which niche you are targeting. Visitors should instantly know they are 'in the right place' when they arrive at your site. Don't be afraid to have the very first line on your site be something like this, "Attention all Denver Homeowners..." If you have more than one niche, have more than one website! One site for every niche.
Have a headline. If you're not a marketer, you may not know the importance of a headline. Most websites don't even have any headline! Consider changing your website so your company's name and logo is NOT at the top. Instead put a headline there. Do some research online about headlines -- the importance of effective headlines and how to write an effective headline.
2) Rethink the overall look/feel
Old thinking: Create a 'proper' website that follows the 'rules.' Problem: Does not encourage action -- or transactions!
New thinking...
Make it into an 'Advertorial.' Change the look of your site so it appears to be an article (written by you?), instead of a 'normal' website. It's called an 'advertorial.' Net surfers are looking for information. They stop on, and read (+ trust) articles. If your site looks like an article, you can include a 'resource box' at the end of the article with your contact info. It's an effective way to take the 'salesy' aspect out of your site.
Commit 'image suicide.' Forget about being slick or overly 'professional.' There's such a thing as being too slick. It's much more important to be approachable. Your site should be a realistic, inviting LINK to/towards you -- not a trendy, elitist, 'impressive' edifice. Avoid seeming to be a stuffed shirt.
Change your domain name. Consider having a different domain name for your site ($10/year). Instead of www.PoochAcademy.com, consider changing it to something more specific, generic, and descriptive (and memorable), like www.ColoradoSpringsDogTraining.com (assuming there isn't already another business by that name!). It doesn't mean you need to change the name of your COMPANY, just the domain name you use for your site. You can even have two domain names (your original one and the new one) both lead to the same site. Here's a real-life example: One domain name for the company called Pacific Radio Group is (of course) PacificRadioGroup.com. But they also have a site called MauiRadioAdvertising.com -- which is what they DO -- not their company name. Smart move.
3) Rethink the overall goal
Old thinking: Don't be pushy. Assume the visitor will figure out what to do next. Problem: They won't.
New thinking...
Reduce your expectations. Is it realistic to expect a website to be a major source of incoming new business? Don't fall prey to thinking a website is a marketing cure-all. Here's a question: On an average month, how many people does your website reach? That's actually a trick question. The answer is ZERO. Your website doesn't 'reach' anyone. No one's website 'reaches' anyone! It merely sits there and waits for people to reach it! that's not just a matter of semantics. It's actually a profound truism that bears some thinking about. Even if you have killer SEO and pay-per-click ads all over the place, your site still doesn't 'reach' anyone.
Clarify the goal. Make sure you know what you want your visitors to DO as a result of seeing your site. Make it crystal clear -- maybe in a separate box with a colored background. Don't be afraid to include a definite call to action, such as, "Email me right now -- [your email address] -- and I'll get back to you within 24 hours."
Clarify your marketing 'path.' Don't be afraid to 'ask for the order.' Make it crystal clear what action you want the visitor to take -- and make it crystal clear how you want them to take that action. Do you want them to call you, email you, buy your ebook, sign up for your ezine, sign your guest book -- what? Once you decide on the action you want them to take, repeat that request on every page. Don't leave it to chance. Don't depend on the visitor to figure it out. Make your marketing path clear and unmistakable. For example, "Just click on the blue box at the bottom of this page to sign up for my FREE weekly newsletter now."
Beware of making your marketing path longer than it needs to be. There's a tendency to think one's marketing path needs to be very long (or even endless!). The notion is, there needs to be tons and tons and tons of 'relationship building' before a sale can take place. That may not be true. Like it or not, eventually you have to put up a 'toll both.' At a certain point, potential customers must be converted into actual customers. Remember to make your marketing path as straight as possible! As curvy as it needs to be -- and no curvier. You may need less 'relationship building' than you think. Sometimes that tap-dancing can be just a self-defeating cover-up for avoiding asking for the order!
Have two email addresses they can use to respond. You can use this method to sort who is more interested -- who are 'hot' prospects. For example, your marketing path can say, "If you have questions, please email me at: info@[your domain name] -- If you are ready to get started right away, please email me at this special address: ReadyNow@[your domain name]."
Sell something other than what you sell. Especially if what you sell is a big ticket item. Offering a 'stepping stone' item for free can serve to build the relationship to make the 'big sale' more likely later on. For example, if you're a contractor, rethink your site so that it's entire goal becomes 'selling' a free audio CD called, "Top ten tough questions to ask contractors BEFORE you hire them."
4) Rethink what works
Old thinking: Do the best you can and hope for the best. Problem: Causes lazy, 'blind' marketing without comparing different approaches.
New thinking...
Test different headlines. There's an old saying: "I know half of my marketing budget is being wasted, I just don't know which half!" Don't let this happen to you. Ask your webmaster to set up what's called an A/B split test. It sends every other visitor to another almost identical site to yours. Almost identical, but ONE aspect is different -- usually the headline. Why is this important? It allows you to test different headlines. It's not unusual for one headline to outperform another by a factor of 2,000%(!). There's no way to know that, unless you test different headlines. Of course, make sure to ask your webmaster how to track which version of your site generates more responses. When you discover the winning headline, put that winner up against anther contender in another A/B test. Your site will continuously evolve and the response rate will keep improving!
5) Rethink how to get traffic
Old thinking: Use SEO and pay per click ads. Problem: Makes you into the target. The potential customer should be your target.
New thinking...
Increase traffic -- using proactive methods. Always remember, the 'target' in 'target marketing' refers to the potential customer, NOT you, the marketer! You reaching them is always better than them reaching you. Look for ways to send out 'initial sparks' to potential customers. There are too many to list here. The web isn't very conducive to proactive marketing, so many of the most effective ways are OFFline methods. Hint: Me writing the very article you are now reading, is one way to get potential customers to visit my website! Again, do not depend on SEO or pay-per-click ads, etc. That's them reaching you, not you reaching them.
Use other people's traffic. There are many ways to do this. JV (joint venture) with other non-competing businesses that deal with the same audience/niche that you do. You can cross-promote each other. This can be a free, reciprocal arrangement, just for traffic -- or a financial one where each of you gets a cut of what you sell for the other JV 'partner.' You can sell their ebook to your list, and they can sell your CD to their list, for example.
6) No one believes you. Add extras to 'make it real.'
One of the main problems with attracting new business using a website is believability. One way to increase believability is to 'make it real.'
Audio and/or video testimonials. Audio versions should also have a photo of the person speaking. And, as always, all testimonials should include the person's full name and town or website address, etc.
A link to your blog. Your blog can be random musings that would be helpful info to your potential customers. Or, it can be more focused and purposeful. If what you sell involves any kind of process that takes time (like jewelry making), your blog can be a diary of the progress. This also 'makes it real' for the visitor -- and increases believability.
Set up an online forum on the topic in which you specialize. It's a question + answer place for potential customers to ask you questions. Then your sparkling knowledge and helpfulness will shine through in a way that's on display 24/7/365. A great relationship builder, both for those who participate, and those who just watch.
"Learn this guy's secrets and you'll get more customers!" Contact Timothy Wenk now for no-nonsense, rock-solid, real-world (yet friendly) marketing advice.
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/
Added: April 25, 2008
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