Why does your business have a website? You may think because everyone else does, or because you have to. But have you really ever sat down and thought about what you want your website to do for your business? Now in a perfect world you would have first developed an online strategy and then figured out the tools and tactics you were going to use to accomplish this. However, I realize that most small businesses don’t do this. At best they get someone to design them a nice website, because “that’s just what you’re suppose to do.” O.k. fine, that was then this is now. So going forward what do you want from your website?
Three Simple Things
I’m currently reading Web Analytic’s 2.0 by Avinash Kaushik and right from the start of the book he states something that while seemingly obvious is missed by many business owners.
A website attempts to deliver just three types of outcomes: Increase Revenue, Reduce cost, Improve customer satisfaction/loyalty
Thats it. Three simple things.
So which one of those three outcomes is your website delivering?
Increase Revenue by Generating Leads
I want to focus on increasing revenue. Many small businesses that are selling a product or service (not e-commerce) make the mistake of giving and not getting. By that I mean your website is full of great information about your company, product and services but there is no obvious way for a customer to go to that next step in the buying process. Maybe for your buyer the next step is to get a quote or find a local dealer. If that’s the case there should be a clear path for your customer to do this. I’m not talking about a contact us section either. Sure you have a contact us section but the next step needs to have a harder more obvious call to action than that.
Your site needs to have a clear call to action that is repeated throughout. For example you could have a big box on the upper right hand side of every page that offers a FREE quote and gives a buyer a place to put in their email address. Perhaps you could offer a free informational DVD about your product which would allow customers to learn more. You can also use live support which allows someone to chat with a customer online right then. The point is you need to direct your buyer step by step through your website.
Don’t Be Afraid To Ask
A common mistake many small business websites make is that they a) don’t give enough information b) don’t ask for the “order”. Asking for the “order” doesn’t necessarily mean asking them to buy your product right now, although it can. It means asking your customer to do whatever the next step in the sale process is.
Again the reoccurring theme by business owners is that they want their site to be more classy, elegant or understated. However your customer just wants information and direction on how to get that. Your going to help them by directing them to the next step. Ask them to get a quote, ask them to call you now, ask them for their email, ask them to get that free DVD on your great product. You need not be afraid of asking.
Most Websites Suck
In his book Mr. Kaushik says “I believe most websites suck because HiPPO’s create them. HiPPO is an acronym for “Highest Paid Persons Opinion”
Whatever you do don’t design by committee and opinions. The stuff I’ve talked about works, you need to be asking for the “order”. Don’t worry if you you’re not doing it now, just change it. Heck even on my company website we don’t do enough of it. We do some, but we could be even better. The beauty of your business website is that it can be ever evolving, tweaking and improving. Make those changes today.
Does your website currently have a call to action? If so leave a link with it in the comments section for others to see what it looks like.
One Last Simple Tip
Put your phone number in the upper right corner of your website next to “Contact Us Now” or “Call Us Today”. It should be visible on every page throughout your website. You can sign up for my free newsletter where I will give more tips for you to use on your website.