As a “marketing tool”, your website has a job to do. Should it be “fired”?
It may look pretty – but is it increasing sales and leads?
If you’re one of the 54% of local businesses in the U.S. that have invested in a website, congratulations! 28% of consumers give more credibility to local businesses that have a website. You’ve taken the first step in “getting online” – and if you have any level of optimization or analytics your certainly ahead of the curve…
(source: www.blog.diyseo.com)
Increasing your local visibility and reaching new customers and clients is most likely one of your goals – so promoting that site via SEO, PPC and Social Media is the next natural step, but wait! Is your site built/designed to convert?
If promoted and optimized correctly, your attracting your most relevant, local ready-to-buy prospects, but what happens when these visitors get to your landing (or home) page? Do they call? Email? Sign-up? Buy?
From a content/design perspective, the most important elements to drive measurable action and conversions include:
- Clear contact information – this includes your phone number (local, not toll-free) on every page, as well as your physical address (and map/driving directions if your retail). Also, a “contact us” page is a natural place for much of this information as well; it also makes it easier for visitors to contact you. From a SEO perspective, it’s critical that this content be included and consistent with your local listings data.
- Call-to-action statement – or some type of special offer/discount to drive contacts (phone calls or emails). What’s your deal this month? Are you providing free consultations or estimates? How about printable coupons?
- Price/product information – a recent survey indicated that this is perhaps the most important factor in converting visitors into customers. Be clear in communicating your products or services…
Remember – successful local online visibility is dependent on your websites ability to communicate who you are, what you do, and where your located; but once your “found” – your site’s job really begins.
So is your site optimized for conversions? Here is SEL’s 8-point checklist:
8 Point Checklist For Your Local Business Website
If you can answer yes to the following 8 questions then you’re doing a good job. If the answer isno, then you have some work to do – but the rewards will be all yours.
- Do you have your physical address on every page of your website?
- Are your contact details – i.e. phone number &/0r email address – displayed near the top of your website?
- Do you have a full list of services & prices on your site and is there a clear link to them from your homepage?
- Do you have a special offer on your website and is it clearly visible on the homepage?
- Was your homepage updated in the last 7 days?
- Do you have a blog or ‘latest news’ section on your homepage?
- Does your website look better or worse than your top search competitors? (be honest here)
- Do you have at least 1 positive quote/testimonial from a customer on every page of your website?
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10 Ways to Kick Start 2012 -
from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Happy New Year!
Have a grand vision for your business.
Let’s face it 2011 was a tough year for anyone in business. 2012 can only get better so it’s time to envision the success your business will have in the New Year, the growth it will experience and the traction you’ll make through consistent and concerted effort in the right places. Keep that picture in your mind and solidify it on a daily basis through whatever works for you – vision boards, written statements, weekly progress sheets or constructive team meetings.Surround yourself with positivity.
No matter what, stay positive. Just stick to your company’s vision and think positive. Remember that problems don’t last long and having an optimistic outlook will get you through the toughest times. If you can’t muster it yourself, then turn to your support network of your best friends, mentors and advisors. Learn to let other people help you.Plan ahead.
It is always best to have a clear plan in anything you do in life, especially in business. Better yet you should aim to have a plan A and a plan B for those times when things just aren’t working out. Flexibility and acting decisively on changes in your business landscape are key to success. Being flexible is more important than rigid plans set in stone. Life happens and you need to be able to react to make the most of it.Read the other tips here.
