1. Make sure your website is on all your online and offline marketing efforts.
Check it off!
- Online listings; Google Business Profile, Apple
- All social media profiles
- On your letterhead
- In your email signature
- Business cards
- Brochures
- Standing Newspaper Ads
- Chamber Listing & Ads
- Product labels
- Product packaging
- Direct mail pieces
- Voicemail
- Invoices and Statements
- Vehicle and building signage
- Local TV or Radio Ads
- On the front desk/customer service area
2. Don’t waste any precious space
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- Your homepage doesn’t waste space with a generic “Welcome”
- Scan for “fluff” and modify.
- Reduce “I’s” and “We’s” – focus on the customer
- Rewrite or add headings to include powerful keyword phrases
- Use your email footer to include current info and links to key pages customers care about on your website
- Use your title tag space to highlight what’s on each page
- Use descriptive “Categories” and “Tags”on blog posts
3. Ask Questions & Learn
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- When someone emails you, ask how they heard of you.
- When someone contacts you from your website, ask how they found you.
- When someone buys from you, ask who referred them.
- Ask visitors which search engine or social media platform they prefer.
- Ask for feedback
- Ask what you could add to the site to help your clients.
- Utilize forms on your blog to ask the right questions and track feedback
- Consider a timely survey to customers using an email automation
- Use your Google Analytics to how visitors are finding your website
Tip: After you ask questions and get feedback from clients, be sure to make things happen. Did they ask you for a user’s guide? Get one put on the website. Did they ask you where they can find an outdated part? Post the answer on your site or Facebook page. Chances are other visitors are looking for the same things. Be the first to offer it and stay ahead of your competition.
4. Stay current- Things change daily. New opportunities become available.
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- Your website footer includes an updated copyright and current physical address (search engines like this and it’s critical for local searches, mapping, etc)
- Read your website. When’s the last time you read everything on there? Look for dated material. If things are old, chances are visitors will leave before buying anything
- Change the message in your email signature and your voicemail.
- Take a look at competitor websites. What are they doing that’s new? Take notes.
- Consider more or new social marketing venues that are a great fit for your business, prospects, and customers.
5. Avoid Quick Fixes
Check it off!
- If you receive an unsolicited email offering to help you get in search engines or drive thousands to your website, ignore it. Stay the course with the simple things listed here and you’ll fair much better.
- Spend time building quality links from sources that are reputable and add value to the user experience. Start with vendors, suppliers, dealers, sister companies, forums, user groups, fan pages, news sources, associations, memberships, and complimentary industries. This will benefit your website greatly. The only investment is your time and good judgment.
- Make sure your homepage and all graphics/photos/content loads in a couple seconds. This is especially critical for those who have the ability to make changes to their own site. It’s fun to add photos, but if they don’t load fast, it’s better to leave them off.
Tip: If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Vivid Image can help you weed out spam offers
