Is Your Website Working for You?

One of the first steps new business owners check off their list is designing their website. After all, you figure it can help establish your credibility and attract new clients. Fast forward a couple of months and you haven’t gotten a single person visiting your site.

There are many reasons why your website may not be getting a single visitor, but more importantly is defining the strategy for your website and having it work for you. Although the website plays a much less central role than it has in years past, there are ways to leverage your website so it does the work in establishing credibility and attracting and pre-qualifying new clients.

Below are three key questions to help you fine tune your site to make it a more effective marketing tool and a key component in your marketing systems:

1. How is your website written?

You’re proud of your accomplishments so it’s tempting to write a lengthy description of your business achievements. While it is important to let visitors know of your background and credentials, it is even more important to identify how your products, services or programs are a solution to their problem.

Get their attention with benefit-oriented headline and text. You might be making a common mistake of describing the features of your products or services, yet your website visitors are looking for the outcomes they receive when they work with you.

Features focus on what makes the product while benefits focus on the experience with the product. For example, I offer a self-study program that helps business owners build their own lead generation system.

A feature of this product is “Step-by-step instructions on how to build your Lead Generation System that attracts, engages and follows up automatically with your preferred clients.”

A benefit is “Increase your conversion rates so you’re spending more time with paying clients and less time with people who are just searching for the best price.” The benefit of them purchasing this product is that they will increase their conversion rates and bring in leads automatically.

When they read your website, they will identify with those outcomes and benefits they will get when working with you or with your product. If written from your client’s perspective, you will draw in your ideal client every time.

2. Does your site pre-qualify your ideal clients?

Addressing your website in very generic terms or to anyone who comes to your site will make it less effective as a marketing tool and significantly slow down your success. In this case, specificity equals speedy success.

When you identify your ideal client, write your website with them in mind. If you’re a CPA with a niche service specializing in tax savings for family-owned businesses, you might pre-qualify your visitors by writing “Are you a family-owned business who wants to save on your taxes? When they land on your website, they will immediately feel like they have just arrived home. They align with your message because you’re speaking directly to their frustrations they are experiencing and solutions they seek. When your prospect identifies with the messages on your website, they will react with that “Ah Ha” moment that they’ve just found what they have been searching for and want to work with you!

3. Is there a call to action?

Imagine your home for a minute. Now, hide the front door. I’m sure it would be very frustrating for your visitors not to know how to reach you. The same goes for your website.

It is important to make it obvious how your ideal prospects can do business with you. Make it easy for your visitors by using “click here” or “sign up now” verbiage. Have an electronic newsletter? Make it obvious how they can sign up for it but remember the benefit. Simply saying sign up for our mailing list doesn’t cut it. What is the benefit they will receive as a result of reading your electronic newsletter?

Websites are now part of the overall marketing system critical to any successful small business owner. Gone are the days of the static website. Search engines identify sites that have regular updates and content so make sure to revise your website regularly. As your business changes, keep your site’s content fresh and continuously improve your marketing systems so they work for you.