2020 has
changed the way we do business and the importance of having an online presence
has become even more paramount. With
worldwide lockdowns and social distancing there is now more focus on online
trading and many businesses have turned to websites and social media to support
them during this challenging time. With
the help of simple tools available, online websites can be easy and cost effective
to build yourself. But be aware - there is more to successful website design
than you may realise. How do you get your website to perform well in searches, does
your website look good on a smartphone, is your website helping or hindering
client acquisition? Below we will look
at why, now more than ever before, it is important to ensure your website is
more than just an online sales brochure.
Your website
is the first place your customers will look
It
represents you and your business. It has
become the first point of contact in almost every business transaction from
searching for the address of a local store to making an online purchase without
any direct communication with the business. And, it’s true - first impressions
count. Would you interview the job applicant turning up in jeans for a senior office
role? It’s the same for your website. In fact, it is widely accepted in the digital
marketing industry that you have just 10 - 20 seconds to make a good impression
– one that encourages customers to stay on your site, explore more and engage
with your business. This means you need
to clearly communicate your value proposition in a few seconds.
Your website
is where your customers engage with you
There
really is no point in spending your advertising budget sending potential customers
to a website that doesn’t represent your brand well and doesn’t convert these
potential customers into actual customers.
In order to ensure your website does do these things you need to understand
clearly what you want it to do – what is your goal? Is it information sharing,
to get customers to call, or for them to actually make an online purchase? A
good average session time on a website is 2 to 3 minutes. Not much! Don’t leave your customers guessing
what they need to do to engage with you - have a clear ‘call to action’. You
need to lead them easily to register, call, signup or buy and you only have
minutes to do this.
Your
website belongs to you
Unlike a
Facebook or Instagram business page your website is yours and is fully
customisable by you. It is your opportunity
to tell your prospective clients about your business and products or
service. How it looks and how your prospective clients
interact with your website is totally up to you. Social media, on the other hand, is one
standard format and you have to work within their parameters. Additionally, social media sites, like Facebook,
are coming under increasing pressure to censor information and can (and do) change
the rules regularly.
Social
media is, however, an important part of your digital marketing campaign. Posting an article on LinkedIn will generate
interest on LinkedIn. To fully work for
you it needs to also direct customers to your website. Similarly with Facebook or Instagram, the
goal of any post should be to direct prospective customers to your website – where
you can wow them with your products, services and knowledge.
Your website
needs to look good on all devices
It’s easy
to forget when you are building your website on a laptop or computer that it
might not look the same when your customers view it on a mobile phone or
tablet. Mobiles, excluding tablets,
account for more than half of worldwide website traffic. Ensuring your website
looks good and performs well on all devices needs to be a priority.
Your website
needs to appear in searches
Let’s face
it - how potential customers find your website is fundamental. We’ve discussed
being directed from other forms of digital media, but the chances are that more
than half your website traffic comes from ‘organic searches’, using search
engines such as Google. The way that search engines handle a search and decide
which websites to rank highest in the search results is a hugely complex process. Ensuring your website is discoverable and performs
well in the ranking means understanding Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). There are many facets to SEO but they
include using ‘keywords’ throughout your website, using ‘metatags’ in titles
and ‘alt text’ for pictures. Keywords
are the words that prospective customers will use to search for your site and
in order for search engines to find you they need to appear in the right places
on your website.
Using a simple
website building tool yourself may seem easy and cost effective, but unless you
truly understand what is important and how to make your website work for you,
you could be wasting your money.
At
Market Elements we are experts on
website design, Search Engine Optimisation
and creating content using your most important keywords.
Call us Now for a Free Consultation on 03 218 4020
or
Click here to send us a message.
