7 secrets to building websites that attract profitable customers
Building a website
Building a website for your business can be a significant financial and time investment. Before committing this effort it is critical that you are clear about your goals.
This document summarises 7 key factors about building websites that attract profitable customers to your business.
1. Laying the foundations
Get a clear understanding of how the website you intend to have built will work for your business. You may wish to sell products online, allow access to key documents, use the website as a marketing tool or simply to have your contact details published on the internet. Whatever you wish your website to do make sure you understand that a website can change your business;
- An international presence
- Secondary or primary sales channel
- Provide otherwise difficult to find information or technical data
- Showcase your products and services
- Enjoy direct sales enquiries via email
These are only some factors of how a website can influence your business. Remember, don’t feel pressured into having to sell online, it might not be right for you, however a website could provide an insight into your products and services which otherwise a potential client would never receive!
2. Target the correct audience
Like with all advertising and marketing material defining your audience is vital to the success of each particular campaign. A website should be no different. Early on in the development you should clearly define;
- Who you want to visit your website?
- What do these people require to see and do on your website?
- Why will the visit it and come back?
- How do we contact these people?
Answering these few questions alone will give you a clearer understanding of how the website should be built and what sort of information should be present on it. This will lead to a far more target site which gives the content required to the customer.
3. Get listed with search engines
Search engines have been a major buzz word for some time now and there importance to successful websites can be over powering. When building a website with search engines in mind there are certain things you should be considering right from the word go;
- Keywords: What words of phrases do you think a potential customer will type into a search engine such as google?
- Content: Search engines look for good content which relates to the subject of each page. Make sure you tell them all about your services and products in as much details as possible, so there are lots of words to search through!
4. Keep it fresh
Keeping your website up-to-date is one of the most vital things you can do! You wouldn’t give a business card to someone with your old telephone number on it, so why do it with your website!
A latest new page will keep you potential and existing clients up to speed with what is happening in your business. You can showcase new products here; tell everyone about an event your holding or anything else that a client might find interesting.
Refreshing the homepage every now and again keeps a new and updated image about your business. Don’t go stale and have the same welcoming message or image over the years, bring some excitement to the table and give your customers a real treat when they check your website.
5. Keep it simple
Probably one of the most annoying things about the internet is how complex some websites are to use. Menu systems that only work if you have XYZ browser installed, login and registration pages which require knowing what you had for breakfast this morning! Sometimes it all gets a bit too much.
If you can simplify the process, then do so. Why have 3 clicks of the mouse when one will do. This will keep your website visitors happy and give them more time to read about your products and services rather than working out to us your website in the first place.
6. Benefits not features
If you’re trying to sell products and services on your website it’s important to talk about what problems you solve with such an item.
You may well have the greatest number of pixels in your camera, but does it do anything different? Well yes, you would be able to achieve;
- Greater image quality
- Clarity and depth
- Higher resolution pictures
And so on… Your customer will be interested in what the product can do for them and how it solves their want or need for something. Only you know why your product or service does this, so don’t keep it to yourself, tell everyone and make the realise that they do really need those extra 1million pixels!
7. Stay in touch
Keeping your customer base informed and up to date brings return business. A simple newsletter once a month emailed out to your customer database will not only do this, but also drive already warm contacts to your website.
You could also allow your customers to recommend a friend to the newsletter or simply to the website. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful forms of marketing, so make it easy for your customers to do this.