You made it through another year in our recession. Congratulations! You obviously have a head for business. If your goal this New Year is to refine your online presence and drive more web-based traffic, we’ve got a few tips you might like to consider.
1. Traffic
First and foremost, online efforts are for naught if no one can find you. The number one reason people hire YDO is to build a fantastic looking site. The number one thing we tell people is, it doesn’t matter how good it looks if no one visits it, so also set a priority on bringing the kinds of people who could use your product or service to your “door.”
2. Curb Appeal
People make snap judgments based on first impressions, it’s just the way our world works. If you clean carpets better than anyone or have the best cupcakes in the universe, it won’t matter if your website doesn’t reflect that. Work with your designer to understand how to best “visually showcase” your product or service.
3. Usability
Consider for a moment, how you conduct your own web searches. Perhaps you are traveling and you want to find a good restaurant in your vicinity. Maybe you’re searching for a specific product online. If you are like most people, you will type in key words relevant to your search and scan the top ten of probably thousands or even millions of results. You likely visit the top two or three sites that catch your eye, and if you haven’t found what you’re looking for, you’ll go on to refine your search in the search bar rather than skip to page two.
That’s how the majority of customers are likely to approach your site. You can have the most eye-popping website in your business, but if it’s not easily navigable or set up to offer your visitors the information they are seeking, you’ll quickly lose them to a competing site that readily offers users the experience they seek.
4. Value
Once you capture traffic on your website, you need to establish value to your potential customers. If you sell widgets, customers want to know if they can receive bargain-basement prices on loads of widgets or get one highly customized widget—spare no expense. They want to know if there are a variety of widgets to choose from, or what makes your widgets special. Perhaps you offer an exclusive guarantee, free shipping, the best quality, disposable widgets at reduced prices, or widgets that will solve a multitude of problems for your customers. Whatever makes your product or service appealing to your customers is what you should emphasize in the value proposition on your website.
There are a lot of angles to consider when crafting your online presence. Remember, if your team is too busy to set up, monitor, or maintain your online presence, companies like Your Design Online can partner with you do supplement your efforts or handle the whole process.
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