Is your website an integral part of your business? Or is it just something you know you need to have and you try not to think about too often? I was talking to a client yesterday who had seen a significant increase in his turnover simply by moving nowhere on Google to the second page. Understandably he’s excited about the potential of moving higher up the search engine rankings as this is likely to have an incredibly positive effect on his business.
Optimising your website is just one way of making sure that your business benefits from your online presence, but it is by no means the only way. An effective website is about more than just where you rank on Google. Try thinking about the following:
Does the design fit with your brand? It’s not uncommon to see a beautifully designed website which bears no relation to the printed material of a business. Or worse still, a horribly dated website which just looks out of sync with the new branding. Prioritise getting everything working together, it really will make a difference.
Is the design appealing to your target audience? Does it tell them what they want to know? Or what you’d like them to know?
What is the goal of your website? What would you like people to know, think and do when they visit your site? How obvious is that?
How does your sales process work? And where does your website fit within that sales process? Do you expect people to be Googling for one of your products, visit your site and buy on line? Or do you offer a service where people are more likely to meet you at an event and then ‘check you out’ before calling/ emailing for a meeting. Of course it may be a combination between the two, but if you can be realistic about how your website fits into your sales process you’ve got a better chance of making it really effective.
What is the purpose of your website? For some it may be a reference site (for example a firm of chartered Surveyors) for others it may be your only source of income (if you’re selling car seats online for example).
How easy is it for your visitors to navigate their way around your site? Is the menu bar easy to follow? Are there pages hidden within pages? Is it easy to find what you’re looking for?
Is there a call to action on every page?
Does every page have a different purpose? Ideally (and especially for optimisation purposes) you’ll have one page for each product or service that you offer.
If you’d like to talk to us about your website why not contact us for a website consultation? You can call us on 01483 401 818 or email guildford@printing.com.
