CLIENT: My website's not working!!
ME: You mean your website is DOWN??
CLIENT: No. It's not generating any business.
Just having a website hanging around on the internet isn't going to generate business. Your website is your biggest marketing platform, so to make it work for you:
you need to constantly drive traffic to it
it needs to be a well thought out design
you need to have an audience to sell to
There are a few fundamental reasons why your website isn't organically generating you business and here they are:
1. Advertising
You've probably heard this before - your website is your online shop window. And just like a shop with an actual physical location, you need to drive people to it.
If a new customer happens to walk down the street that your shop is on and finds you, brilliant.
This is the equivalent to a new customer jumping onto Google search and finding you (as long as your SEO is spot on - we'll get to that in a minute).
But both of these scenarios require a proactive target market, i.e. you sit back and wait for them to find you.
Naughty, naughty.
So, what you could do is try this little thing called ADVERTISING.
Get off your bottom and actively put your shiny business in front of your target market - show them what they are missing and why they need you in their lives, through focused advertising. Check out How to Sell to your Audience
TOP TIP - include links to you website in all of your marketing, especially digital marketing, like social media posts.
2. Design
If I've designed your website, you can skip this bit babe. You're welcome.
Otherwise go back and make sure that your website has all of the information that your client expects to see, for example: details about your service / product, what the benefits are, how much they cost, how to buy from you and reviews / portfolio of your work.
Then you need to make sure that you have organised your information over an intuitive layout, where your clients can easily find everything they need to know, for example: is your menu system clear and simple, do your buttons look like buttons, do all links work and go to the correct destinations, is your site is brand aware and is the overall design is nice to look at.
3. Content
Content writing is an actual profession, so if you're interested I can recommend top copywriters that will work with you and write content for your site that is engaging with your target market, on brand and will support your SEO.
Your content needs to be concise and engaging for your target market - no one wants to read through paragraphs of you waffling on.
Don't leave your visitor trying to connect the dots about what your business does, how much you cost and how to buy from you. Learn how to write great content or hire a professional.
3. SEO
Again, Search Engine Optimisation this is an actual profession, so I can recommend SEO specialists if you need me to.
Don't just set your site up for SEO and kick back expecting the phone to ring. SEO is ongoing, so once you've set it up you have to keep it going.
SEO is not a switch you flick on and then your website lights up on the internet for everyone to see. It's more like one of those wind up torches that requires your involvement to keep it lit.
SEO is made up o many different components - two main things are the design of your layout and the content you have written.
As a Business Owner you have 3 options on how to tackle your ongoing SEO:
DIY - take the time and effort and learn how to do SEO yourself
PAID FOR - find an expert and pay them to do it for you
NONE - do none of the above and hope for the best
Interestingly I chose option 3. I've never consciously worked on my SEO but actually it's never been a problem for me because I'm hot on my marketing, blogging and driving traffic to my site - so I guess, without knowing it, I've gone for option 1.
4. Prices
This is a whole other blog post waiting to happen and a debate I often have with small Business Owners: Should I put prices on my website?
YES! Dammit. Yes.
Having prices on your website is all about finding your Ideal Client (i.e. someone who sees the value in what you do and can afford to pay you for it).
If your ideal client (someone who COULD afford you) doesn't see prices on your website they may never enquire because they 1) assume you are too expensive or 2) can't be arsed to jump through your hoops in finding out how much you charge.
6. Funnels
Keep your sales funnels short and make it easy for someone to buy from you. Think about how many stages you are you making potential clients go through before they can buy from you.
For example:
Social Media Ad about specific service / product >
link to dedicated Landing Page including all relevant details and prices >
a BUY NOW button frequently displayed on the Landing Page
When you drive traffic to your site through your advertising, make sure you use links / URLs to dedicated pages, i.e. landing pages that give them all of the relevant information they need and a BUY NOW button - don't just send people to your website Homepage and make them search for the content they are looking for.
7. Utilisation
You have a website that looks great and offer fab content for your visitors but are you utilising your website's functionality and features to it's entirety? For example:
Do you have a newsletter or blog sign up to grow your mailing list?
Do you offer a low cost download as a lead magnet to an upsell?
Can people book appointments or make payments through your website for a short sales funnel?
Are you using email marketing and automations to stay in touch with your clients and save you time?
8. Organic Growth
If you are marketing and growing your business organically (i.e. through hard work, time and effort), ask yourself if you've given it enough time to be successful.
If you're a new business with no audience you will need to strategically market your business for 90 days (plus!) before you see any sales.
So if you've just launched your business give yourself a 90 day lead time before you throw your website in the bin.
WHAT NOW?
If you like what you've just read, this is your personal invitation to join my newsletter mailing list for more tips and advice about web designs, brand design, marketing and my honest experience on what it's like to be a small business owner ..
BIG KISSES
Claire x