3 ‘Keep it Simple Stupid’ Ways to Ensure your Website Doesn’t Let You Down

The businesses of today fully understand that when you build a website it is the calling card of the 21st century. But what many fail to understand is having “just a website” is not enough.

Many companies are wisely investing in techniques to drive traffic to their website centred around their content marketing strategy – using channels such as SEO, Google AdWords, and Facebook. What they are not paying attention to however, is the “conversion power” of their website.

Top Three Mistakes Businesses Are Making With Their Website

In many cases a simple website problem is the cause behind your lack of sales. Below are some of the issues which may be staggering your website conversions:

1. 1. No Value Proposition
      If your website does not tell people what the benefits of your products or services are in an obvious and upfront manner, no one will know what you’re bringing to the table. I always say to my clients before you begin to create your brand, or when they are pivoting by re-inventing their business that we always need to do the ‘thinking’ piece before the ‘doing’ piece.
      Most businesses and many marketers jump directly into the implementation of a website refresh or campaign without thinking about the who, the what and how of the business i.e. some words that describe how you are going to solve your customer’s problems using the power of words and copyrighting to conjur up some emotion. Because after all good marketing is all about creating an emotional connection and telling a better story than your competitors.By doing this strategic planning work up front allows the brand to ‘outsmart’ not ‘outspend’ their competition. Creating this brand strategy roadmap at the outset of a project also allows the business to disrupt and differentiate themselves amongst a sea of competitive same same.Now where was I? Back to the value proposition. It is essential that we hit the user square between the eyes immediately when they come to your site to give them a good chance to get interested and keep on reading.

1. 1. No User Experience
      As soon as a visitor lands on your web page, he or she should understand exactly what you are about. The branding, the messaging, and the product offerings should be clear.Your website should also appear clearly on every platform and device from where a visitor may be viewing it.
      Far too many businesses have websites designed only for computers and laptops. Today, you need to have a website which is optimised for the mobile experience. This means having a website which will fit to a mobile screen, and having messages which can be easily read and remembered while your visitors are on the fly. You would be surprised to know that some businesses today have over 50% of all their traffic from mobile, yet still don’t have a mobile responsive site.
      Finally, the user experience is largely impacted on how quickly your site loads. If your site takes any longer than a few seconds, your visitor is going to leave. Look into how load time is affecting your bottom line, and you’ll be sure to start making better business decisions about how you can improve your website.

1. No Way To Engage The Customer Later
   To convert a visitor the first time they hit your site is not typical. It is far more likely that visitors who return to your site will be converted.The reason why they are returning is because you are reminding them that you exist. How do you do this? By gathering lead information through forms, subscription offers, white papers and other lead generating materials that will help you nurture and educate your lead. We typically call these ‘lead magnets’ where we add value, inspire or educate the user by ‘giving back’ to their user journey in exchange for the email address / contact details.Lead magnets are also a good content marketing tool to help your business become an authority within your industry. Being an authority in your industry means that you can fast track awareness, trust and a conversion or sale.…..So what other things in our kit bag do we have available to us to ensure our website doesn’t let us down? Please comment below and if you like the post please like or share.

About the Author

Simon Marmot is the founder of a small but nimble full service digital and design marketing agency called Marmot Inc. Marketing that’s all about creating emotional connections. They are a marketing consultancy where smart business owners, SME’s and marketing folks can find strategic brand clarity, campaign management, website design & build, and the creation of a bespoke & predictable lead sales funnel to grow their business.

Simon has spent the last 25 years in advertising, marketing and sales and feels fortunate to have had many brand experiences from various sides of the fence that he draws upon each and every day – agency (Saatchis), client side, digital marketing, and has ran his own SME for the last 5 years.

Find out more here www.marmot.com.au