You have taken the time and money to create a website and you are now online. Maybe you have visitors that stop by, but no one buys or even calls. You are getting frustrated. Perhaps your customers are not online? The more likely answer is that your website is failing because of marketing mistakes you have made in building your website.
A website that fails to bring in business costs you twice.
- For the time and expense in building the website.
- For the lost opportunity of bringing in new business.
Let’s look at the common causes for failure:
- Customer: Lack of a clearly defined “best buyer.” Understanding your targeted audience that is most likely to purchase what you offer is very important. Visitors arrive to your website seeking something. This could be an answer to their problem. If you can help them solve their problem, they are likely to take action.
- Purpose: The website is built without a clear strategic objective. It lacks a clear action that you want your visitor to take. This could be buy now, call now, sign-up now or request a quote. The action you want your visitor to take should be clearly visible on the home page without scrolling down. The desired action should stand out and be visually apparent.
- Keywords: The wrong keywords are being used. Being found on Google is the yardstick by many people judge the success of your website. Are you using the right keywords that will bring the right visitor to your website. It is not about the number of people who arrive to your site, it is about the number of visitors that arrive seeking what you offer. The keywords you select are your foundation for bringing the right visitors to your website.
- Image: Your website gives your business a substandard image. Does your website reflect the right look for your business? Does it reflect your branding? Is it consistent with your industry? If you are a financial institution you will need a more formal website. If you have a children motivation website, your website should have a fun and playful appearance.
Websites need to be created with a strategic purpose and not just thrown together to have an online presence.
