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Have you ever sat down and really spent some time surfing through your own company
website? Are there any broken links? Are you happy with the functionality and
the graphical interface? Is it easy to navigate and find the services that you
are looking for? Well, if you haven’t done this, we strongly suggest that
you do. You could be losing tons of customers simply because your website is not
up to par with today’s standards and does not properly deliver the valuable
sales information that potential customers are looking for.
It may seem difficult at first, but try to put yourself in your customer’s
shoes and take a long look at the message that your website delivers to the
public. Pretend that you are a potential customer and it’s your first time
ever visiting your company website. Let’s start by visiting the home page.
Does it contain “sticky” content that is visually and mentally appealing?
That is, does it have what it takes to keep today’s savvy consumer clicking
through your site. Customers are getting more and more knowledgeable about the
Web as time passes by, and their time is extremely valuable. They are accustomed
to getting what they want and when they want it. If they aren’t impressed
right from the get-go, they will simply move on to the next company, in search
of the product or service that your website could not provide. Your home page
is a VERY important, if not the most important, part of your overall website.
Take the time to figure out exactly what your customers are looking for and
make it readily available on your home page, or at least have a prominent link
to the product or service in plain sight. Try to create headlines that grab
the viewer’s attention and make them ask for more.
Next, make sure that your website navigation is clean and user-friendly. If
you have buttons that lead the user into a deadend corner of your site with
no way out, then you have major problems to correct. The website user should
never have to use the “Back” button in their browser to navigate.
If they get lost, they will leave your site.
Your product or service pages should be informative and lead the customer to
a course of action. Those pages should steer the customer into purchasing online,
calling you directly or requesting more information or a custom quote. Make
sure that your phone number, preferably a 1-800 number, is visible on every
page of the website, thus lowering the path of resistance to making a sale.
Also, be sure that the rest of your contact information is easily accessible.
That includes your phone number, address and/or a contact form or email address
to reach you. We have seen many websites that do not post an address or phone
number, leaving the potential client feeling weary about the company’s
credibility.
Lastly, if your webmaster or web design firm lacks the skills to produce a
visually appealing site with strategically planned content and functionality,
then hire someone that is able to do that. It will pay off in the end!
If you have any questions or concerns about how to maximize your company’s
Internet presence, feel free to contact EarthQuake Studios for a free web &
marketing consultation.
About the Author:
EarthQuake Studios thrives on the leading edge of innovation, continually developing
services that enable our clients to improve their business models. Our service
offerings include web design & development, website hosting, domain name
registrations, marketing communications, full-color print advertising &
collateral, intranet / portal development, e-commerce, email solutions, search
engine optimization, SSL certificates and digital photography. |
