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If you’re in business today, you almost
certainly have a
website for your business. In theory, it’s your
best
salesperson: It’s
available 24/7, and it sends motivated, ready-to-buy prospects into
your business with minimal ongoing costs. But
all websites aren’t created equal. Is yours a money
pit?
To some extent, your business type determines how directly profitable
your website can be. If you sell online, and you’re
selling
a popular product, it’s hard not to profit. But
what if you
have a professional consulting business? Is a website is
worth
it? Don’t despair – even if you don’t sell
a thing online, your website can still be a revenue-generating
investment.
The first key is to make it easy for people to find your
website.
You may have heard the buzz about “Search Engine
Optimization” (SEO for short). The process of SEO
tweaks
the content of your web pages so that the search engines list your
pages closer to the top of their search results.
Search engines used to rank web pages according to a list of keywords
that was contained in the code that made up the web page. But
people began to manipulate the keyword lists to produce false or
misleading results, so today, keyword rankings are determined through a
complex set of criteria.
Professional website designers understand the ranking criteria, and
will design your web pages accordingly. Be careful to hire a designer who
understands search engine optimization,
and who will design your site as well as educate you on how to
contribute content in a way that is attractive to search engines.
Let’s assume that your site ranks well with the search
engines,
and people can find it easily. Does that mean that it will
automatically become profitable? You guessed it –
the
answer is a resounding “No”.
Don’t
forget: Search engines don’t buy anything from
you! Optimizing
your site for search engines is your secondary goal.
Once someone goes to your page, you have less than 30 seconds to give
them a reason to stay. That means that regardless of whether
you’re selling products or services, you must make it easy for people
to find the information they need to make them want to buy.
Your site needs to show visitors why your product or service is so
superior that it’s a bargain at the price you’re
offering. Make sure that the content on your website speaks
directly to your potential clients, in language that they connect
with. Be sure
to tell visitors “What’s in it for them”
(not “All about us”).
Be clear about what
you want your website to do for you –
and then clearly tell your visitors what you want them to do when they
get to your website. Are you educating visitors about your
industry to help them make informed choices? Are you
collecting
email addresses for your database by offering a newsletter?
Do
you want prospects to call you? Make the next step obvious,
because a confused mind automatically says “No”.
Don’t let a money-pit website drag you down.
Instead, turn that money pit into a money-maker!
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By: Diane Henders, Bright Ideas Personalized
Learning Inc. For more information or computer training services,
please call Bright Ideas Personalized Learning at (403) 269-2347.
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