1. Answer questions
2. Sell your service
3. Point people to action
4. Leave them with something
5. Actually work
Answer Questions
Consider all of the questions that you have when investigating a potential product or service. Of course the more questions that are answered the better. It is crucial that your web site answer as many of those questions for potential customers as possible. If nothing else, it will give your secretary a break. Consider all of the area of concerns that a person has before making a decision about purchasing your product or service. Address those. Every one of them. Take an inventory of all of those answers and use that as the foundation for your web site’s content.
Sell your service
I’m not talking about just having a “buy now” button. I mean really selling it. Showcasing your product or service in a way that really show’s its best features. If you have a unique product, post a video of how it can be used. Take detailed shots of the results of your service. Invest in good photography. It goes a long way in selling the value of your product or service. Consider photos and videos as way to really give users a chance to experience your product or service before ever buying it.
Point people to action
One of the most unique things about the web is that users are more likely to actually do things they are told. That said. Tell them what to do. Boss your users around. If you want users to contact you put a big button at the end of every page that tells them to do. Use your off line sales cycle as a model to create a checklist of the info or that people typically need to make a buying decision. For example if I am considering hiring an electrician. I might like to see some sort of certification, a ballpark estimate, maybe even some insight into his experience either through pictures or clients testimonials. A site that properly guided me through finding all of this information and prompted me to contact would be highly effective.
Leave them with something
People search the web for answers and information. Your business can benefit greatly from hosting information for download, or an informative newsletter to sign up for. Leaving your potential customers with more information is a great way to be considered as a solution. Don’t worry about your competitors getting a hold of that info. The impact it can have for gaining new clients is far greater.
Actually Work
So many sites online have broken links and pages that have been “Coming Soon” for years. Nothing frustrates a user more than a broken link or the disappointment of an empty page. It is important for your business website to have useful and informative content. A website full of broken links and unpopulated pages doesn’t reflect well on your business.
