Has it been a while since you’ve updated your website? Are you’re thinking about freshening up your web design and maybe switching to WordPress because you’ve heard it’s much easier to make changes to your site?
Chances are, your site might be due for a fresh look and feel, but it might not be the best investment. Instead, you might need a fresh approach to your digital marketing.
Ask yourself these nine questions:
- Do 90-95 % of your website visitors leave your website without engaging? If a high percentage of your site visitors don’t call, email or fill out a form, you’ll need a strategy to deal with generating conversions. It may be due to the design, but more often it’s as simple as being more bold about what you’re asking site visitors to do.
- Do you use Groupon? If you’re like most small local businesses, you don’t have a discount offer on your own site. Many companies sign up for Groupon, but don’t put the exact same offer on their own website. By simply placing the exact same offer on your website, you’ll net twice as much money!
- Do you have YouTube videos on your website? Granted, creating a great video isn’t easy, but did you know that people are 10x more likely to watch a video than read content? Every small business should include videos in their digital marketing, whether that’s on YouTube or embedded videos on their website.
- Does your website use an “auto-responder”? An auto-responder is an extra email the site visitor receives after they fill out your contact form. This is your chance to thank the visitor and present your brand as personal, proactive and customer-centered.
- Is your website integrated into you sales process? Marketing automation software helps local small businesses streamline the sales process. And if your company has an active sales force, the first step is to assign a salesperson to contact the individual directly. It can be as simple as adding a phone number field to your form so that your salesperson can call first, instead of relying on email as the first touchpoint.
- Does your website nurture and track leads? One example is to have a popup window ask site visitors if they have questions or would like to receive more information. You can have it trigger a window after a set time period – say 30 seconds or as their mouse starts to move away from your website.
- Is it clear what your site is all about? In other words, if you were to remove your company logo and pictures, would it be easy to understand what you do – and, more importantly, what sets you apart? Most local small business websites can’t be distinguished from their competition and don’t clearly present just exactly what makes unique. Writing clearly and powerfully is actually more important than a new website design – it’s what elevates you above your competition.
- How active are you on social media? And do you intentionally drive traffic back to your website? You have to be careful how you spend time on social media to make sure that it’s actually not robbing your website of the traffic it deserves. Google My Business, Bing Places, Facebook, etc. are a great way to attract attention and drive folks back to your website to strengthen your position in local searches.
- Is your business a ‘giver’? In other words, do you give away tips and advice for free? The way to sell has changed. Instead of talking about value and benefits, it’s important to position your local small businesses as an expert authority. It’s only after you’ve built trust that people will be interested in what you have to offer.
Next Steps
Take what you’ve learned from these nine questions and spend a some time brainstorming with your salesperson, employees and anyone else who has a say in your success. Come up with a digital marketing strategy and weigh it against the benefits of a website makeover. Chances are, you’ll see much more growth from digital marketing activities than from a new website design.
Let Rushminute Help
There’s a lot that goes into creating and managing your website. We know. We’ve helped dozens of clients in the U.S. strengthen their brands with website makeovers, social media management and digital marketing. If you’re in the process of updating your site or need a “go to web guy” to help you manage your digital properties, Rushminute can help. Contact Rushminute or schedule a virtual cup of coffee and we’ll talk about your vision and how a great website can help you achieve your business goals.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Robbie Moore is the founder of Rushminute, a digital marketing agency in Lincoln, Nebraska. With 20+ years of experience in digital marketing, Robbie has worked with dozens of companies and organizations, large and small, around the globe. He also writes extensively about design, development, and business in general.
