How to Develop a Website that Sells Learn the Crucial Elements of a Killer Website and Improve Your Web Presence By Brian Flook, MIRM, President of Power Marketing
In today's online environment, a killer website is your single most important marketing tool. Much of the time, buyers will visit your website before they ever see or talk to you in person. Your reputation and closing ratio are often determined by the website alone. What chances does your current site give you of closing a deal online?
You may want a website that is simply an interactive online brochure or you may need a comprehensive e-commerce site. Knowing your consumers allows you to build the most effective web experience.
So think: What do you want your website to do?
Do you want them to purchase something? Do you want visitors to join your database or get out their credit card? Every website should have an objective besides unique visitors. Your website is much more than a destination, it can be where your consumer eliminates you or takes action.
Once you decide what you want to accomplish with your website, you can begin to develop a killer website. So what is a killer website?
A Killer Website:
Clearly communicates your company's NICE™ message
Gives visitors what they want, QUICKLY
Is easily findable using search engines
Is easy to navigate
Entices visitors to drill deeper
Successfully collects customer data and provides immediate feedback
Developing a NICE
NICE stands for "Nearly Instant Compelling Effect." Your company's NICE message should be an instantaneous message that clearly communicates your product's most sustainable, distinctive and compelling qualities. Unlike your more traditional Unique Selling Proposition, your NICE message is all about speed and the Internet. Similar content, but designed for immediate perception.
When a prospective customer visits your website, their immediate impression is your NICE message. Within seconds your home page communicates to the buyer more about your company and your product than is reasonable, fair or desirable. BUT THAT IS WHAT HAPPENS! What is the immediate signal your website sends out? What is the instantaneous effect your website has on visitors? That is your NICE message.
Some websites communicate poor quality or shoddy marketing and design. Others communicate your company's attention to detail and use great imagery, web savvy and navigational ease to get the point across.
We all make snap decisions, and the Internet makes it that much easier to make a snap decision when making a purchase or choosing to hire a company. Don't miss out on sales opportunities — respond to the change with a great website.
Top 4 Keys for Developing a Killer Website:
Preparation is imperative
Content is king
Design matters
SEO trumps them all
Be Prepared
Carefully plan your site's navigation. Your site's navigation scheme is the essence of the experience. Ask yourself "What do my customer's want?"
Helpful Navigation Hints:
Try to limit your top-level navigation to as few links as possible
Utilize different types of links
Remember these important elements: Speed, Simple Navigation and Great Design
Use Keywords in Your Content
Mark Twain once said, "The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug." Sure, both provide light, but one gets your attention while the other demands it. Write first for your human friends and then for search engine robots. That being said — research your keywords! Pay for a keyword research project or use Google's Keyword Tool. Our SEO team at Power Marketing would be happy to price a custom SEO campaign for your company today. Just click here!
Helpful Content Hints:
Geography is important — be specific.
The narrower the focus, the better
Use keywords in the proper places: title tags, body copy, description tags, h1 and h2 headers, adwords
Use keywords everywhere you can! Including URL/URI, web copy and headers, landing pages, social media entries, syndicated articles, online PR
Think Simplicity in Design
The greatest designers know that simplicity is the supreme form of sophistication. Clutter, confusion and visual turmoil are repulsing; clean, simple design gently entertains my presence.
Helpful Design Hints:
Remember the "F-Pattern." The F-Pattern refers to the layout of your site and correlates with the way people naturally scan websites — seeing the top, upper left corner and left sides of the screen the most. So place your most important elements in the top left — important navigation, logo, branding, call to action — with text flowing on the left side.
Use the logo in the upper left and always link it as a breadcrumb back to the home page
Good photos don't sell. Only GREAT photos sell
Search Engine Optimization is Critical
SEO matters! Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an Internet marketing strategy with the purpose of improving the volume and quality of traffic to your website from SERPs (search engine results pages) using organic search results as opposed to search engine marketing (SEM) which deals with paid inclusion.
When your site is properly optimized for search engines, your web presence and Internet relevance greatly improves. SEO is crucial, but don't forget to design your site and copy for people first, then search engines. Don't forget to add media to your website, including anchor text, images, video, .pdf files, etc.
Five SEO Techniques You Can Start Tomorrow!
Use anchor text keywords in your website to link inside your website and landing pages and to other sites
Get high-ranking backlinks to your website
Use keywords in your title tag and description tags.
Make sure you have an XML site map
Rewrite your website copy with keywords loaded
If you want to succeed on Google, you must understand Google! Best of luck as you pursue your success online. Keep reading our Power Points for more tips about web design, strengthening your keywords, SEO and your overall marketing strategy. To learn more about the ideas in this newsletter and others, contact us at info@Power-Marketing.com.
How to Develop a Website that Sells
