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Are you wasting some of your website’s potential? Do you just see it as somewhere people go to check you out once they already know you?
While you may think of your website as a mere formality, it can do so much more for you. It’s there and you’ve paid for it, so why wouldn’t you leverage it? There are several easy ways you can make your website more visible and relevant, and make it work harder for you.
How can your website help your business?
A website can help your business in many ways. It should do a lot more than just serving as a glorified business card.
Maybe you are used to networking. Perhaps you belong to a group (or two!) or go along to pay-as-you-go networking meetings.
Networking is all about getting to know people who can then refer you to their friends and associates. It’s a bit like having your own private sales force who are out there selling your services.
Building 'know, like, and trust'
To be successful, you need to make sure people know what you do and that they get to know, like, and trust you. It’s an investment in time and effort and requires a consistent and measured approach. It’s a long game.
There’s no point in turning up to one networking meeting with the attitude of ‘what’s in it for me?’, giving everyone the hard sell, then disappearing into oblivion while expecting the business to roll in.
No one is going to want to recommend you or use your services themselves. After all, what do they really know about you? What exactly do you do? Can they really trust that you know what you are talking about and will do a good job?
Networking needs you to show up regularly and slowly build up a reputation. You need to offer value and expertise. You need to give, not take. As people get to know, like, and trust you they will begin to think of you when they or someone else they come across needs your services.
Your website can add value to your business too
People you network with need to be confident you know what you’re talking about and won’t let them down. And your website can help you show people you haven’t even met all these positive things about your business too. Your website should behave like a good networking contact.
Your website should be out there, proving how great you are and selling for you while you are doing other things.
What does a 'good' website need?
A ‘good’ website will work hard for you.
it should reflect what you do. It should be engaging, informative, show you as an expert, and offer value to anyone visiting it. If it is all these things the search engines and your visitors will know you’re someone they can trust.
Search engines want to do a good job for their clients. They don’t want to direct people to wrong or poor information.
Make sure your website looks and sounds professional
Everyone wants to deal with a professional so make sure your website looks as professional as possible. Outsource as much as you can afford to and prioritise the things that matter most to your customers. If you have a highly visual business, you’ll want to prioritize great photography.
Make sure you don’t have any spelling or grammar errors – research has shown that 59% of people abandon a website with errors as it shows a lack of professionalism and attention to detail.
Your website copy should appeal to your target audience
Make sure your text is professional, consistent, and talks to the target clients you are looking for. You need the right keywords and phrases in all the right places to tell the search engines what they need to know too.
Your services should be explained clearly and concisely, in a way that is engaging and informative. You need clear calls to action to encourage people to do more than scroll and move on.
People are visiting your website for a reason – they already want to know what you can do for them and how you can help.
They don’t want to have to read through rambling text that isn’t clear, or spend ages searching for your contact details. So make sure it’s fit for purpose.
Add social proof to your website
Social proof is when people are influenced by the behaviour of others. It’s called herd mentality – if everyone’s doing it, it must be the right thing to do. It’s how fashion works: one minute you wouldn’t be seen dead in something, the next minute everyone’s wearing it and you need it too.
So, if you can demonstrate how popular and amazing you are, the more likely other people are to want to get in on the action.
Include logos and other credentials that show you’re an expert: things like memberships or accreditations, or numbers of likes or sales, and so on.
Use case studies and testimonials
Testimonials and case studies about how you have helped your customers give you opportunities to show what it would be like working with you. How can you can solve a problem and create a positive outcome?
Prove you are the expert with interesting blogs
Your website needs to show people you know what you’re talking about and that you care. So you also want to give them information and advice, not just try to sell at them.
This is where things like blog posts and videos can be invaluable.
People want to see proof you know what you are talking about. They want to know you care. That they matter, and even that they can be part of a like-minded community
Blogging around your subject can showcase you as an authority. You can share insights and your perspective on things that matter to you and your customers.
Blogs can help reiterate your brand values and open up opportunities for discussion and reflection within the community you are building.
Keeping people engaged with your company and your brand keeps you front of mind.
The more information you have on your website that’s related to what you do and that’s well written, informative, and contains the right keywords, the better your domain authority. And that’s what the search engines care about.
Don’t forget you can use blogs for social media posts too.
Update your website regularly
If you are doing all the things we have talked about, like posting blogs and testimonials, for example, you will be updating your website regularly.
To make your website work harder for you you will need to update your website on a regular basis.
If you neglect your website the search engines can start to assume it might not be current or relevant anymore. Updating it regularly should have a similar effect to turning up consistently at networking meetings. It should make it more visible to the search engines, meaning it should turn up higher in searches for your product or service.
Don't forget SEO
A website can show your expertise and build trust and authority. But it won’t help if no one ever sees it.
It doesn’t matter how great it is, if the search engines can’t find it, they won’t list it in searches. Make sure you have all the right keywords and phrases, headings and so on.
Making your website work harder for you
Your website can work harder for you, so make sure you give it the tools to do so.
Make sure it’s as professional as it can be, remember to update it regularly and keep an eye on SEO. Give your customers reasons to use you, with testimonials, case studies, blogs, and so on. If you’re not sure where your copy could be improved, an SEO website copy audit will uncover all the issues and give you the means to improve.
A professional copywriter can help you with your written content and SEO to ensure your website is doing all the things it should be doing. If you would like to have a chat about how I could help you make your website work harder for you, please get in touch.