Do you have a web site for your business? Not a Facebook page, not a Yelp page, but a real, honest-to-goodness www dot something?
If you answered no, take a moment to read about why your answer should change ASAP. If you do have a web site for your small business, you are in the 45% of smart business owners who are making the commitment to marketing within the most important medium of our times. We don’t have to tell you about how often people are looking for you via their smart phone, sitting on the couch searching for your site with their tablets on their laps, or reading about you via social media links to you from your existing customers. You already suspect or know all of that, and that’s part of the reason you have a site.
What you may not have considered is why your web site exists, beyond “we need a web site.” Your business’ goal for your site may not be as clear as you think. “Traffic,” in and of itself, isn’t enough of a goal. Today we’d like to talk about a few common goals of a business site and the components that help businesses achieve those goals.
Goal #1: Get People to Buy Your Products
If you are running a commerce site, your goal is for people to buy things. Ideally, you want them to buy the right things for them so that they’ll be very satisfied, come back, and buy more. You also want them to get their friends to buy things too. These “things” can be anything from custom smartphone cases to audio files of guided meditations to white papers to conference registrations — it doesn’t matter, really. Success achieved on the “buy stuff” goal is the easiest to measure.
What Your Site Needs:
- Flawlessly functioning e-commerce software
- Seamlessly integrated social sharing buttons on every single product in your online store
- Clear instructions for purchase and returns
- Easy-to-find customer service contact information
Goal #2: Get Customers to Visit Your Brick-and-Mortar Location
Are you an actual, in-person, come-say-hi retail storefront business? Whether you’re selling products online or not, if you want people to come to your store/fitness studio/nail salon/restaurant, your web site needs some very specific pieces of information to be obvious on the front page and throughout the site. Success is measured here by foot traffic and, if possible, comments from your customers about having found your most useful information online.
What Your Site Needs:
- An address in the same place on every single page of the site
- A phone number in the same place on every single page of the site
- Business hours listed in the same place on every single page of the site
- A top-level navigation item labeled either “Find Us,” “Our Location,”or “Directions”
- A map and driving/public transportation/walking directions to your location
- A photo or two of your space
- If you are a restaurant, a top-level navigation menu item labeled “Menu” that links to your current menu
- If you are a service business (like a salon or pet-groomer or auto repair shop), a list of your services with prices
Goal #3: Get People to See You as an Expert
Sometimes, the most important thing you want to get from your site is respect. It’s not going to translate immediately from a web site visit to a sale, but slowly getting to know a business-owner professionally often results in the most long-lasting business relationships. Your web site is an opportunity to share your vision and expertise in measured doses. You’ll know if this has been successful when traffic eventually turns into sales.
What Your Site Needs:
- A regularly-updated blog
- Clear links to your business’ associations, awards, and accreditations
- Published thought-leadership pieces (white papers, briefs, and presentations)
- Subtle contact information in the same place on every page of the site
- Excellent traffic analysis on the back end so that you can see which information is gaining the most traction
You may have more than one of these goals for your site, but imaging them separately will help you determine if you have all the pieces you need to realize them effectively. It’s tempting to believe that just having a web site will be enough, but taking deliberate steps to achieve something specific with your site will make it more than just a token online brochure. Be conscious of what’s important, approach it with a specific intention, and you’ll be surprised at what changes for your business in the long run!
Did you refine your goals for your site, make some changes, and see some great results? We’d love to hear about it! Send us an email or reach out on Facebook or Twitter!