Time for the weekly roundup of the ‘Build A Better Website’ series, today we are recapping the tips from week 3. This week we talked about the importance of email lists, having sharing options on your pages, working with others and being consistent with your branding.
We are quickly coming to the end of the series with just over a week left. Don’t forget to check out week 1, week 2 and week 4.
DAY 15 – BUILD YOUR LIST
Everywhere you look regarding marketing online, you’ll see mention of building your email list. And there is a good reason why all the big marketing pros swear by building a quality list. It consistently converts your audience into paying customers.
“Email has an ability many channels don’t: creating valuable, personal touches – at scale.” – David Newman
A healthy email list of subscribers is a top marketing asset for small businesses because it allows you to connect with your audience and share valuable content with them.
People who sign up to your email list are already interested in what you are offering. Sending them valuable packed emails and pitching your services is a perfect way to turn them into paying customers.
Why is it important?
Control – You have control over your email list and you don’t need to rely on social media. Depending on social media as your sole marketing plan is disastrous. Just ask the small business who put all their eggs in Facebooks basket and now have a 1% reach.
Creating a connection – If you are a small business or entrepreneur you can easily connect with your audience through your list. Share your story with them, the behind the scenes of your blog or business and let them get to know you.
Engaged audience – People tend to only signup to lists because they are getting something of value or they enjoy your products, services and content. This makes it easier to keep them in the loop about your latest posts, offers and new products.
DAY 16 – MAKE SHARING EASY
I have been on countless websites where I have enjoyed the content so much that I want to share it with others on social media. But then find that sharing the article of the page is difficult or even impossible.
I’m then left with the option of either manually sharing or abandoning the idea. And I am sure that I am not the only one who has experienced this.
If you have invested in a great looking website and create amazing content, you are doing yourself a disservice if you don’t make sharing it easy.
Not only will it allow you to get more eyes on your website when people share it with their friends, family and audience but it also helps your reputation with Google.
- Add social share buttons to your posts
- Include your Twitter handle for sharing tweets
- Have a ‘pin-it’ button added to your blog post graphics
- Show your own social media profile links
- Add ‘click-to-tweet’ links within your posts and pages
“Since search engines now calculate social relevance and performance across the web, this information empowers your organization to make meaningful adjustments to its social strategies.” – Searchmetrics
DAY 17 – SHARE YOUR EXPERTISE
A great way to boost your small business online is by sharing your expertise.
As a small business owner, you have most likely gained considerable knowledge within your field through education and practical experience. That unique expertise is what sets up apart from your competition and shows you as an authority within your field.
Of course, you could tell people that you have a certain set of skills and experience but it is best to show them all the things you have to offer.
How can you show you are an expert?
Qualifications – Do you have relevant qualifications in your field of business? If so, add them to your about page as this will show that you have the education to back up your practical skills.
Start a blog – Add a blog to your website where you regularly share your expertise through articles and posts related to your field.
Answer calls for help – If you are on social media you will see posts for help popping up from people looking for help. This gives you an ideal opportunity to show you know your stuff. And by consistently giving helpful advice you can drive people to your website and paid services.
Post how-tos – Do you have a head full of useful knowledge that you know will help your target audience? You can create some quick ‘how-to’ videos on the topic or create a tutorial blog post where you run through the steps.
DAY 18 – CREATE CLEAR PATHS
Does your website provide visitors with a clear path to access your products and services? If not, then you are probably noticing a low conversion rate between your visitor stats and enquiries through your website.
Creating clear paths basically means making it super simple to complete an action or find information on your website. When the process is difficult or confusing people will rarely stick around to figure it out. They are more likely going to bail and move on to the next website. And that sucks because you’ve lost out on a sale due to your website missing a few crucial elements.
As we spend more of our daily lives connected to the internet our attention spans are decreasing. Typically, you have less than 5 seconds to impress someone enough that they’ll stay on your website long enough to check out your offerings.
So spend some time planning out the actions you want people to take on your website. Then review the structure of your website to ensure that you can achieve that action within a few short steps.
DAY 19 – COLLABORATE
While we would all love to be able to do absolutely everything ourselves, it isn’t always possible. We all have our own talents and skills that we bring to the table. You may be an excellent marketer but designing your website sends you into a cold sweat.
This is when you could benefit greatly from collaborating with like-minded peers. Helping each other and benefiting from each of your unique abilities.
Not only will this allow you to improve your website but you can also make friends too, so it’s a double win.
Collaborating on your website could involve:-
Taking on guest posters – This can keep your blog up to date with fresh content when you are short on time.
Hiring a designer – If your DIY design skills are lacking then it may be time to bite the bullet and partner up with a designer that suits your style and dynamic.
Mastermind with a fellow biz owner – Sometimes it is good just to have someone you can bounce ideas off of and talk through your plans for growing and building your website.
Invest in a copywriter – When you are struggling to write effective text, you could collaborate with a copywriter to get your content on track.
Team projects – You can even team up with another business owner to create a project that merges your businesses and benefits your customers.
DAY 20 – SHARE YOUR STORY
Your website is the online shop front for your business. It sells and promotes you 24/7 to a worldwide audience. So how can you make a connection with someone through your website?
A good way to start is by sharing your story with your audience. It’s let people connect with you and your business allowing you to open up doors to creating a relationship.
How can you share your brand story?
- Tell people how you got started
- What motivated you to start your business
- Share behind the scenes of your daily work life
- Stories or profiles of your team
- Celebrate the wins with your audience
- Be authentic in your dealing with customers
The most important thing is to be honest and transparent. After all we want to buy from people, we want to know more about the person we are working with and paying our hard earned cash too.
DAY 21 – CONSISTENCY IS KEY
Throughout your website and branding, it is important to be consistent. Not just in the visual elements but your entire message and the way you communicate. It will help you develop a recognisable brand that people will begin to expect from you. And in turn, gives your business more credibility with customers.
It’s not just large companies who need consistency, small businesses can also reap the benefits of a communicating a consistent message access every platform.
How you can be consistent throughout your business:
Brand guidelines – Put together a set up grand guidelines that you can use and refer to when adding to your website and social media profiles. This will likely include your brand colours, font type and sizes and any styling elements you use.
Key message – Define your key message and repeat it.
Effective communication – Everywhere you communication whether it is in person, online, on the phone or through your website conveys a message about who you are. Make sure that through all your communications you project a cohesive message.
DAY 22 – BUILD TRUST
As more and more businesses are establishing themselves online and even working as an online business only, it is crucial that you build trust with your audience.
Trust isn’t just about the security of personal details but it is also about establishing that you are a legitimate business who can do what you claim and do it well.
Your website is a massive part in building trust with your visitors which will convert into a boost in sales and engagement.
Ways to build trust with your website
Professional design – Having a professional looking website can instantly make your business more trustworthy. A nice website will show that you invested in a professional image and brand for your business.
Testimonials – If you have raving fans who you have thrilled with your products and services include a testimonial from them on your website. People like to see that your work has proven results and what better way to show that than with reviews from your previous clients.
Statistics – You will have seen websites with stats on customers served, websites built etc before this can be a great way to show the popularity of your offerings.
Guarantees – Do you provide money back guarantees or warranties? Then include these on your website, it will show that you believe in your product enough to offer a guarantee if a client should be unhappy.
Show yourself – A quick way to build trust through your website is to show images of yourself. Get some professional headshots of you and your team so people can put a face to the name.
Logos – Have you worked with big clients or been featured on a popular site? Pop their logo on your website to show your credibility.
Photo by Ariel Lustre on Unsplash
