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Seven Ways to Tune up your Website
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Hopefully your business is booming, or perhaps it's a
little slower than usual. Either way, it's always a good time
to take stock of what's working for you, and what needs some
attention - including your Web site!
Here
are my suggestions for a great tune-up audit - take a fresh
look at your site and your promotional strategy with these
pointers:
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1.
Is your site appealing to all your markets?
Do
you have different potential buyers for different aspects
of your products and services? Is there content on your site
that’s designed for each of these? Have you considered whether
your Web audience might be different from your traditional
markets, and if so, whether you can exploit that?
2.
Does your content engage your visitors?
Your
site should be written from your visitors’ point of view,
not yours. Does your home page clearly recognize why the reader
might be there - what’s in it for them, and why they should
care? What are the problems or issues that they might have,
and how will you solve them?
3.
Do you make your case?
If
you claim that your products or services achieve results,
do you have clear content on your site that substantiates
this? Do you have case studies, sample client lists, and testimonials
from happy customers? Third party endorsements are worth far
more than your own promotional text, and they should be spread
throughout your site, not relegated to a separate page that
few visitors will go to.
4.
Do you position yourself as an expert?
One
of the most effective ways to get exposure is to publish articles,
and white papers around your area of expertise. Even if you
sell widgets, you can help people get the most out of using
them! Articles on your site will be picked up by the search
engines, and you can also offer them to publications that
your target markets read - always with a link back, or reference
to your site, of course.
5.
Do you ask for the business?
Whatever
the outcomes that you want from your site, you need to ask
for it. Too many Web pages end weakly, with no clear calls
to action. Don’t make your visitors have to work to decide
what to do next - they won’t! Every page on your site should
have a strategy - invite the visitor to interact with you,
or go to the next page, but make it easy and obvious.
6.
Do you have a diversified promotional strategy?
Don’t
depend on free search engines to get you traffic. Are you
exploring other ways of promoting your site - such as using
your content and articles, advertising in e-zines, appending
a signature file to your e-mail, regularly sending updates
to your database, and ensuring that your traditional marketing
is integrated with your online activities?
7.
Are you reviewing your traffic analysis?
Last, but really key - your Website traffic reports will
tell you what’s working and what isn’t. Without this information,
you’re really shooting in the dark - what if you were to find
that the majority of your hard-earned visitors never go beyond
your home page?
This isn’t an exhaustive list, but it's a good start. I hope
that your Web site passes the test!
© Philippa Gamse, 2003. All rights reserved.
Byline
Philippa Gamse, CyberSpeaker, is an internationally recognized
e-business strategist. Check out her free tipsheet for 23
ideas to promote your Website: http://www.CyberSpeaker.com/tipsheet.html
Philippa can be reached at (831) 465-0317 or mailto:pgamse@CyberSpeaker.com
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