Of course, having a website for your business is the core any successful web marketing strategy. Ultimately, the goal is to attract Internet users to your small business website and convert them into a sale. So, it is much more than just slapping together a $14.99 per month template and waiting for your sales to climb 500% in a month!
Nothing like turning away a potential prospect because of a poorly designed and drastically outdated $14.99 website – that’s why you gave up everything to become a small business owner and rest your entire livelihood on a web strategy that costs $14.99 / month! Tiresome and mind-numbing default templates, broken links and confusing pages do nothing but harm a company’s brand which in turn reflects poorly on…sales!
Web strategies are never finite. Your website is a place to attract web-surfers and convert them into a sale if you take time to craft your web strategy. If you’re just starting out or you are thinking of re-designing your small business website, keep these tips in mind:
1) Know Your Target Audience
This is the core of your marketing communication plan, including your small business web marketing strategy (after all, your small business website is simply a communication channel). You need to study and know what they are looking for when they arrive on your website. Do they want your contact info? Do they want to see a demonstration of the product? What sort of call-to-action will they respond to? This is the main reason why many website strategies fail because they don’t know what their audience wants, so, they leave the website because they can’t find it.
2) Mobile
You need to be thinking mobile! How does your website translate on mobile devices not only for that website visitor on-the-go but also the casual visitor in a coffee shop, sipping their latte and checking out your website? The buzz-word these days is “mobile-responsive” design; however, there is a clear difference between mobile responsive design and a mobile website. What is best for your business? There is not straight answer here. Ultimately, when designing or re-designing your website, you need to answer this important question and design your website accordingly.
3) On Site Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
An SEO plan is something that needs to be considered early in the small business web design process. Many small businesses overlook this and fall behind because of it. “Why is my website not on the first page?” is a very common question I hear. After I do a simple analysis of their existing website, there are many on-site SEO tactics that are overlooked that have impact on how you are found by search engines. A knowledgeable and expert web marketer will know all the tactics, an amateur and a $14.99/month website won’t! The predecessor to generating online sales leads is to be found online! So, be sure to be up-to-speed on how you can achieve this.
Be Real. Grow Your Business.
Reality Business Consulting (RBC) (www.realityconsulting.ca) is a Toronto Web Design and Small Business Marketing Company that helps small businesses grow by designing profitable, creative and practical small business marketing plans and web marketing strategies, including WordPress small business website design. Having already successfully co-founded a technology and eCommerce company, as the principle of Reality Business Consulting, I understand the challenges and needs of a small business.
If you are searching for a professional and customer-focused small business marketing company with extensive work in marketing planning, WordPress small business website design, contact us for a “Reality Check; a no-obligation, no-charge consultation.