subject: Website Optimizers Every Business Website Must Have [print this page] Website optimizers is a term youve probably heard before with regards to your sites credibility with Google (or another search engine). However, in designing websites for small businesses, online-only businesses and associations/organizations, I think of website optimizers in slightly different terms. To me, a website optimizer is one of 5 main things that I think every results-minded website must have. In fact, Id say that you simply cannot survive in todays competitive marketplace without these 5 important website optimizers. Lets go through each one in more detail so you can get some ideas on incorporating the big 5 into your website.
The Contact Form
First and foremost, your website needs updated contact information for you and your business. Ideally, your site should also contain a very easy way for visitors to contact you via email, in the form of a Contact Form. The Contact Form is a secure way for visitors to reach out to you, without you having to provide your email address for every spammer, robot and unscrupulous person to overuse. It is very easy to set up and monitor this form and you can even receive submissions directly to your email inbox so you will know whenever someone is trying to contact you.
In addition to the Contact Form, you should consider having a physical address for your business listed in the footer of your website as well as a phone number. Doing this does two important things for you. First, it gives credibility to your business to have an easily found address and phone number. In addition, it provides a very easy way for potential clients to contact you for more information, which is ultimately the primary goal of most business websites.
Converting Visitors Into Prospects
Every day, visitors land on your website hopefully a lot of visitors. If you provide a product (or service) and a way for these visitors to reach you, no doubt some of those visitors do contact you directly and become prospects. But what about all of the visitors to your website that dont contact you directly right then and there? Statistically speaking, only about 1-2% of visitors will contact you directly the first time they land on your site. That is why my #1 recommended website optimizer that your site must have (after a Contact Form) is a lead capture program. In simple terms, this is a way for visitors to make themselves known to you, most often by providing you their email address for further contact and marketing.
Converting Leads Into Customers
Collecting email addresses on your website is a great marketing idea. However, the real marketing starts after prospects join your list, which makes this website optimizer a crucial step in the online sales process. Before you start collecting email addresses, it is valuable and time-saving to already have a plan in place for how you will market to this list. Some entrepreneurs put out a weekly email / newsletter to their list with information of value mixed with promotion. Savvy marketers have an email autoresponder set up so that new subscribers are taken through a set series of emails that provide further information and timed promotional messages. Regardless of automated vs weekly blast emails, the goal of any good email marketing campaign is to nurture a lead into a customer by providing email subscribers the information they need to make a decision and take the next step eventually. How long the process takes will vary by subscriber, type of business or service and strength of the email campaign.
Is Your Website Working?
Measuring results is an extremely valuable, yet often overlooked, step in your online sales conversion process. Without measuring results, it is difficult to know what is working and what is not working. Knowing this information will save you time, save you money and increase your business. Given that, doesnt it make sense to measure your results? This information will help you in writing future emails because you can see what type of information appeals the most to your audience. You can also test 2 different email versions by sending half your list one version and half the other, and then comparing the results of each. Knowing how many visitors you site gets daily (via a free tool such as Google Analytics) and knowing how many give you their email address will tell you how successful your opt in message or free offer is. Again, you could test this by having different opt-ins and comparing results. When it comes to website optimizing, knowledge is most definitely power.
Is Anyone Home?
Giving your website a personality is my final website optimizer for you to consider. If you are running a small business, solo business or organization, it is extremely valuable for visitors to know that you are an actual person with integrity who is just trying to run a solid business and provide a valuable product or service to the world. The best way to do this is to include a bio of yourself (or an About Us for your business) that includes a photograph. Strangely, this one website optimizer usually brings me the most resistance from clients. I am not sure if it is shyness or false modesty, but a lot of people dont want to identify themselves on their website. The truth is that a visitors desire to feel secure with you and your business is determined online on your website. If you dont tell them who you are and what you are doing, how can they really know you, trust you and want to do business with you?
In conclusion, getting your website ready for business doesnt have to be as difficult as you might fear. If you just start with these 5 BIG website optimizers, you will be well on your way to creating an automated, lead-generation tool for your business with your website!
