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5 Steps to a Better Web Presence

5 minutes 9 comments
Speider Schneider
Speider Schneider
Web Hosting Geek

I deal with a lot of startups and while the owner(s) are creative programmers, innovative app developers, savvy business people or brilliant tech nerds, they know nothing about marketing their own companies. That’s why they hire someone like me. The problem comes when they don’t listen to my advice on how to best use social media for their marketing, proper element placement on their web site, especially the home page and how to deal with converting a visitor into a customer/client. While the product or service may launch them to greatness very quickly, staying there is the trick of marketing as the competition moves in on your territory, stealing as much of the pie as they can. That’s why you can’t afford to make even the slightest foolish mistake with your first contact with a prospective client; your web site.

 1. Welcoming, Clean, Easy and Professional

You are judged by how your house looks from the street. This is why any real estate agent will tell you that to keep up the value of the house and neighborhood, you should concentrate on refurbishing the outside front of your home, even if you have to live in unpainted inside rooms.

When someone arrives at your website, the first impression they should have is confidence in your company as professional and not a website put up by a high school student. Ask yourself, or better yet, ask people you know for a frank opinion on these following points:

  • Is your logo professional looking or does it look like your 12 year-old niece designed it?
  • Are your site colors exciting and professional or muddy or much too vibrant?
  • Are the most important points, put forth in readable copy above the scroll line (some refer to it as “above-the-fold”) and short, to the point or does the copy ramble incoherently in several places on the page without being tied together?
  • Are there visible and enticing calls-to-action (subscribing to your email, RSS feed or registering for notifications on specials) buttons where people will see them or have you left the visitor alone to view the site once and then abandoning your site?
  • Can the viewer find and view all of the information they need on your site in under four minutes and understand everything you want them to know or does the visitor have to search around to find what they need?

Hopefully, people will tell you that your site fits the first part of all of these questions. If the second part is what people see, then you need to redesign your site.

READ: How to Work With a Web Designer

2. Is Your Site Something People Will Revisit?

It’s often said that your site must become a “home” to visitors, both as customers and prospective customers. So, what will bring them back again and again? Here’s a few proven things:

  • Your site must be warm, welcoming, and humanized for visitors.
  • An entertaining blog with information that will be of service to customers and prospective customers. If you set yourself up as an expert, people will come back to find more information.
  • Keep your blog reliable! If you publish less than once a week, change publishing days or give up for a long period of time, leaving old posts up, people will find another expert on another site.

Do your visitors know that you will post different information on a regular basis about sales and discounts? Will the information about your product or service change with evolving technology, seasons or client needs? You must make them aware that it is a part of your site.

READ: Does Your Web Site Have Intelligent Human Interactions?

3. Do You Use Email Marketing?

  • Email marketing empowers customers, informs them of the latest things about your company or the industry, introduces new products, highlights specials and discounts, and services, and encourages visits.
  • Email marketing is proven to be more effective than other social media channels as it is delivered to a willing recipient who has opted-in to receive the emails.
  • Emails allow for a greater explanation of a product or service, testimonials, tips and tricks and other information that would be too lengthy on your website.

READ: Email Marketing Tips – Part 1: List BuildingEmail Marketing Tips – Part 2: Creating ContentEmail Marketing Tips — Part 3: What Will People Actually Read?

4. Do You Listen to Your Customers?

Customer feedback is essential to success, not only for a functioning site that fulfills all of their needs. Having a tab or button that allows customers to contact customer care should be an important part of your site.

Even using checkboxes for a poll or survey, while easier for customers to give feedback, can give you insight into what is and what is not working in your favor.

READ: Testimonials on Your Site: Dealing With Positive and Negative Feedback

5. How Do You Advertise Your Site?

The use of social media, banner ads, attachments to your product or packaging and all printed business material helps get your website URL out there. I suggest to all of my clients that each blog entry should have a banner ad for their site placed into the article. This way, if the article is shared or placed on another site, the banner ad will give free advertising for your site.

Are you a member of certain LinkedIn groups that would benefit from your website information? Post links to your site content, blog articles, specials and discounts. Let other people create inbound marketing for you. The same goes for a Facebook page, if you have one. Keep it updated with posts of new material. Shoot for going viral!

READ: You’re Finally Online. Now What? Marketing, Social Media And Mobile Marketing

How Long Does it Take for Your Site SEO to Take Hold?

Most clients ask me how long will it take for their sites to be at the top of a Google search for their type of business. There is no answer as it takes time and rankings can change every day. It all depends on sticking to everything listed in this article, keeping up with posting new material and using your website as the most important tool for marketing. You may use other avenues for advertising and they may all be important and effective. You just need to keep up with your efforts as one stumble can let customers slip away. Once you make it to the top five returns on a Google search, don’t sit back and consider the struggle over… you can drop down in the blink of an eye as your competition keeps up their postings and efforts. The web moves quickly, so don’t let up!

Comments

9 Comments

  • Avatar Md Istiaq Hossain says:

    Thank you so much. It helps me a lot. I will share it with my web making team. Your point was very good in the article. It’s very helpful. Thanks

  • Avatar Walter McIntyre says:

    I had to share this with my web design team. We are documenting our web design process and these questions are great editions to our process. My clients will answer them and we will go from there. You know… listen to your customers. Right?

    Also, some of my clients resist email marketing labeling it as SPAM. How do I convince them? Please help!

  • Avatar Christine Xiong says:

    Hi, I came to this article searching for website design questions. You have done a great job.

    Do I have to publish every day if I have a blog? Also can you please suggest me a good WordPress theme for blogging? I’m going to signup for inmotionhosting as they seem great. All I have is a domain name right now and a niche I want to blog about.

    Thank you for creating this website.
    Christine

  • Avatar Rachel says:

    Superb points! I’ve always exhibited the act of quickly leaving a website with an unprofessional look.. I hate when people are out there for business and they tell you all sort of good things but just to get to their website to discover there is nothing professional on there. Having a good website with a professional look is just the first step to a better web presence. Nice points all through. Thanks for sharing!

  • Avatar Gabriela says:

    Great post and good advice on building web presence for beginners. Thank you very much for such these listings, they are truly helpful.

  • Avatar Abby Rice says:

    Another way to leave a positive impact on your customers is to make sure you are with a good web host. It makes sure that your site is always accessible to your clients or potential customers/clients. I had a wonderful experience with a small start up company to host my daycare website. Online Impact has maintained my webpage beautifully and it has never gone down. It is amazing.

  • Avatar Ryan says:

    Consumer engagement online can be brief, but that’s not to say it’s never meaningful. Leaving a lasting impression with your online visitors is important, but you don’t always have long to do it. That’s why you need to be consistent in your image and your message. The bigger picture which is made up of each instance of your web presence is your brand.

  • Avatar Jen says:

    Great, basic advice on building web presence. Yes, it’s so important to have a professional look while being warm and engaging. New and consistent content is also important. Also good to remember that building a reputation doesn’t happen overnight, and, like you said, it can change if you don’t keep things up to snuff!

  • Avatar Ogi says:

    Thanks Speider for this post!

    Every single day I’m reading about importance of email marketing, but I keep postponing its implementation on my site, mostly because I’m not sure how to start. Just wanted to thank you for your Email Marketing Tips, they are a great resource for me and I will definitely try to apply most of your tips.

    Thanks again,
    Ogi Vujovic

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