Like any area of business your website needs some effort from you if its going to be successful. You'd be foolish to just build any old website and hope it works. Yet this approach, or rather lack of approach, is still widespread on the internet. Businesses still dont seem to understand what the internet can do to benefit them and their customers. They just dont get it.
This is not a new criticism, people have been saying it for years. Notice i used the word people, because thats exactly who suffers. You, me and the millions of people like us who are visiting those sites during our virtual travels. Many of these businesses do actually have great products and services to offer us, its just that they havent put the effort in to find out what we, their customers want. They havent bothered to find out about us, about our needs, about our wishes. They have other more pressing priorities it seems. So they just present them to us any old way and hope we dont notice or are too stupid to notice. Dont they understand they are losing sales, customers, repeat customers, referrals and more?
Whether your business has a whole team working on your website or just you, its going to take some effort and commitment to get to a point where your website is satisfying your customers. A website where you have a direct conversation with your visiting potential customers. A conversation where they feel you are talking directly to them. A conversation where they feel you understand them. You understand their needs and wishes like no other business has done before. In short, a place where you connect with your customers and they connect with you. A place where you are entirely focused on them, NOT on you. Not on your products, not on your credentials or ego, not on anything else about you.
For example, instead of just detailing information about your products, present your information in a way that is valuable to them. Of course, they will want to know what your product does and some key information about how it works, etc. But present it to them so that they know instantly and precisely how they benefit from it: How much money they will save with it. How much time they will save with it. How it will make their life better. How it will make their life easier, etc.
Focusing wholeheartedly on your customers is not easy, it takes time, motivation, commitment and innovation. Which i suspect is ultimately why it doesnt always get done. Dont let this happen to your site. Do it well and you will see the results. But be sure about it, you've got to take on the responsibility to do as much as you possibly can if you want to see those golden results. Ensure your customers visit is a positive one that will stay fresh in their mind for some time.
How can you tell how well your site is doing? Answer the following questions to get an indication:
Generally, the more questions you answered yes to, the more successful your website can be. You should of course aim for 90-100% (9-10 yes's). Lower than 90% (9 yes's) indicates that you need to improve.
One of the great things about the internet, unlike other more traditional media, is its ability to be updated immediately. You can change anything on your website at anytime and as often as you like. Use it to experiment with offers and products. Experiment with the way you present them to find out what works and what doesnt. Use this great feature to improve your site for the better. Better for your customer that is.
Tips:
Good luck!
About The Author
Need to get your business online? contact me now to find out how you can do it for less mailto:peter@dynamiq.co.uk You can see more of my articles to help you get results online at www.dynamiq.co.uk/ezine.
The definition of the phrase "Content Management" depends on what... Read More
Starting and maintaining a business is challenging enough without the... Read More
An accessible Web site is easily approached, easily understood, and... Read More
You work hard to build traffic to your web page.... Read More
When I started my company in 2002, I knew I... Read More
If you've been developing websites on Mars for the past... Read More
As increasing numbers of people search for information on the... Read More
There's been widespread speculation about the new legislation being introduced... Read More
Spend time planning your Web site. Before you design a... Read More
The first thing my business consultant (read brother-in-law) asked me,... Read More
So you want to take a look at a real... Read More
First, using a lot of web graphics, flash, banners and... Read More
Even though the Internet has been around for a long... Read More
We are clearly well past the innocent "golden age" of... Read More
Designing and creating your own website does not have to... Read More
When most people build a web site, they think one... Read More
In about the Time it takes to Watch a Reality... Read More
Whether you have your own business already, or are looking... Read More
Web templates by nature are created to aid and ease... Read More
Your site is getting traffic, but conversion rates are horrible.... Read More
I am just a learner who likes to delve in... Read More
I talk with so many people who have small businesses... Read More
An interesting eCommerce success factor that isn't precisely overlooked, but... Read More
1. Upload robots.txt file in to your root directory and... Read More
Recently, a friend asked "What's the deal with those DIY... Read More
Keywords in Search Engine Optimizing and Search Engine Marketing are... Read More
Most interactive websites nowadays would require a user to log... Read More
Design and layout can make your communication come alive and... Read More
It is an undeniable fact that not everybody is keen... Read More
Research reveals three important facts:1) The Internet is one of... Read More
In this day and age most businesses consider having their... Read More
No matter the size of your business, having a web... Read More
Every online entrepreneur I talk to is asking the same... Read More
The growth in Internet usage around the world is astounding... Read More
What is the most important part of your online business?Many... Read More
Many small businesses have the misconception that their business can... Read More
Webmasters deal with a myriad of complex design challenges every... Read More
Setting up a website is the very first step of... Read More
A website lets you put your products in front of... Read More
That's right. According to a recent study by Nielsen/NetRatings, Amazon.com... Read More
That's right. Your method, behavior and strategy you are now... Read More
1. SiteSpinner V2 - On Sale www.deprice.com/sitespinner.htmSiteSpinner is a user-friendly... Read More
Globalize Your WebsiteThe Internet has unlocked a wide array of... Read More
Below, I have listed 8 simple steps that you can... Read More
Many web developers today are starting to KISS their website,... Read More
What to do if you are an artist after you... Read More
D.zigns dzignerwebs The Basics Before starting on... Read More
Does My Web Site Require A Web Database?If your web... Read More
In the region where my company is located, South Bend,... Read More
Now that you have got your domain name registered, your... Read More
People like to get immediate responses to requests. Autoresponders are... Read More
Fantastico is a 3rd-party cPanel add-on and can be purchased... Read More
Optimize your time. How much time each day must you... Read More
1. Choose a big enough font size. A size 12... Read More
If you've been developing websites on Mars for the past... Read More
In the time that I have been using the Internet,... Read More
One of the things that Internet excels is disseminating information... Read More
More and more businesses are recognizing the importance of content... Read More
Your web site will be your window to the world.... Read More
We've all seen those messages on some websites warning not... Read More
One of my most salient memories from when I sold... Read More
Thousands of people are now making a living online and... Read More
So your traffic is going through the roof yeah? It's... Read More
Making a web site is easy. Making a good web... Read More
Designing an E-commerce Web site is not as simple as... Read More
Most interactive websites nowadays require data to be presented dynamically... Read More
Web Development |