More than shop window
Thinking of your business website as a “shop window” could cost you more than lost customers.
The biggest mistake business leaders can make with their website is thinking of it as a “shop window”.
This is a direct quote from my bestselling book Website Mastery for Business Owners who Don’t Speak Tech (available to buy on Amazon), and I include it here for good reason – it is true.
Fact is, whether you have an e-commerce site selling products / widgets or you have a service business selling advice / consultancy / expertise, your website is very often the first place your potential clients or customers meet your company and make their minds up about whether you can help them within the first few seconds. Get this right and you could have not only one new customer, but countless others they will tell all about their positive, enjoyable experience in buying from you.
Get it wrong and you could have not only LOST one new customer, but countless others they will tell all about their negative, unpleasant experience in buying from you.
Pretty brutal, isn’t it?
Sadly, in this day and age of digital social influence, that unhappy customer really can be the one who shouts the loudest – so how do we avoid that AND encourage the happy ones to speak up?
I’m a very visual person – I need a mental picture to grasp things so, if you’re anything like me, it may help you to imagine your website as a retail shop. Your shop sits in the perfect position on a wonderfully busy high street bustling with customers all dying to buy exactly what you sell.
Dream come true!
But, being on that street and having a shop full of excellent quality products will not help you if you don’t have a sign, the blinds are down and your door is really hard to open – so the first thing you need to tackle is visibility. (In case I’ve lost you already; in website terms, this is your website organic optimisation, domain name choice, search terms, etc.) These are all elements related to your website’s power of Attraction – the first step in expanding your business via your web presence.
Then think about how customers to your “shop” are greeted – is it friendly? Are they instantly aware they’re in the right shop for what they plan to buy? Do they feel welcomed and valued from the minute they step in? These all add up to Connection – and it’s a biggy if you want those who are “just looking” to convert into the much-preferred “where do I pay” brigade!
Speaking of the latter, how easily can they find the till? Are they offered gift-wrapping or a nice discount voucher if they come back again? All of these little extras soon mount up to increase Engagement – and THIS is where the results are super easy to see …and measure.
The Attraction, Connection and Engagement of your business website are the very foundations on which to base your business growth. Given the right attention in the right areas, your website can deliver measurable, tangible results for your business, which align with your plans for scaling up – and rapidly!
That’s a LOT more than a “shop window” can do for you.
You can discover how your current website scores in these three key areas right now with our FREE online assessment at https://fatpromotions.scoreapp.com – to instantly receive your personalised report on where you need to focus your attention, with corrective actions you can take plus free resources to help you get started. Good luck!
Have you read our best-selling book: Website Mastery for Business Owners who Don’t Speak Tech?
Download a free chapter or buy your copy from http://www.websitemasterybook.com