Introduction
Business owners are always calling me on the phone asking what they can do to increase the performance of their web site. My first response is to never give up!
After all, many have already spent thousands of dollars with a designer and the site is just not earning its keep.
The first question I'll ask is, "Well, what are you wanting your web site to do for you?"
Usually, the response will be something predictable like they wish a certain product would sell more through their web site.
Once we get beyond that, I'll ask, "Well, what ELSE would you like your web site to do?"
And, that's when there's a temporary silence on the other end of the line...until I hear some more common responses like:
- "I want to have a resource where I can post sales we're having"
- "I want to feature our catalog on-line"
- "I want to have lots of pictures of our products so that we don't have to send so many brochures through the mail"
- "I want to showcase our new facility"
- "I want a Web site because I was told I have to have one"
- "Well, that depends on how much can we do for less than $1,000"
- "I want to be able to post our events on-line all by myself"
- "I want to do something that no one else is doing on the Web"
All of these replies are logical and completely justified. There's no right or wrong answer when it comes to goals of a web site. Just like selling professional services differs from selling a product, for every company and non-profit, the list of goals might vary widely.
In doing business on the Internet for almost 10 years now, I can whole-heartedly say that YOUR web site MUST reach 3 goals or your web site will never produce to its fullest potential.
If your business or non-profit offers a product, a service, membership to something, information about something, and you want a Web site to help with that sales effort, then your web site MUST strive to achieve these three objectives:
Goal #1 of ANY Web Site: Get The Sale!
It used to be that we could count on first-time visitors coming back a few times to check us out.
Now that there is so much competition on-line, and because we're now "HUNTING" the web instead of casually "surfing" it like we used to, we must put more focus on our sales pages to get the sale the first time around.
Goal #2 of ANY Web Site: Get The Contact
Want to make your web site memorable and really stand out? Post your phone number!
Too many people have used the Internet as a way to 'substitute' contact with the outside world. This is dangerous because a large percentage of your web site visitors might be interested in buying what you're selling.
Your visitors might not be ready to buy...yet. So, you want to make it very easy for them to contact you and encourage that contact whether by phone or e-mail or even an in-person visit if you have an office or store-front.
Goal #3 of ANY Web Site: Get The E-mail
In more than 30 Internet strategy workshops I've offered in the past year, I have yet to hear someone who despises receiveing ALL e-mail. They might hate to receive spam (as most of us do) but if it's something of great value, they can't wait to receive it and they're happy to open it.
The practice and potential of inspiring a web site visitor to give you their e-mail address in exchange for receiving something of great value.....is NOT dead!
The problem is that most businesses using broadcast e-mail are just doing it wrongly.
In any sales class you attend, the instructor would tell you it takes seven "touches" (contacts with a prospect) before they'll buy from you. On the Internet, it's typically even worse for many industries. You could require 10, 15, and even more than 20 touches!
How are you going to get that routine contact and awareness if not for e-mail? Direct mail? BLOGs? RSS? Other, other, other?
Well, the answer is YES--all of those. E-mail is not a replacement--and it's not the ONLY thing thing you should be doing to keep your company in the minds of your prospects and current clients.
If you have stopped (or never started) inspiring your web site visitors to subscribe to receive something of value from you periodically, you're not only missing the boat for potential sales...you're also letting down your visitors who really need what you offer.
First, discover what it takes to write a better newsletter. Then, take the next step by adding a subscription box to your web site or clean-up your email list and continue to communicate with your prospects and customers by e-mail.
Always Keep Your True Goals in Mind...
The important part to remember here is to always keep your true goals in mind for your site.
What exactly do you want your web site to accomplish for you?
What new techniques can you learn and try with your web site?
How or from what person will you learn these strategies from?
Stop Letting Your Web Site Visitors Down!
Hopefully, you'll be able to apply the 3 Goals of Every Web Site to your on-line strategy immediately.
There's much more to a top-dollar-producing web site though...
For example, if you don't know the 3 Rules of Content and have them applied to your site, you could be driving away your visitors before they even have a chance to buy from you.
If every page of your site doesn't pass the 7 Laws of Proof test, your skeptical visitors are going to hit the back-button on their browser...
...often in less than 6 seconds!
And, all of your first-time visitors are skeptics.
If you don't get your web site visitors to TAKE ACTION NOW, they probably will not buy from you later and I can show you how.
If you found what you were looking for in this free article, then great. Glad to help.
 But, if you want to know more about specifically converting more of your web site visitors to paying customers, then it will be well worth your time to study one of my most recently released e-manuals called, Convert Me Now!
Because, if you think about it, your visitors CAN'T WAIT for you to convert them to a paying customer. They're almost BEGGING you to close the sale.
If increasing your conversion rates is of importance to your bank account and your business, visit the Convert Me Now product detail page now.
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