Stepping Into Your Client’s Shoes

Have you ever sat down and really spent some time surfing through your own company website? Are there any broken links? Are you happy with the functionality and the graphical interface? Is it easy to navigate and find the services that you are looking for? Well, if you haven’t done this, we strongly suggest that you do. You could be losing tons of customers simply because your website is not up to par with today’s standards and does not properly deliver the valuable sales information that potential customers are looking for.

It may seem difficult at first, but try to put yourself in your customer’s shoes and take a long look at the message that your website delivers to the public. Pretend that you are a potential customer and it’s your first time ever visiting your company website. Let’s start by visiting the home page. Does it contain “sticky” content that is visually and mentally appealing? That is, does it have what it takes to keep today’s savvy consumer clicking through your site. Customers are getting more and more knowledgeable about the Web as time passes by, and their time is extremely valuable. They are accustomed to getting what they want and when they want it. If they aren’t impressed right from the get-go, they will simply move on to the next company, in search of the product or service that your website could not provide. Your home page is a VERY important, if not the most important, part of your overall website. Take the time to figure out exactly what your customers are looking for and make it readily available on your home page, or at least have a prominent link to the product or service in plain sight. Try to create headlines that grab the viewer’s attention and make them ask for more.

Next, make sure that your website navigation is clean and user-friendly. If you have buttons that lead the user into a deadend corner of your site with no way out, then you have major problems to correct. The website user should never have to use the “Back” button in their browser to navigate. If they get lost, they will leave your site.

Your product or service pages should be informative and lead the customer to a course of action. Those pages should steer the customer into purchasing online, calling you directly or requesting more information or a custom quote. Make sure that your phone number, preferably a 1-800 number, is visible on every page of the website, thus lowering the path of resistance to making a sale. Also, be sure that the rest of your contact information is easily accessible. That includes your phone number, address and/or a contact form or email address to reach you. We have seen many websites that do not post an address or phone number, leaving the potential client feeling weary about the company’s credibility.

Lastly, if your webmaster or web design firm lacks the skills to produce a visually appealing site with strategically planned content and functionality, then hire someone that is able to do that. It will pay off in the end!

If you have any questions or concerns about how to maximize your company’s Internet presence, feel free to contact EarthQuake Studios for a free web & marketing consultation.