The marketing mistakes that cripple your website
By Paul Green
If a 1980s business owner could have looked into the future and seen the marketing possibilities that would exist with the internet, they’d have been shaking with excitement.
At a basic level a website is a comprehensive marketing brochure that can be kept totally up-to-date at all times without the print and distribution costs.
But it’s so much more. It’s a powerful lead generation, sales and market research tool as well. There’s virtually nothing you can’t do with your website to help your business generate more leads, sales and profits.
Sadly, many business owners make a series of basic marketing mistakes on their website that stops it being the powerful marketing tool it could be.
Check you’re not making these basic mistakes on your website:
Not focusing on your target customers: According to Wikipedia there are 25 BILLION web pages out there! And Google makes it really easy to search them in seconds. That means visitors will evaluate whether your website is relevant to them in just seconds. If it’s not they’ll go elsewhere. Most of the pages on your website need to be about your customers, not you. If you find yourself typing the phrase “our company was set up in 1992…” and it’s not part of a compelling back story then you’re in danger of writing a website that’s not focused on your target customers.
Not answering all the questions people have about your business: When people search for something on the internet they want a specific question answered. You need to understand the questions your target customers have, and ensure your website answers them. I don’t mean setting up a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section; I mean identifying the most common questions asked of your business and ensuring they are all dealt with on the website.
Not telling potential customers what you want them to do: What’s the purpose of your website? Is it to educate your potential customers; maybe to generate warm leads? Don’t be afraid to tell people what you want them to do on your website. For example if you are trying to generate leads you need to explain what makes a relevant lead for you (i.e. get rid of the time wasters) and tell them specifically what to do next (how to contact you and what the process will be from there).
Making it too corporate: You’re a business owner with a business built round your personality. So why try to make your website formal and “corporate”? People like to deal with people so let the personality of you and your business shine through. GO and have a look at the British Airways website, then compare it to the easyJet one… could you imagine BA doing the Summer of Love? Behind the scenes easyJet is a big corporate company too. But it’s a business with personality.
Obsessing over design: The design of your website is not as important as you think it is. Far too many business owners waste hours of their life tinkering with the look of their website. So long as it meets a few basic rules (it gives your business credibility and is easy to navigate), the design is not really that important. You should obsess more over the content (the words and pictures), as that is more likely to attract more visitors and get them to take the action you want them to.
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