We invest so much hope into our website:
hoping it will bring in new leads, hoping it will turn visitors into
clients, hoping it will make our marketing easier. But hope
isn't what will make your website live up to your expectations.
Only time, good planning, and a few simple tricks
will get the job done. Let's take a look at 5 essential 'must haves'
and make sure your website isn't missing
any
of them! If it is, you can use this list as an easy template for getting
the changes made, fast!
Must Have #1 An opt-in box to collect your visitors'
names and email addresses positioned at the TOP of your home page
My home
page is a great example of how to do this. So is Beth Davis's
home page at HandAnalyst.com
. Beth and I make it abundantly clear what we want our home page visitors
to do. My home page even has TWO places a visitor can choose from
to opt-in to my newsletter and audio mini-course. I checked my web
stats yesterday and see I am capturing a steady 15% of my visitors.
That is fantastic!
Here's a tip: get your web designer
to create a fun graphic to add visual appeal to your opt-in box. It's
eye-catching, which is the point!
Must Have #2 A compelling free 'give-away' item
My favorite is the audio mini-seminar sent out as
five or seven tips. I get lots of positive feedback about mine. One
woman who recently purchased my Website
Wisdom Writing course even said, "Kendall, those tips work!
I'm buying your course right now because of them!"
I use Audio
Acrobat to make all of my recordings. It's fast, simple, and really
fun. You can also write a tip. The days of people signing up just
for your newsletter are pretty well over. Now, you have to offer some
really useful information (think tiny tidbits) in exchange for their
name and email address. Your newsletter is the "oh, by the way,
you also receive..." that comes along with your other free goodie.
Must Have #3 A Clear Deliverable
Most websites are too vague about the specific results
they're promising to deliver. Think of it this way: if you needed
to by a new air conditioner for your home, would you be interested
in a store that said they would sell you "something that will
change the air temperature"? Of course not! That kind of fuzzy
wording leaves too many questions unanswered and most potential clients
will move on rather than dig deep.
What specific change do you help make for your clients?
List those on your website. Weave them into your copy. Make it abundantly
clear at a glance-and on every page-so there is no guessing.
Must Have #4 Personality
Too many website are tame, and I always say, "Tame
is lame!". Choose an aspect of your personality that is front
and center to who you are and let that come through on every page
of your website. An excellent example is my friend and web designer,
Kevin of AcornCreative.com
. Kevin's site definitely reflects Kevin's sassy attitude and love
of humor.
My site too, is a good example of reflecting personality.
It shows off my honest, authentic, direct style to a "T".
Here's a tip: Have someone read your website home
page and without any hints from you, tell you what is the key emotion
that is communicated. If it's not a strong one, then there's not enough
of YOU shining through!
Must Have #5 A Plan of Attraction
Now it's time to make sure people are seeing your
website. I recommend focusing on three ways to get people to come
and visit you. My favorite is speaking. My next favorite is writing
articles. I honestly don't have a third favorite because the first
two work so well!
Here's a tip: make your plan VERY simple, then follow
it consistently. Put every article, tip list, checklist, how-to report,
audio recording, and client contracts on your site to encourage repeat
visits.
Remember to keep your website simple (like mine
for example). It doesn't take a big budget or a long time to make
sure your website includes these five 'must have's' so
you
have a site that is a valued contributor to your business success!
