Have you had that heart to heart talk with your website yet?
The one I suggested yesterday?
What are you waiting for! Let’s get that website working its pixelized pa-tootie off for you!
In a previous post, I gave you the first 4 Active Ingredients to creating a top-producing website. Now… the next and final 3!
5. Sell Your Stuff
Most first-time visitors to your website won’t buy anything. They’ll read a bit, take advantage of your free offers, and then leave. That’s okay. The most important thing is to capture their email address on that first visit so you can continue to nurture that relationship through email correspondence.
But there are people who want to buy from you. Perhaps they’ve been receiving your emails or they’ve been following you on Twitter so they’re already pre-sold on your expertise. It’s your website’s job to make it easy for them to find what they want, buy it and feel really good about it!
Does your website do a good job of describing how and why your product and/or service is perfect for your ideal fans? When someone reads the description of what you’re selling, do they feel certain that this is the product or service for them?… so certain that they buy it right then and there?
Again, your website needs to talk to your ideal fans and prospects in their language! Your copy must address the needs, wants, desires, and preferences of your potential fan if it is to do a good job of selling your stuff.
Also, be sure that your shopping cart system works seamlessly, so when someone clicks that “Buy” button, they can complete that transaction without any hiccups, stalls or error messages!
6. Integrate with Social Media
This is simple. If you’re on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or YouTube, those platforms should drive people to your website. But your website should also invite fans to interact with you on those social media platforms as well…but only if your activity on those platforms represents you well. Don’t send people to Facebook if the last time you updated your status was three month ago!
Put links and/or social media icons on every page of your website with an invitation to engage with you there.
7. Promote YOU and Your Brand
Your website is your representative online. It is your stage, your gallery, your storefront, your home. It needs to communicate who you are and what you offer beautifully, powerfully and consistently.
Your “pitch,” your message or your mission should be communicated clearly and succinctly on almost every page of your website. No matter what page someone lands on, they should be able to get an immediate hit of what you’re all about. Some of this is communicated in words, your copy. But some of it is communicated by the look, feel and esthetic of your website.
The style, image and message of your brand should be represented consistently on your website. This means that the colors, font, and style should match that of all your marketing materials, from your business card to your press kit to your email template. The same goes for your pitch or your message and the “voice” you use to communicate that message.
Be consistent. Don’t switch looks, fonts or colors from one page of your website to the next. Make sure your look and logo are used consistently on every page, as well as your pitch. Repetition is your friend! Most people are so over-stimulated by all the visual information coming their way that to be memorable, you need to be repetitive, clear and consistent.
Next week, we’ll dive more deeply into the first Active Ingredient to “A Website That Works Wonders”… Captivate and Communicate! You won’t want to miss it, so be sure to subscribe to my RSS feed or sign up for my free eBook over there on the right hand column and I’ll email you an update.
If you have questions, be sure to leave them here in the comments section. Or you can post them on my Facebook Page. I’ll be sure to answer you promptly!