(Part 1. in a 4 part series)
How do you grab the attention of your audience, when they are flooded with so many messages that it’s hard to cut through the clutter?
Start with a well-defined, distinctive and accessible website.
Having information at our fingertips 24/7 allows us to review and appraise a website quickly and accurately. If the information we want isn’t available within seconds, we’re not going to stick around.
If your website:
-meets your company’s strategic marketing objectives,
-generates leads and interest,
-converts visitors into customers,
-looks good and functions on a Mobile Device,
-engages your audience on social media,
-appears high in search engine rankings due to Search Engine Optimization,
Chances are you have the beginnings of a WOW-website.
Is Your Website a WOW or Woe?
WOW’s don’t have to be flashy or expensive. A WOW needs to have the right information, for the right audience, anytime, anywhere.
A WOW website needs to sell and establish confidence and credibility.
Here are four tips for developing your “content strategy” for your WOW website.
1. What’s your story? Every business has a story, often found in the About Us section of their website. Here, you can share your experience, achievements, and quality. Include your positioning statement. Highlight your successes. Show your audience that you’re the best choice for their needs.
2. What are you selling? Are you selling products, services or solutions? Or, a combination of both? Now is the time to make your products and services stand out, get visitors excited about them, and differentiate them from competition.
3. How can I get in touch with you? It’s important to make it simple and offer various ways for someone to contact you. In addition to phone numbers and email addresses, include a brief contact form to collect information. Provide an incentive to turn visitors into customers. Encourage people to sign up for your newsletter and add their contact details to your database. Launch a blog to boost visibility, loyalty, and expertise. Use social media channels that fit your business, as you will need resources to manage and keep track of them.
4. Do you have a Mobile Presence? Mobile usage is skyrocking. A mobile presence is a must have for companies and brands. Your site needs to be mobile-friendly or mobile-optimized. Consider developing a Mobile App that’s unique and provides value, to increase loyalty, sales and ROI.
Infographic from Microsoft Tag.
Incorporate Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tactics and techniques so that you can be found by Google and others. Content is still king and will play a larger role in marketing for 2013. Since visitors scan websites, content needs to be succinct and informational. We’ve all heard “A picture is worth a 1,000 words”; today videos trump pictures and should be included on your site.
Hire a web development firm to show you how to control the user experience, convert visitors into customers and increase your ROI. Get your web developer engaged at the planning level. They can provide you with cost effective solutions and make sure that what you envision can be accomplished within your budget parameters.