In today’s digital age, your website is your most important sales and marketing tool. It’s the most powerful communication platform your company can use and it’s often a prospect’s first impression of your business. If your website isn’t consistently generating leads, orders and profit, chances are your website isn’t making the best impression on your audience. Many businesses are unhappy with the lack of profit their websites are making and realize it’s time for an update. Borrowing a checklist from the blog entry Marketing 101: Driving Sales with an Inbound Website, here are some ways to see if your website is an all-star virtual salesperson…or a complete dud:

Well? Yes or No?
Can you make edits/updates without paying someone? Yes or No?
Can you track who is enjoying and interacting with the content on your entire site? Yes or No?
Are all your pages optimized to ensure you get found in searches before your competitors? Yes or No?
Do you promote special offers, products and services on a consistent basis? Yes or No?
Does your audience have a reason to click past your home page? Yes or No?

If you answered “no” to any of these questions, join the growing list of businesses that need an update. Unfortunately, when many companies go to redesign their website, they only focus on the graphics. While your website’s appearance is certainly important and represents your brand, don’t overlook the significance of your website’s content! Your website should provide your prospects with useful information such as solutions to problems, how to tips, white papers and case studies. Overall, it should serve as a resource center for your visitors. By providing the content that your audience needs, you establish your industry credibility. Then, when your prospects are ready to buy on their own time, they’ll come straight to you. Here are some points for consideration when analyzing your website:

  • Sales Pitch Overload! – People don’t like to feel sold. If you just post your sales pitch on your website, people will leave right away. We can’t stress this enough – provide valuable content to your audience.
  • What Do You Mean You Don’t Have A Blog!? – A blog is a fantastic opportunity to share your industry knowledge with interested prospects. In addition to branding yourself as an expert, you also get to show off a little bit of your personality.
  • The Social Media Connection – Social Media is an important part of marketing. Help drive traffic to your social media sites by featuring them prominently on your website.
  • Virtual Business Card Holder – Make it easy for people to request more details and leave their contact information. Include easy-to-fill-out forms on your website.
  • Industry Keywords Are Key – Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an integral part of your website’s success! By using industry keywords throughout your website, you can get found by your leads in search engines.

Remember, when you decide that your website from 1996 needs an update, updating your content is a crucial step to your internet marketing success!