For the majority of local businesses, it’s clear that having a website is an important part of their marketing. And, there’s a huge range of options out there to make sure your business stands out and can be found online.
However, many businesses forget one small thing about their website: it has to give their users what they want. There’s a lot of choice for potential customers searching online, so if your website isn’t up to scratch they’re likely to skip it and visit a competitor who knows exactly what they need.
To help you improve your website, here are five questions to ask yourself when reviewing it. You could also enlist a friend or trusted customer to work through these questions too, in order to get their perspective or a second opinion.
Google’s latest figures show there are 60 trillion individual web pages on the internet, which it searches in seconds to display to the person conducting a search. If your website doesn’t have the right ‘keywords’ - words and phrases people search for (like "plumbing") - or up-to-date information, it’s less likely that Google will discover it.
Test this out by thinking about words or phrases potential customers might use to try and find businesses like yours online. Use Google to search these words and check where your website appears.
You can help Google find your business by following the advice in these articles:
It’s important your business website tells potential customers exactly what they need: a clear description about your business, what you can provide and contact details.
Without clear information, users won’t be able to identify your product or service and are likely to leave your website very quickly. A list of products and services can be very useful as it helps customers make a decision about whether or not to buy from you. In fact, BrightLocal’s 2016 survey found that a list of products and services was the most important thing to have on a small business website, according to customers.
It’s likely that visitors will want to explore your website after finding out what you do. If your website isn’t easy to use, you’ll find that they leave quite quickly.A website isn’t easy to use if:
Think about the websites you might use most often, like Google or Facebook. These sites often have designs which are very easy to use, with clear text, plenty of space and navigation that’s easy to understand. Have a critical look at your website and check if it has any of the negative points above – if it does, it’s important you think about re-designing it.
If your website is clear, easy to use and gives customers all the information they need, the final question to ask is if your business appears trustworthy. Before they buy, potential customers will want final reassurance that they’re making the right decision. This includes:
For example, in 2015 BrightLocal found that over 90% of customers regularly or occasionally read online reviews, and nearly 7 in 10 customers say positive reviews make them trust a local business more.
Once a visitor has found your business and discovered you can give them the products or services they need, they’ll want to get in touch with you. Is your contact information clearly displayed on every page of your website? Is it large enough to read without having to zoom in? Is there any information missing?
Your contact details should be very easy to find, accurate and clear. Include a telephone number if you can – 90% of customers said they needed to call a business after they’d found information online (Google and Ipsos, 2014).
This is especially important for a user who might be visiting your website on their smartphone, as they’re more likely to be on-the-go and need to get in touch with you quickly.
Using these five questions and a trusted friend, you can start to enhance your local business website and make sure potential customers turn into real-life sales.
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