The goal of your website is to grow your business. The trouble is, most people forget that websites are just another form of media. The goal of media is to grow your list so you can turn prospects into leads, leads into buyers, and buyers into lifetime customers. So I’ve put together a list of 4 of the most common reasons websites do NOT help grow a business. Let’s dive right in…
1. Your website is not capturing leads effectively.
This is the big one. Your website’s most important job is capturing leads, period. You need to quickly move visitors and tire-kickers into your funnel and out of the noise. Think about it — when someone visits your website for the first time and does NOT buy something straight away (very likely) you risk losing them forever if you don’t make it easy and compelling for visitors to opt-in. You need a Lead Magnet and you need to present it in many different formats around your website.
2. Your website is too focused on making that first sale.
Carrying on from #1 above, most websites make this classic mistake. I know you really really want visitors to just whip out their wallet and start ringing your cash register, but that just isn’t the normal path for 90-95% of your website traffic. Yes, you do want to make it easy for people to buy and easy for people to understand what it is you do sell. But that should not be the primary goal of your website for new visitors.
3. Your website is not “sticky” enough.
A “sticky website” is a website that keeps visitors around. If you want your website to be sticky, you need to put yourself in the shoes of your customer and create content, tools, bells & whistles that will keep them around for more than just a few minutes or a few seconds. This is one of the reasons blogging is so important. By blogging frequently, you create a wide variety of content on your website that visitors can browse. But don’t stop there — depending on your type of business, you’ll also want to add little tools, games, or other interactive widgets to make your website more valuable.
4. Your website is too design-oriented.
Here’s the thing — most small business owners worry way too much about their website design. And it’s not surprising. Web Design companies, Graphic Design freelancers, and a load of other people are whispering suggestions in your ear. Most of these people know nothing about growing a business, so stop listening to them! And while you’re at it, stop listening to all of your family and friends who look at your website and want to provide some friendly feedback. If they’re not business owners and entrepreneurs themselves, you can take Tony Soprano’s advice and just fugedaboutit. 🙂
Those are my top 4 reasons most small business websites are not helping small businesses grow. What else would you add to the list? Leave your comment below.
