What is the ideal purpose of a website? For a business, a website should bring in leads and drive revenue growth. It should get people to talk about the brand. It must be a sales machine. This is not the case with most websites that we see. At best they are just an extended business profile. Customers visit them to learn more about the company, its values and mission statement and then read about the range of products or services on offer before moving on to the next website. There is no engagement that takes place whatsoever. At worst, they don’t accurately portray the company’s message and therefore the customer leaves even more confused about what’s on offer.
An ideal website should complement the physical stores or offices. It should sell products and services. It should drive revenue growth and guarantee a steady stream of income for the business. This is the ultimate goal. But to reach it there are certain changes that have to be effected. Businesses have to change how they see websites and their digital strategy. In short, this should inform their digital transformation strategy.
So what can be done to turn a website into a sales machine? How can a business go from passively having a website to turning it into a sales machine that attracts, serves and retains customers? We have simplified the process and outlined the few steps that can turn any website into a sales machine in no time.
- Optimise your website for search engines
You can’t sell if no one knows that you exist. This statement seems too obvious. However, we come across many businesses that don’t make an effort to get their websites on the first page of Google. In fact, the majority of business websites fall into this category. Here is a quick test; let’s assume you are a construction company, If you search for your industry’s keyphrase (for example, construction companies in Harare), does your website come up on the first page of Google results.? If not, then you are missing out on countless opportunities. It’s time to be more visible. With visibility comes more opportunities. Here is an article on what you can do to get your website on the first page of Google. Once you have addressed your website’s ranking and are as a result getting organic traffic to your website, you need to pay attention to your copywriting. Are the words on your website engaging enough? Do they accurately tell your company’s story? Do they make visitors want to buy what you are selling?
- Write copy that sells
Website visitors have an abundant supply of information at their disposal. This is why the average amount of time a visitor spends on a website rarely goes beyond a few seconds. This is especially true if the content on the website is not engaging enough. They quickly close the tab and move on to another website. Businesses and marketers are fighting a battle for attention. Whoever wins the most attention, stands the chance to win the visitor’s money as well. In addition to the visual appeal, businesses should pay attention to the words they use on their website. What do visitors first come across when they visit your website? What do you want them to do when they see it? Is it a ‘buy now’ or ‘read more’ button. Instead of outlining their value proposition right away and showing what they can offer to clients, one common mistake businesses make is to start by describing the business, its mission, goal and so forth. This doesn’t produce results. The best way is engaging the visitor right away, showing them what you offer better than the competition and how the visitor stands to benefit by doing business with you.
Linked to the content on your website, is the clear and concise ‘call to action.’ Every website should have a clear call to action. So many visitors often leave websites without doing anything because there is no clear direction on what the business wants the visitor to do. Check out the common web design mistakes businesses make. Do you want them to go to the ‘store’ page, should they fill in a form, or contact an agent? This information should be clearly outlined, with the buttons rightly positioned on your website for great results.
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