Did you know that when a potential customer finds your website, you only have 15 seconds to capture their attention? They quickly assess if the website is right for them, asking the question -“will I be able to find what I need?” As much as we all love treasure hunts, a visitor to your website is not there to search and find “buried treasure” but instead wants to see the pot of gold immediately. Here is a checklist of five questions your website MUST answer to capture and hold the attention of potential customers.
1. What do I want to rank for?
If someone typed a phrase in on Google and you could immediately be the first choice available, what would those words be? It’s crucial for you to know how you’re the solution to someone’s problem and what search terms your site needs to be shown for. The words or phrases typed into Google are known as keywords or keyword phrases. Keywords best sum up what your business is all about, placed front and center as soon as someone lands on your website. These keywords on your website communicate with Google on what search engine result pages to be shown on and how high in rankings to show for. Once a potential customer lands on your page, they must stay, or rankings are downgraded.
If a potential client is looking for a car mechanic and land on a website that doesn’t explicitly state that they do car repairs, they will think they are on the wrong site and immediately go somewhere else. This is not the time when you want to be clever or use jargon. Use exactly the language your website visitor would use to find you and find what they are looking for.
2. What is the #1 action I want someone to take?
It’s important to have a goal for your website to track if the site is effective or not. What do you want a website visitor to do ultimately? Do you want them to email you? Purchase a handbag? Sign up for your email list? Schedule a complimentary consultation? You must decide and make sure your site clearly calls the potential visitor to complete the action.
You need to make sure the goal is easy for the visitor to complete. Whether it is a big button in a distinct color that says “book now” or a pop-up prompting the visitor to sign up for the newsletter, you need to create a user journey where they see what you have to offer and then take the exact action that you want them to take.
3. What do my visitors need to know?
Put yourself in the shoes of your website visitor and ask yourself, “What are the questions I would want to be answered if I was searching for this product or service?”
You need to make it very clear that you are open and ready for business! It could be as simple as stating, “order now,” “accepting new clients,” or listing your operating hours. This lets potential customers know if you are available.
It is vital to think about the typical deciding factors for someone to want to stay on your site and complete the action desired. For example, if you are a coffee shop looking for more customers to come in and enjoy their coffee, you may want to mention you offer complimentary wifi – this benefit may set you apart from a competitor next door.
If appropriate for your company, add complete contact information – address, phone number, email. Most visitors expect to find this information on the footer of all pages and/or a contact page. If a potential customer cannot reach you, it’s a problem, and this may aid in losing a potential buyer.
4. How do I want them to contact us?
As stated before, your contact page is essential element visitors will look for. You want to spend time creating your contact page because it’s often the number one place people go. Sometimes, potential customers scroll through your entire website to find answers, but frequently, people want direct answers to their immediate questions, so they will want to reach out.
Decide in advance the method of communication you can handle the easiest. If you do not want to answer questions over the phone, do not include a telephone number. If you are not going to monitor your inbox, do not include an email address.
A new method many are using is pop-up chatboxes to capture people’s questions easily and quickly. It gives the perception of receiving direct and helpful answers.
Decide how you want people to contact you and then make it evident to the customers.
5. What can they expect?
Someone’s first experience with your company will most likely be your website and will set the tone for them of what it would be like to work with you. It is important that shape this potential experience for your potential customers. Here are two ways:
- Testimonials. There’s nothing better than social proof to build a person’s confidence that they are making the right choice. If someone else trusts you, it makes them feel as though they could trust you too. Use the comments or reviews from previous customers and showcase them on your site.
- The Next Steps. What happens after someone decides to work with you? You can directly layout your business process, showcasing the potential customer the experience they can expect. This helps to set their expectations from the beginning so that they feel confident about their investment.
Having a site that answers all five questions will increase your conversion rate, growing your business beyond expectations. If you are unsure of what kind of site you need to reach your audience, visit here.
If you need help on website development or a website audit, please contact our team. We are skilled in helping businesses grow beyond their potential with creative and exceptional assets.
