‘How can I bounce back from the Coronavirus era and make the most out of the second half of my year?’ That’s a big ‘ and increasingly important question.
Chances are you already have several marketing programs in place to drive traffic to your Website. And as regulations start to loosen up, many of your consumers will be looking for your services online. But with so many potential customers evaluating your business based on your Website, do you feel confident enough that it’s making the right impression on visitors?
Whether you built your Website yourself, or had someone do it for you, here are our top tips to give your Website a refresh amidst the loosening of Coronavirus regulations.
- Can Website visitors find your most important information easily? This has always been one of our most important Website tips ‘ and is consistently one of the most commonly ignored. Remember that the average Internet user has a short attention span – about 8 seconds, in fact. If potential customers land on your Website and are looking to hire you, don’t make them struggle to search for your phone number or storefront address. Make sure your contact info stands out on your Home Page. Pro tip: We suggest placing your phone number in the top right of your Website across every page.
- Highlight key seasonal services on your site according to the time of year. As we head into summer seasons, you’ll want to make sure your Website reflects that seasonality. Whether you have summer hours, seasonal services, or new specials based on the closest holiday, it’s up to you to make sure your company is keeping up with the times. The same goes for any banner images on your Home Page that might still be showing a wintertime photo. Pro tip: Do you have coupons on your Website? Check their expiration dates.
- Display any professional association’s logo on your home page. Skeptical online searchers are always focused on finding a service provider that looks official, professional and trustworthy. Featuring an association logo on your Home Page sends a quick message that you take your profession seriously. It’s important to keep up-to-date with those logos, too, as an outdated badge may send the wrong message to a visitor.
- Be personal with your visitors. People enjoy working with people, not faceless companies. Help your customers make a connection with you by including team photos, bios and pictures of your team at work. When visitors are able to see who you are and what you do, they’ll be enticed to make a deal with you. On the other hand, having stock photos of your industry isn’t going to impress anyone. You want to stand out from the competition, not blend in. Pro tip: If you have a page about your approach to sanitation/Covid, consider a photo of one of your staff members wearing a mask and gloves.
- Check your site for yesterday’s Web design standards. When was your Website built? If it was a while ago, has it been updated regularly over the years? Businesses go through a lot of change, and your Website needs to keep up. Make sure your Website reflects modern design and current information, or people may write your company off as a business of the past. Pro tip: What’s the copyright year on your Website? Is your most recent award from 10+ years ago? Be sure to update these!
- Own your business’ Web address. Your Web address (or URL, domain name) is your business’ address on the Internet. Many online companies register a domain with your name but keep ownership of it. This puts them in a powerful position over you. Ask your Web designer or Web Marketing provider if you aren’t sure who registered your Website domain. If possible, try to claim ownership of it.
It may be a long time before your operation fully returns to normalcy. In the meantime, some things haven’t changed: Any good Web Marketing strategy will revolve around a quality, professional Website. We hope that these tips help identify some areas for improvement in your Website. If you’d like us to take a look at your Website for you, feel free to reach out and schedule a free one-on-one Website evaluation where we can give you our input.
