As a Toronto Web Design company, we develop state of the art websites for our clients. For a successful business to not have a website these days is a rare thing. A business website is quite simply the most important tool for conveying information to a potential client or customer. And traditionally, that has been the primary purpose of a website; to act as an information hub for people to learn more details about your company and your services.
While conveying information about your business is vital to any website, truly effective websites are more than that. When incorporating some essential marketing characteristics, a business owner can turn that which was just an information resource, into a powerful marketing tool that can convert casual visitors into prospects, and bring them down the sales funnel.
Here is a list of marketing tactics to implement on your website to gain convince your potential clients to pick up the phone.
Brand Consistency
The first thing to be considered when ensuring that your website is a marketing tool is that all elements are consistent with your brand. This means that the critical factors of your brand need to be incorporated into the design. These will include:
- Logo
- Colour Palette
- Font Styles
To some, this may appear obvious, but it is something that when overlooked, can negatively impact your prospects impression of your business. It can be confusing, even jarring, to see a logo, fonts and a colour selection on a business card/pamphlet only to see a completely different look on your website.
Compelling Content
What is the reason that someone looks to hire a professional or engage with a business? They have a need. They have a need and they are looking for a solution to that need. This is precisely what needs to be addressed on your website. It is critical that you ensure these four content elements are well explained on your website:
- Identify Pain Point. A pain point is the real or perceived problem of a potential client/customer. Address the pain point right away so that the potential client knows you have a deep understanding of their problems.
- Educate/Offer Solutions. Display your value through offering solutions to these problems. Use testimonials/case studies to support your value.
- Offer Valuable Content. To support their need for education, offer blog posts/downloadable content that will help them specifically. Use a sign up form for the download so that you can obtain their contact information.
- Call to Action. Now that the prospect understands that you are familiar with their situation and have solutions that address their needs, they need to be told what to do. This is a Call to Action (or CTA). It should be very specific. Examples include, Call Today, Sign Up for Our Newsletter and Fill Out Our Contact Form.
Mobile Friendly
All modern websites, regardless of industry and purpose, should be mobile friendly. The reason? 65% of website searches occur on mobile devices and the number is even higher for local searches. Your customers will be doing their research on their smart phones and tablets, so your website better be optimized and able to give them the information they need in a manner that doesn’t frustrate them.
Here is an example of a Bush Marketing website that is mobile friendly:
Regardless of the device, our client’s prospects are able to get the information they need regardless of the device they are using.
Quality Content Development
Quality Content Development refers to creating fresh and dynamic content to your Toronto web design on a consistent basis. This most often presents itself in the form of blog posts. There are many benefits to creating new and valuable content for their customers. Here are some of the benefits:
Huge Boost in SEO Rankings
Creating new and fresh content allows the search engines (eg. Google) new pages to index. Google loves it when you create valuable content for its users and rewards websites that do so with higher rankings.
Strengthens the Bond with Existing Clients/Develops Bonds with Potential Clients.
Giving valuable content to potential and existing clients is an altruistic act, and these people tend to be grateful for it. It gives them cause to return to your website on a regular basis and increases the opportunity to work with them again or for the first time. It also allows you to share this valuable content in “your voice” which humanizes your company and allows them to get to know you on a more personal level.
Establish Your Business as an Industry Leader
By creating these valuable posts, you are displaying your authority in your field and firmly establishing yourself (or you company) as a leading expert. This establishes trust and increases confidence in your company, thus leading to more prospects.
Create Opportunities for Sharing
Creating this valuable content will also support your other marketing endeavors, as it can be repurposed and shared in different areas. The two most powerful marketing areas are your company email newsletter and your social media marketing. And best of all? It drives traffic back to the website.
Many people are fearful of business blogging, and often struggle with how to come up with content ideas. That can be overcome with the right systems in place. Creating a business blog is a must.
Read: Get a Higher Google Rank For Your Blog Posts With SEO
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
A website without SEO is like producing a sales brochure that sits in a storage room. It is vital to structure the content on your site so that Google knows you’re there and can perceive you as an authority in your field. Google rewards these sites with higher rankings. The higher the rankings, the more likely your customers are to find you.
Leveraging Conversion Tools
What we want your potential clients to do when they come to your website is perform an action. This is what’s referred to as a website conversion. A conversion can mean filling out a contact form, signing up for a newsletter, or even purchasing an item.
You must have a clear understanding of what action you want your prospect to take before your design a website. How does your website fit into your overall marketing strategy? Will it play a critical role in your communications process?
Once the conversion goals are determined and integrated into the site, Google Analytics can be set up to monitor site conversions, and track what is successful and what can be improved upon. This data is of paramount importance when it comes to fine tuning the effectiveness of your website.
Conclusion
Now that you have a better understanding of how your website can be a powerful marketing tool, you should be able to go to your company website and audit its effectiveness.
Interested in a unique, custom designed and branded website to help skyrocket your business? Call Bush Marketing today!
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