Do I have an effective website? It’s a question that a lot of business owners struggle with. A better way of phrasing it is,
“Does it convert visitors into prospects?”
In this article, we will examine the factors that will allow you to answer that question with a confident, “YES!”.
What is the Purpose of an Effective Website?
There are two critical elements to making a website effective for your business. The first is that it needs to act as an information source for your clients, in which they can learn about your company and what you offer. The second is that your website needs to serve as a marketing tool. The language and structure of your website should compel those who visit your website to contact your company, not move on to the next website.
Simple is Better
It is very important that your layout, your colour scheme, the writing and the navigation always embrace a philosophy of simplicity. People tend to be fickle about researching companies online and if they can’t find what they want almost immediately they will likely move on to your competition.
You have a two to five-second window to capture the attention of your visitors. In that time they will make the decision as to whether they should continue on through your website for more information, or move on. A convoluted and over-complicated website can make the decision for them.
Speed
Once again we need to have a great user experience, and nothing ruins a website user experience like slow load times. That fickleness I mentioned above also applies to the speed with which your visitors can make their way through your website. Long load times will destroy a user experience and will frustrate your visitors. And when a website viewer is frustrated, they leave, pure and simple. Make sure that your images are optimized and that your load times are fast. There are many free website speed test sites, so you have your pick (we like Pingdom).
Testimonials/Case Studies
If you are looking to convert visitors to prospects, there is no better weapon in your arsenal than testimonials and case studies. Evidence that you have served your customers/clients well and that they took the time to say something about it goes a long way to convincing people to work with you/buy from you. Testimonials are huge. Case Studies are also a powerful tool in that they show your potential clients the needs of your clients, the solutions they proposed and the positive outcome that resulted. Combine the two and your prospects will feel confident that you offer the right solutions to their needs.
Engagement
Now that you have a fast minimalist website that is easy to navigate, we need to work on our marketing message to ensure that you ahve an effective website. You already have the attention of your visitor, because they are on your site. No we need to engage them. We can divide this engagement into three indispensible steps.
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.
Interested in a unique, custom designed and branded website to help launch your law firm past the competition? Call Bush Marketing today!
Bush Marketing, is a top web design Toronto, Canada marketing agency. Call today!
