Generally a website is budgeted for and created as a marketing tool (or in some cases as a customer tool, e.g. a membership site or a support site). So, on that basis - thinking about the marketing aspect - surely the idea is to create something that firstly attracts visitors and then through a process converts them into leads and customers? Why then do we get hung up about the style and type of website that you have, over a much bigger consideration?
Personally I'd like a website in a style and type that attracts visitors and converts them into customers. A website needs to be in line with what your customers want, not you as a business owner. On that basis the type and design of your website needs to be in line with your visitors', and potential, customers' needs and wants. Not what your web designer wants, not what you want... what your prospects want. I'm not saying design isn't important but that it is only one element of website effectiveness, not the main part as is so often thought to be the case.
Can your website be found online as a solution to customers' problems? When you want information about something, you Google a phrase relating to what you want to know in the hope that you will find a website that will give you the answer, or at least the beginnings of the answer.
What implications does that have for your website as a business owner? Your content needs to be based on your keyword research. So your website needs to include content that will be likely to appear in search results for the phrases that your prospects are searching for. That's where keyword research and optimising your website for those keywords comes in. You also need to be providing useful content that will engage your prospects when they find your website. If they select your website following searching for 'help' then you need to be providing them with that help or at least a route to getting it.
The easiest way to do that for all businesses nowadays is to set up a website based around a blog, which is how you can easily publish relevant content. Websites with an integrated blog are becoming more and more popular and are very search engine friendly as well as flexible for you to update yourself. It is easy to integrate this type of website-blog with your social media activity and, in fact, can enhance that activity by providing you with an on-line hub where you can send your connections who want to find out more about what you have to offer and who are looking for answers to their questions.
One of the strongest marketing technique is to position yourself and your business as 'expert' in your niche, field, local area (however you are describing where your target market will be looking for you). And with a blog-website integration you have a much better opportunity to do that with all the content that you can publish to help your visitors and prospects.
New website-blog collaborations are now easily customised to provide a very appealing design. When you know what you want from your website, a little research into which blog-website combination to use and a very business-like website can be built. So be open to the possibilities that a blog and website could generate - like visitors and customers!
Don't be put off looking at what's on offer, thinking that it doesn't have the right 'look' for your business or because it doesn't fit your existing idea of what a website should look like or what it should do. If you genuinely want an online presence that will bring you more leads, more prospects and more customers you need to embrace the new content-rich, dynamic websites that can be built. They do take more ongoing focus and work to keep them effective, but in exchange you will get more business.
My name is Tamara Baranova. I run TJConsulting and I help small business owners grow their business by delivering effective online marketing mentoring, support and training.
It allows my clients to stop wasting valuable time and start seeing real results. Business owners I work with are serious about raising their business profile and attracting more opportunities. They want their business to succeed, to grow fast, and to generate healthy profits through online marketing strategy that works.
Want to know more? Go to my website http://www.tjconsulting.co.uk/ to grab my free eCourse 7 Steps to Online Marketing Mastery and learn how to plan your unique social media strategy. Use our step-by-step jargon-free guides to master all popular online marketing tools: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, email, blogging, and more! Sign up today to get immediate access!
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