5 Easy Ways To Improve Your Business Website… Fast!

Filed under: Business Website Tips

Hi everyone. It’s Ann.

Erin has turned the blog over to me this week. (Whoo hoo! The keys to the Maserati!) and I’m hitting the accelerator with 5 simple changes you can make to improve your website.

They’re fast.
They’re easy.
And your webmaster should be able to make them for very low investment.

Ready? Let’s go!

#1: Make it painfully obvious what’s clickable.

It seems so simple, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, far too often we see websites where links get lost because they aren’t underlined or they’re too light of a color.

If your website visitors have to think about how to navigate through your website, you’re losing opportunities.

So: Underline or bold or darken your links. Create buttons that pop. Make sure that everything on your site that’s clickable is obviously clickable.

#2: Tell your website visitors what you want them to do.

When people visit your website, you want them to do something: Request a quote. Make a purchase. Subscribe to your newsletter. Visit an important page.

Even if it seems obvious what you want them to do, be sure to tell them.

Go through each web page in your site and identify which ones are “dead ends”—pages that don’t include a clear call to action. Add in text or buttons that highlight what you’d like people to do next, especially at the end of each page.

Bonus tip! If you include a reason as to why people should take action, it’s proven you’ll increase the likelihood they’ll actually take that action. (Go figure!) Here are several examples: “Complete this conversation request form and you’ll be taking the first step towards a profitable website.” “Sign up for our blog to receive free tips on how to make your site more effective.”

#3: Make it crystal clear what your business does, particularly on your home page.

This is especially important if your business name isn’t overly descriptive. If people arrive on your website and they haven’t heard of your business before, briefly explain what you do. You can do this through your tagline. Or your main headline. Or even a brief description in the upper right corner of your page.

If people land on your site and they aren’t instantly clear on what you have to offer or how you can help them, they’ll leave for another business. You only have a few seconds to engage visitors. Make the best of those few seconds!

#4: Clearly describe your geographic reach.

We’re always surprised when we come across local business websites that don’t specify the geographic areas they serve.

Clearly sharing your geographic reach can make a positive impact on your search rankings, particularly if you depend on local search results for web traffic. But even more important, if you have website visitors who are researching their options, you’re making it very easy for them to know whether you’re a good geographic match. You aren’t eliminating potential prospects because they can’t determine what areas you serve—and thus leave your site for good.

Here’s an example of a website that successfully communicates the geographical areas the company serves (instead of leaving potential customers wondering):

Clearwater Cleanup Company - website clearly describes their geographic reach

#5: Make it very easy for people to contact your business.

In other words, take away any barriers that might prevent potential customers from reaching out to you. You want contacting you to be as easy as possible. Here are a few examples of the types of tweaks you can make to your website so your company even easier to contact:

  • Include your phone number in the upper portion of all pages in your site.
  • Make the link to your “Contact” page a clear element in your top navigation.
  • Add your phone number, email address and/or physical address to your footer.
  • Incorporate a simple contact form. (Want an easy online form builder? Check out Wufoo.)
  • Make your email address clickable and large enough to see.

Ready to get started?

Great! Use this post as a checklist, and you’ll be cruising in no time.

Before I return the blog keys to Erin, you can find more even more information on some of the tips I covered today here: