Business Tips from SCORE: A finely turned website leads to a healthy business. Here's how
Once your website is regularly bringing in traffic, it's important to link your social media pages to the website so prospects and customers can follow you. According to 20% of those surveyed by Hubspot, customer testimonials can be very effective. Potential customers need to trust you before choosing to work with you. Fortunately, customer testimonial pages can help you effectively build that trust.
Use your website to build your credibility by sharing your expertise and successful track record with clients and customers. When you do get testimonials, ask your clients for permission to use their real names. Real endorsements from recognizable businesses and organizations mean a lot more than an anonymous testimonial or a quote from a fictional persona.
Case study pages should have a consistent, concise format and template to explain what problem a customer had, how your company solved it, and what process you used to get to a resolution.
Location details are invaluable for local search SEO (search engine optimization). Forty-six percent of all Google searches are looking for local information, which means if your business is not optimized for local search, you could be missing out on potential customers who are searching for products or services within your geographical region. And, as shown in our research, 26% think a business' physical location is a key component of an effective website.
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The pandemic has made many of us forget a physical world exists. Most businesses with brick-and-mortar locations rely on customers within a certain geographic area. Fortunately, when many people search for a product or service, they include a location. Including your location information will help your SEO strategy and help people unfamiliar with your region find your business.
For instance, if you need a locksmith, you might search "locksmith in Maplewood, NJ." This is why you should use your location in page titles and other metadata, as well as in the text that appears on your website. If you have several cities you serve, you should consider creating landing pages on your site for each location for easier navigation.
Live chat is an important element of a business website
According to 28% of respondents to the Hubspot survey of 285 users across the U.S., live chat is a necessary component of a successful website. Chatbots cannot replace real people with customer service, but they are a good alternative for those who do not want to call or email and may be inquiring about services or simple FAQs. To meet customers where they are and provide the instant feedback they require, consider installing a live chat option on your website.
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Chatbots are easy to program, and many do not even require code. Artificial intelligence (AI) has made this functionality much more feasible for companies of all sizes. In fact, many companies offer live chat as a simple plugin for your content management system (CMS) platform.
Other reasons to consider a chatbot: Forty-four percent of online consumers say having questions answered by a live person while in the middle of an online purchase is one of the most important features a website can offer. Sixty-three percent said they are more likely to return to a website if it offers live chat. Thinty-eight percent said they made their purchase due to the chat session itself, and 62% reported being more likely to purchase from the site again. Twenty-seven percent of those surveyed say it's important to use original videos and images of your product and/or services on your website.
Customers like images — but they are weary of stock photos, particularly of products or services. This is where authentic behind-the-scenes videos and photos can help.
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For instance, if your company provides a service such as landscape design or IT maintenance, show before-and-after pictures of your work. If your service is something less tangible, such as insurance or life coaching, show pictures of your friendly staff and your belief system using visuals. Or, better yet, include a video. Videos, where you are explaining your business' purpose, are powerful opportunities for increasing trust with potential customers.
According to 10% of those surveyed by Hubspot, a newsletter sign-up is a valuable component of a company’s website. Offering visitors to your site a chance to stay up-to-date via a subscription to your blog posts, newsletters, or product releases is a great way to stay top-of-mind for prospects and customers and increase brand loyalty. A subscription will let you share information about your company through email marketing and build your email list at the same time. Use this list to share information you think your clients and prospects will find valuable whenever you have it.
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Your website is the front door of your business and it demands attention in creating and time to maintain it to welcome your next new client or customer.
Contributed by Marc L. Goldberg, Certified Mentor, SCORE Cape Cod & the Islands. www.score.org/capecod, capecodscore@scorevolunteer.org, 508-775-4884. Source: SCORE’s Partner in Success Newsletter, Feb 2023, Vol. 4, Issue 2. SCORE Southeast MA, www.sema.score.org.
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: SCORE: An optimized website can lead to business success. Here's how.
