Every business has one. Most of them do little or nothing to help your business.
What is it?
A website.
The sad reality is that most websites disappoint. They fail to deliver the results you hope for.
If you want to differentiate your website and make it exceptional, follow the following tips:
1. Don’t Make Your Website a Brochure
The best websites are interactive. They are a dynamic source of information. Create a website that is an ever improving asset for your business. If you want to differentiate your website and business, a brochure site is not enough.
You should avoid brochure websites for multiple reasons:
- A brochure site will not get you the SEO results you want. Brochure sites have static content. SEO requires new content, regularly posted to your website.
- Brochure websites are about your business. The best websites should be about your target market. You have to create an authority website. Your website must be able to educate, inform, and even entertain your visitors.
- Brochure websites are not built to scale. Your website must grow to compete.
2. Create an Impactful First Impression
Most people will land on your home page. The home page is where you have to make the biggest impact. The first few seconds a visitor spends on your home page is critical. A poorly designed home page will drive visitors away from your website.
Here is what makes a great home page:
- Show your contact information: The header area should include your phone number. The footer should include your physical address. Showing your contact information is an instant credibility builder.
- Have an effective call to action: What do you want people to do once they land on your home page? Do you want people to call? Tell them to call now. Give them an incentive to call. Do you want people to subscribe to your email list? Give them a good reason to subscribe. A great call to action will help you increase your conversion rate.
- Include customer testimonials: Your home page should have at least one testimonial with a link to your testimonials page.
- Add impactful images: Use images that tell the story about your business. It is best to avoid stock photos. Use your own images.
- Write about how you are helping your customers: Do not make your home page content about your company. The content should revolve around the ways your business is helping your customers.
3. Optimize for Search Engines
No website can be successful without the search engines.
Optimize and differentiate your website the following ways:
- Make a list of your target keywords. What keywords do you want to rank for? Any business should be able to come up with a list of at least 100 keyword phrases.
- Create at least one page for each target keyword.
- Each web page should have a unique page title. The page title should be the target keyword.
- Each web page should have a unique headline. The keyword should be part of the headline.
- Your target keyword should be within the first paragraph.
- Make sure that your keyword is found throughout the content at least 3-5 times. Don’t stuff the keyword. Having your keyword in the content 25 times will not help. Use related keywords.
Monika Beck
Monika Beck is a serial entrepreneur and the co-founder of Success Harbor a website for entrepreneurs. Success Harbor is dedicated to documenting the entrepreneurial journey through interviews, original research, and unique content. Monika Beck is also co-founder of a website designer and online marketing company.
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Monika – Thank you for sharing your insights. To add to your advice about keywords, my mentors remind us to think about the keywords that the people I want to reach would use. Pretend you’re the audience you want to reach. What words would they have in their minds?. Do your due diligence to get to know your prospective audience’s interests – the problems they want to solve or the goals they are striving for – and the language they use. And of course the ultimate test is to observe how your prospects respond and make adjustments accordingly..