Resources / Sales and Marketing / Marketing / Marketing Materials Chapter 1: Your Website. The Power of Style. Dress to Impress.
1. First, test your site. Before we get started, take these free website graders to see how your website scores! You can use both website-grader and Google’s Test My Site. 2. Why your website? This year, new-comer fashion model Oobah Butler took fashion week by storm, everyone wanted to book him. The only caveat? He wasn’t a model. He just dressed the part.If anything, this shows how appearances can change everything and drive action. Your customers will first see you through your website. How will you appear to them? 3. Your website is your clothing. Your website is the way you look to other people. It’s similar to the clothing we wear. I mean, would you rather buy from a well dressed, confident person, or someone in slouchy clothes with their hair all messed up and food down their t-shirt? You don’t have to answer that.Truth is, the way you present yourself has a huge impact on people’s impression of you. The same goes for your website. When it looks great and it’s easy to find what you are looking for, you are far more likely to persuade people into action. Here’s a list of things you can do to improve your website:
5-Second Rule Will your customer understand what you offer by looking at your website within 5 seconds or less? Just like how a man in a suit quickly conveys that he’s a lawyer or a banker, your website should quickly convey what your business does. Use your headings (quickly describe your product) and images (provide visuals of your product) to do this. Navigation Besides looking great, your site needs to be efficient. Your customers should be able to easily navigate and find the information they need on your site. Figure out which pages your customers find most important and use those as your main menu items. Call-to-Actions How prominent are your sign-up or book-now buttons? Once your customers are ready to book, they need to be able to easily find the next steps. It’s like business cards. Because Oobah Butler didn’t have any business cards, all those fashion companies weren’t able to book him, even though they desperately wanted to(not that he actually wanted to work as a model). Imagine the number of calls he would’ve gotten if he did have business cards. For your call to actions, try using bright, prominent colors such as yellow or red. Also, make sure they’re easy to find, above the fold (anything before the user starts scrolling) if possible. Content My friend once told me she went on a date with a guy called Mark. Throughout the entire dinner, Mark just kept blabbering on, non-stop about cars, motorbikes and how loud his car engines get. He continued on much longer but she zoned out at around the 6-minute mark. Don’t be Mark. You need to ensure your content/information is useful and relevant to your customer. You also, need to break it down into short paragraphs so they don’t get lost in the words. Use H1 – H6 headings so they know which bits are more important. Loading Speed Oh, did I also mention that Mark was late? Nothing spells more trouble than being late on your first date. Nobody likes to wait. Don’t let your customers wait, it’s a bad first impression. You could have the greatest website in the world but if it doesn’t load before your customer leaves, it doesn’t matter. On average, your pages should load within 2.9 seconds. Security (SSL Certification) Now imagine if at the end of the first date Mark asked for your credit card information, you’d probably flip the table and leave. But what if Mark had a certificate from a global organization stating that you can trust him. Okay, you probably still wouldn’t give him the information, but you’re more likely to do so than before. If you want to take bookings online, you’ll need to take your customer’s credit card information. People today are extremely sensitive about their information, and rightly so. An SSL certification would help ease their concerns as it certifies your website as secure.
You’ve made it to the end of Chapter 1.We’re excited to see the changes you make to your website! Download the website checklist below to ensure you don’t miss out on anything!Once you’re ready, check out Chapter 2: Advertising.