So you’ve got a halfway decent website. It does the job – it tells people what you do, where you are and how they can get in touch with you. But how hard does it work at actually generating leads and converting visitors to customers?
Beyond the static ‘brochureware’ site is a much more powerful solution that’s a marketing tool in its own right – built to attract visitors, demonstrate credibility and personality, and develop relationships with customers and prospects.
Here are a few tips on ways to soup-up your website and marketing efforts:
Do it properly
There’s no reason why a new website shouldn’t last you 5+ years, if you invest in an infrastructure that is scalable, flexible and allows for change.
There are a lot of companies out there that will make you a not very good website for not much money. But surprise surprise, you get what you pay for when it comes to web design, and the differences are not always visible to the eye.
Make sure your website is designed and built according to current best practises. Websites built using web standards keep your design, content and functionality separate – meaning you can upgrade your design when you want to, without needing to completely redevelop your site.
Using an agency that really understands branding, as well as web design and development will ensure that your website is always on brand, and compliments all your offline design and marketing collateral perfectly.
In addition, professionally written web copy, attention to usability and site architecture will all pay off in terms of providing a good user experience, and can help your search engine rankings too.
Use content to attract visitors
Search engine optimisation is a complex business, but there are some simple principles that will improve the visibility of your site – and your website as a whole as well.
Make sure your copy is optimised for search, that there’s plenty of content and that it is updated frequently.
News articles, business blogging and case studies are excellent ways to keep the content on your site fresh and relevant to both visitors and search engines.
Start a conversation
It’s a marketing basic – and easy to do on the web.
Provide information visitors can download and take into the real world – or at least their desktops. If you ask users for their email address to email them what they need, you are now in their inbox, and can follow up interested parties.
We’ve used this tactic to allow our client JWA Events to see who’s interested in their services, and contact them straight away to see if there’s anything else they want to know, striking when the iron is hot.
Extend your offering into the real world
By providing resources in alternative formats, you can get your offering into the real world – or at least someone’s desktop – long after they’ve closed their web browser. Whitepapers, Podcasts, PDF brochures and vouchers all give visitors something to revisit, and that they can pass on to someone else.
A content rich email newsletter with useful industry insights and resources will attract subscribers and allow you to touch base with previous visitors on a regular basis, nurturing relationships with current and potential clients. Make sure you include a Send to Friend link on your mails, to help your visitors recommend you to other potential customers!
Inject some personality – and credibility
A static, factual website will not do much to convince your visitors that there is some real activity behind the web presence – and that you are a dynamic, credible organisation.
Inject some personality by using copy in a tone of voice that matches the culture of your organisation, and your audience.
News articles, blogs, profiles of key staff and case studies all help to demonstrate that you are an active, forward-thinking company with real people who are passionate about their industry and know what’s going on around them.
Check out the VGroup Twitter feed on our blog page for informal updates of what we’re up to in the studio, and browse our blog to see what our team think about… well, lots of stuff!
Spread the word
There are lots of ways you can facilitate visitors with the means to recommend the site to other people.
One example is social bookmarking, which allows visitors to bookmark your web pages on web-based social bookmarking platforms such as de.li.cious, Technorati and Digg, thus sharing them with the wider online community and creating links back to your site that can improve your search engine rankings and drive traffic to your site. Check out VGroup’s de.li.cious bookmarks.
If your audience are active on Facebook, provide links to allow them to share your site on their Facebook, or create a LinkedIn Group to allow visitors to share your services with their professional networks. Join the VGroup LinkedIn Group or read more about LinkedIn and how it can help your business.
These are just a few tricks that can transform your website into a powerful marketing tool. Different tactics are relevant for different industries and audiences – drop us a line to discuss how we can supercharge your website and marketing activity.