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A stunning website is fantabulous, but “stunning” is only one important element of an online business. Websites that convert persuade visitors to become customers.
More traffic is a dream, but it is converting customers that make money. Converting websites generate revenue … find the best examples and follow those. Be inspired to create an attractive site with conversion rates that make you smile.
It’s pretty dang easy to build a website, we love Squarespace for their beautiful templates, ease of use and the ability to get a little freaky with the coding when we need to. You can lope onto a free builder, figure out the ins and outs, and even discover your natural talent for website design (who knew?!?). One hop, skip and jump later you have a killer site … appropriate amount of white space, an enticing call to action, stand-up product pages, and all the important elements internet users need to share your lead magnet with gusto and “great job” emojis!
Orrrrrrrr
The free builder is a complete-time suck and the end result is a subpar version of the gorgeous preconceived website you had in your head.
The website does not bring in the traction you were hoping for.
Gulp, gulp … you give up before you even hit the “publish” button.
It can be discouraging.
Web design and creation are not just about adding in text and graphics. In this blog post, we cover how to take your DIY website to the next … next … NEXT level.
Of course, that is only if you decide to tackle it out on your own … what will you do to increase conversions and have the social proof of success?
It might make sense to go the simpler route if web design is not actually within your zone of genius.
If, however, you are going to be your own web designer, take a few seconds and peruse our 7 must-read tips. There are important elements to consider … and fear not – it IS possible to create an aesthetically pleasing, and lead-generating website.
AKA a converting website can be in YOUR future.
“You never get a second chance to make a great first impression.” ~Will Rogers
The one page on your site with the backbone to make this “great first impression” is your Home page. Consider it the online “face” of your company. It needs to have an impact and be loaded with unique value and specific information about exactly what you do and how you can help the customer.
Have a headline that tells your visitors in the space of 3 seconds or less where they have landed, and more importantly, why they should stick around.
Most people are visual, so ensure that your home page is clean (a little white space can go a long way!) and packs a punch. It won’t take long for a visitor to decide whether they will “walk” away or stick around.
If you haven’t generated interest in 15 seconds, then you probably aren’t going to. To read about why users leave a website, this is a cool article.
Put the very best you have to offer on display!
The Contact page is so simple and often overlooked.
There is nothing more irritating than wanting to connect or figure out what address to put in google maps and not being able to find the hours of operation or contact details.
The visitor is going to bail if the contact information is difficult to find. And in the partial words of Fleetwood Mac, they are “never [coming] back again.”
Make sure that your CONTACT INFO is:
somewhere easy to find,
easy to navigate (just the basics are needed here); and,
includes your location (if applicable), phone number, email, mailing address, and maybe even a chat feature*.
*A chat feature is HUGE, but if you venture down that path without a little hand-holding (we’ve got your back, ahem, hand), it could be risky … an unanswered chat is worse than just not having one.
For a great example of contact information, have a peek at ours here.
You need to appeal to the many different forms of communication that exist, taking into consideration all of the subsequent preferences.
Some prefer to pick up the phone, some like email, but everyone likes to see a variety of options. It builds trust with your customer.
Do you know what else is great on your contact page?
A contact form.
Just ask a few simple questions making it really REALLY (stupid easy) for people to connect with you. Ask a question in the contact form that people are itching to answer … who doesn’t love being set up to give their 2 cents.
Boom … connection made.
Next, it’s up to YOU to make the magic happen and close the deal. Cha-Ching!
You want content/copy that is searchable. Ask yourself, what would I google to find the product or service?
This is important for the SEO (search engine optimization) of your website. Searchable content will draw people to your site based on the words they search with.
That makes sense. HOWEVER, you still need to separate yourself from the 1, 684, 999, 999 other websites that use the same cliched jargon and have an impact after google gets them to you.
Try to write content that is specific to YOU and YOUR Company.
Write about your origins.
Write about your family.
How did you start out? Write about how and why the product is specifically important to you.
The more diverse your copy is the better your site will read. In the long run, you are balancing “converting website” tricks with the unique value of your deliciously creative copy.
You may not have a separate landing page, but you do want to make it simple and desirable for your product or service to ‘land’ in the hands of your website visitors. This means if you sell a product – sell it online. If you sell a service – book it online.
A customer doesn’t want to visit a website that says, “Hi, this is who we are and what we do, but you can’t get any of it here. Thanks for stopping by.”
Why even have a website?
Where this is not feasible – in the instance that you are unable to sell online, make sure your inventory or offering IS available for people to SEE (have you seen iPhone photo technology these days?).
Let them see what they will want to make the effort to physically go get!
Create a call to action on your site in several ways and places. For example, invite visitors to book a consult, subscribe to your newsletter, and connect with you as a business.
Whether visitors are filling a virtual shopping cart, making a wish list, reserving in store, having information sent to their email, booking an appointment, etc – create the transaction. Make it happen!
There are a thousand really cool things you can do on your site and we encourage your unique flare to publish something that stands tall and has a widespread impact.
HOWEVER, don’t use ALL the tricks at once!
Have you heard of “the rule of five?” You have five seconds to keep someone’s interest once your page loads.
All the graphics, videos, and *really cool* things you’ve got going on are thrown beneath the cloak of invisibility (think Harry Potter) and are a complete waste of your precious time and effort if the visitor has hightailed it to your competitor’s quick-loading page.
Try to make a statement, but in a simple way. In other words, “quality over quantity.”
What are your initial thoughts when visiting our website?
Looking at our site, did we hit the mark? We would love to hear from you.
Not all visitors are heading to your page to see the product, figure out how to contact you, or shop. Many people have questions and they want answers. Or, they come to check out the product or shop and end up with questions.
Questions may include:
What are your rates?
Do you ship to my location?
Where do you manufacture your goods?
Are you locally owned?
Do you have other fees?
The list can go on and on and on.
The best thing for you to do is to keep track of frequently asked questions. Make a list.
Word of caution. Do not weave these answers into your company’s bio, product/service descriptions, or into the site *somewhere*
No one wants to be a Houdini when navigating your page.
Make a simple FAQ list and address your list of questions and put them somewhere that is easy to find.
Relevant images have a much bigger impact than you may realize.
Viewers retain only 10% of what they read but 58% of what they see!
A page that is ALL text and no images will make visitors’ eyes glaze over … if they stick around long enough.
Make sure to incorporate brand-appropriate and effective graphics that help illustrate your point.
Bring your site to life with:
images of the products you are selling,
images of your storefront (i.e. in your ‘contact’ section), and
images of your team (on your ‘about’ page).
You NEED visuals.
If you are doing headshots or showcasing yourself or your team, it is ALWAYS a good idea to hire a professional photographer.
Just like your copy, don’t make your images boring or stuffy.
Have a peek at our team page and see how a photo can really connect you to a person.
Professional photos will end up used across your brand over many different platforms and mediums. It is money well spent.
Are you asking yourself …
What does my website design reflect?
Is my website “high converting?”
What are landing pages and do I need one?
How do I even find out what my conversion rate is?
Can The Art of B help with my website design?
Should I hire website designers?
What do the internet users want?
Do I have an attractive website?
Our must-read tips are 7 in a sea of millions. You want to land in the virtual world of stunning and ‘high converting.’ Start with these 7 tips. And let us know how it goes.
As always, we strive to provide you with a marketing leg up with insights and helpful tidbits.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, ask for help.
We promise you, if you reach out to our agency, we will use EVERY trick in our crafty little playbook to create a high-converting website that looks great and works hard for you.
Check out this virtual revamp we recently completed. Do you want to see more? Send us a note and we will gladly share transformation stories and testimonials.
If the time has come to shift from DIY, check us out here.
When you invite us to develop your website, design your logo, or create and manage your social media – we make everything happen in a way that will be cohesive with your overall marketing plan, which we create with you. ~The Art of B
We talk about high converting websites because it’s our jam. If you don’t want to make it yours, consider your call to action to reach out to us. We will inject some creative “website conversion,” and also, we are fun to work with!
Promise.