Image this: A enterprise sees that its web site is not bringing in leads. Enterprise leaders go to an company and say they want a brand new web site to show issues round.
The company builds a modern new web site — to the tune of $60,000 — which boosts site visitors for a couple of months, however it doesn’t appear to herald higher leads. Quickly, site visitors begins to degree off.
The enterprise wonders what went incorrect.
Does this sound acquainted?
All too typically, companies see a brand new web site as the answer to their advertising and marketing issues. Whereas a wonderful, clear website is actually an asset, it isn’t a enterprise technique, in and of itself. With no full-fledged advertising and marketing and gross sales technique, an internet site can simply be simply one other shiny object that’s stylish however not useful.
An internet site is one in every of your small business’s most cherished belongings: a 24-hour marketer and salesperson that helps usher in clients. However similar to with some other asset, the technique behind it determines its worth.
When you’re coming into into an internet site redesign, don’t anticipate a flashy new web site to be the panacea you’re in search of. As an alternative, plan on making your web site redesign half of a bigger technique overhaul that ensures it would work in tandem with different advertising and marketing and gross sales initiatives to herald income.
Beneath, we’ll clarify why your web site redesign technique must be about extra than simply website navigation and design parts.
An internet site shouldn’t be a advertising and marketing technique
Companies go into web site redesigns with the preconception {that a} new web site that’s fancy, quick, and delightful goes to unravel their advertising and marketing issues.
Usually, companies coming into into this course of are coming from a spot of ache. Visitors is down; they’re not getting leads and gross sales. When companies face these conditions, they suppose, nicely, what can we do? An internet site redesign is one thing they’ll do.
Right here’s the factor: You’ll be able to polish up an internet site, but when your web site content material doesn’t reply purchaser questions, they’re not going to stay round. When you don’t publish content material repeatedly, you’re much less prone to rank extremely in search.
When you’re not addressing these greater advertising and marketing points, a brand new web site isn’t going to do you a lot good.
As an alternative, we have got to interrupt the mildew of how entrepreneurs and salespeople take a look at an asset like an internet site. An internet site is not one thing you simply refresh. It is a dwelling, respiration factor. Sure, there are occasions when we have to redesign it and we have to make it prettier, however what’s on the coronary heart of it? What’s it doing and what’s its operate?
And if we take a look at it from that perspective, we do not at all times must give attention to a redesign. We would simply want so as to add content material. We would simply must revamp some issues.
The true goal of an internet site
It may rely in your particular enterprise wants, however consider an internet site as a solution repository for patrons. Somebody ought to be capable of come to your web site and totally perceive what issues you resolve, and the way you resolve them.
Your web site ought to do the entire issues {that a} salesperson would usually do if a possible buyer simply walked in and began asking questions.
When you take a look at how individuals wish to use the web to purchase, they don’t wish to discuss to a gross sales particular person till they’re prepared. That’s what our web sites must be. They should present solutions to people who find themselves not prepared to speak to salespeople. If our web sites cannot give customers all of this data, then we now have the potential to lose individuals.
Folks wish to are available and study. Folks need their inquiries to be answered as a result of their time is effective. They do not wish to spend hours on a gross sales name. They wish to know the way your organization will help them. They wish to know what working with you can be like. They wish to know the way a lot one thing will value them.
And if you cannot reply these questions for them in some kind or vogue in your web site, they’re gone.
Your web site would not change salespeople, it simply will get potential clients extra purchased in and able to discuss.
Your web site should be part of your small business technique
Any web site undertaking supervisor will discuss technique, however they’re speaking about web site technique — how the pages look and the way they’re laid out and conversion paths. Probably the most profitable web sites give attention to a bigger digital gross sales and advertising and marketing technique.
This isn’t nearly your web site, or about your content material, or about your video. That is about the way you inform and educate your patrons so that you just acquire their belief so they are going to do enterprise with you.
Most companies shouldn’t be doing an internet site redesign with out first doing the foundational work that should inform that web site.
Too typically, we see corporations which might be doing all kinds of various advertising and marketing and gross sales techniques, however these techniques aren’t grounded in rules.
This implies they’re engaged on a variety of initiatives directly, however there is not any unifying technique.
Think about this enterprise:
- They’ve obtained a model new web site that any person constructed that does not do any of the issues they want it to.
- They have been sending out packing containers of printed supplies and swag in an account-based marketing-type pitch that value them over $50 a pop, however returns are minimal.
- They’re spending cash on Google Search advertisements too, however these lead to rubbish leads.
They’re doing all this stuff as a result of their income’s down.
They’re spending all this cash, however they haven’t any technique.
These are advertising and marketing choices made out of concern. They’re chasing the most recent shiny object, hoping it would flip issues round.
An internet site, too, will be that subsequent shiny factor. However and not using a technique, it is simply one other method to spend cash with questionable ROI.
The web site redesign course of MUST give attention to technique
Firms must suppose extra broadly after they’re on the point of method an internet site redesign. They should suppose in another way.
They don’t know precisely what they want — and companies are standing by, able to promote them a brand new web site that gained’t resolve their greater points.
Any dialog a couple of new web site ought to begin with outcomes.
What are you seeking to get out of your new website? Most purchasers are going to say they want extra site visitors or they want extra leads. What they actually imply is that they want extra gross sales. 95% of the time, that’s it. They’ve a gross sales downside. They’re not hitting their numbers. They’re not getting the income that they should get.
It isn’t that their salespeople aren’t good, it’s that they haven’t any technique to assist drive gross sales. We have now to point out them the actual downside after which present them how they really resolve it.
A brand new web site shouldn’t be the one factor they want.
They want an entire gross sales and advertising and marketing technique, they want to verify their web site (new or previous) is repeatedly up to date with content material that builds belief and solutions patrons’ questions.
Then, in the event that they decide {that a} new website is important, as soon as it’s constructed it must be monitored and adjusted to greatest serve website guests.
There are a whole lot of companies on the market who will promote you a model new shiny web site — however until they’re going to speak to you concerning the technique behind the web site, about how that web site goes that will help you usher in income — that new web site shouldn’t be going to assist your small business in the long run.