We spend a bit of time here at Bc driving traffic to client websites, then making sure those websites convert the visitors into leads, and ultimately turn those visitors into customers. So, we thought it would be useful for our loyal Alchemist subscribers to understand some of the elements that really pull their weight in helping websites perform.
Your website is most likely the first place your prospects land, so first impressions really count. In fact, Google research tells us that users make snap decisions based on gut feeling within 50 milliseconds of loading a site. That means you need to make a good impression - fast.
The best way to do that is with a cohesive website design that doesn't just look good - it feels good. That means that it will deliver a great user experience, operate intuitively and convey a feeling of trust and credibility the moment your page appears on screen.
But don't be fooled into thinking that this is all about design. Making sure you've got compelling messaging that is relevant to your target audience is essential. After all, design's job is to deliver that message to your audience in a beautiful and engaging way.
So brand messaging, brand design, and intuitive online design - get these things sorted, and you're well on your way to winning yourself a new customer (or 20).
Ok good, so you've spent some time on your brand messaging and design, and you've had a beautifully intuitive site structure and design built. Well done. Now what?
Well, the most beautiful and compelling websites of all are pretty much useless if nobody can find them. Don't let your eyes glaze over at the mention of SEO. Yes, its a long journey and requires hard and consistent effort - however there are a few super easy and quick things you can get to move you in the right direction.
Inbound links: this is simply about getting other sites to link back to your site. The more inbound links you have, the more important search engines think your site must be. Online directories, partners, writing content for other sites - all of these contribute to getting you some good strong 'link juice' - contributing nicely to your findability thank you very much.
On-page optimisation: this is so simple it's silly! Placing targeted, relevant and valuable keywords in your URL, headline, body copy, and making sure your keywords appear in the alt tags of images. That's it!
Get social! Social Media helps SEO in too many ways to mention in this post. But if we just accept that inbound links help build authority and ranking, then it makes sense that social posts that direct traffic back to valuable content on your website would do the same - right?
You've got a beautiful website that's been found. Well done. Now you just need content that will encourage your visitor to act! Again, a pretty large topic in itself, but here are a few quick tips to help you get started.
Use benefit-led headlines and subheads - to quickly let visitors know why they should buy from you - or at very least, read on.
Keep body copy short and snappy, and make sure you include clear and relevant calls to action so your users know what to do next.
Don't just sell your own value on your site. Educate and delight on your website with content offers that your visitors will find informative, that helps them solve their problems. This will make them love you, respect you and remember you for your wisdom.
Metrics improve steadily - bounce rates decrease, dwell times increase.
Your website is getting high organic search rankings for the terms you need it to.
The traffic you are attracting to your website achieves high conversion rates into enquiries, downloads or sales.
Your prospects understand exactly what you do and what value it is to them before you speak to them directly.
Low bounce rates - prospects are able to find everything they need on your site without bouncing out or needing to pick up the phone.
If you'd like to learn more about conversions, download the "6 marketing metrics your boss actually cares about" ebook today.