By Derek Ashauer
Every business owner wants to have a profitable website. But, many aren’t even sure what that would look like, much less how to actually get one.
There isn’t anyone formula for driving leads or earning money on the web, of course, but years of experience have taught us that most profitable websites have a handful of things in common. Here are seven signs yours is likely to deliver a high ROI…
#1 An Emphasis on Usability
Clear designs with lots of white space and easy navigation make it simple for your customers to understand your web layout and find what they’re looking for. Conversely, if your webpages are cluttered and confusing, it’s not going to do much for your sales.
#2 Targeted Content
You want your website to read as if it were written specifically for a certain type of customer. That way, your sales and marketing messages will resonate with them in a way that feels personal. Unfortunately, many businesses use generic content that’s designed to appeal to everyone but doesn’t grab the attention of their most important prospects.
#3 A Strong Search Engine Ranking
Did you know that Google processes more than 2 billion search requests per day? That makes it the world’s most popular website, and the most important source of web traffic for most businesses. Earning a space in the top few positions for an important keyword or phrase can do a lot for your bottom line.
#4 Fast, Mobile-Friendly Pages
Tens of millions of us are accessing the web via smart phones and tablets. That makes it critical that your pages are designed and coded in a way that lets them load quickly and display correctly on these devices. If you haven’t upgraded your hosting package or switched to a responsive web design, these actions should be a top priority.
#5 Social Fans and Engagement
While Google and the other search engines are still your most important source of web traffic, social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are gaining ground. A strong social presence can help you win new business, both by drawing visitors to your website and earning you referrals from existing customers.
#6 Active Email Subscribers
Email remains an inexpensive and effective way to get the contacts you already have in your network to take action on an offer quickly. Plus, you can use email to spread news, launch new products, and promote your events, whether they are being held online or in the real world.
#7 A Clear Sales Funnel
The job of your website isn’t just to look good. You want it to attract visitors in and turn them into buyers (or least qualified prospects). For that, you need a clever sales funnel that leads visitors from one part of your site to another, and eventually convinces them to commit to a course of action that ends with a completed sale.
If your website is missing some of these advantages, now is the time to take steps to fix the problem. Call or email our team today so we can schedule a time to review your web presence and develop a plan to move forward!