Many small businesses are doing it pretty tough these days, and a lot of business owners are struggling to keep their heads above water. Yet there are ways to help you boost your income and to keep that important cash flow going even when things look bad. Many business owners know exactly what they need: they need to boost their Sales. However they are struggling to find simple and effective ways to do this.
Obviously to boost your Sales you need to either increase the number of your customers or get your existing customers to buy more of your product or service (or preferably both).
This is where your website comes in. It is the job of your website to generate all the new leads that you can deal with, and then some. It should also be keeping you in touch with all of your previous customers. The only reason for any business to have a website is to ensure that customers are spending money with you!
It doesn’t matter what business you are in, if you don’t have a website that is doing this for you (or if you don’t know how many new customers your website is actually generating), then I can almost guarantee that you are leaving money on the table. In fact, I guarantee that no matter how many leads and customers your website is generating, you are still missing out on extra income.
And that extra income? Well, that is going straight into your competitor’s pocket!
Most visitors to a website only spend a few seconds browsing for what they’re looking for, and if you don’t grab their attention immediately they’re gone again just as quickly. A potential sale has just been lost. But wait. It gets worse. That customer, and they are a customer (just not yours!), that customer has left your site knowing that you have nothing to offer them. Not now. Not ever!
Research has shown that once people have left a website without leaving their contact details or making a purchase, they never return. Next time they’re searching for a product or service that you sell, when your name is listed by Google or another search engine, they will ignore it and skip to the next result.
There are many ‘Look at me!’ websites on the Internet, but most of them are nothing more than a glorified online brochure. Some of the most successful sites on the Internet are the most unassuming websites. They are successful because they give their target market exactly what they are looking for.
At Brilliant Minds we analyse websites and small businesses marketing strategies.
Often the first thing we find is that people have no idea of what their website is actually doing for their business! This is usually because the web design company has failed to explain just how easy it is to obtain some seriously valuable information about your visitors.
You can see how many people come to your site. Why they come. What they are specifically looking for. Where they come from, as well as when and where they leave your site! If you know which pages people come for and you know which pages they leave on, well, you have some really valuable information right there!
People simply don’t get told that these tools are not only available to them, but an absolute must have! There is no other business marketing tool that can be so accurately measured as to the value to your business. Once you know that people leave your site at a specific place (if it isn’t the checkout), then you have the chance to turn that around!
Most people see a website as something they ought to have, ‘…everyone has one’ and customers expect it. In fact, if used efficiently your website is an entire business of its own. And the business owners who understand this are serving your customers. Right now!
I spend a lot of time reviewing and analysing websites. It never ceases to amaze me just how difficult some businesses make it for their own customers to contact them! It’s almost as if these businesses were saying: well, if you really must contact me, then I’ll make you fill in a form that will take half the day to complete and will ask you all kinds of details, including the name of your next-door neighbour’s best friend’s dog!
Since the idea of a business is to attract paying customers, why drive them away before they’ve even had a chance to say hello? Does it get any better than somebody stopping by your website and deciding they want to find out more about you? Once people had given you their details, you can sell to them forever!
A good website is one that is properly tailored for your audience. It should welcome the visitor, grab their attention and make them want to return. Your website should give your visitor a reason to become a customer, and then the quality of your product or service should give your new customer a reason to become a repeat customer!
Would you like to know the best bit? If your website is set up correctly, then you have a powerful marketing tool that works for you 24/7! A tool that engages your customer’s interest and generates new leads. Real people who want your products or service. These are the people that you can follow up on – No cold calling required! This turns your website into an extra sales force, that works around the clock for no pay and no commission!
We all know that the Internet is a huge opportunity for any business that wants to make money. However, ensuring that you are making the most of this opportunity requires careful consideration and planning.
Whether you own a website already or not, you are now a good leap forward just by reading this report. In fact, I suggest that you print this out and keep it to hand, visit your website (when did you last look at it?), and see how it compares. Wouldn’t you like to turn your ’shiny’ site into a proper sales tool?
For more information on how to improve your existing website, to request a website blueprint consultation, or to find out how we can help you, visit http://www.brilliantminds.com.au/ and get in touch with us!
If you do that right now, then you too could have a website that boosts your turnover in just a couple of weeks time!
If you found this interesting, then you might want to check out our article on The Top 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Choose a Domain Name (“spot on – ive been buying domains for 10 years and still found it informative” said Jake)!
This is an article by Kath Luty: Better Business – Better Life. Our mission is to help Small Business Owners build a business that allows them to make the profit they deserve and still have the lifestyle they desire.
