At this time of year, some firms will take on the gargantuan task of rewriting and redesigning their website to help kick-off the New Year. But most won’t. If that describes you, it’s still a good time to step back and take a critical look at your website to make sure it’s as good as it can be.
To help get you started, here are 10 [pretty easy] website tips that can help enhance the effectiveness of your most important marketing tool:
- Service/product offerings. Have you launched any new service lines or products – or made enhancements to existing services or products – that still need to be added to the website? Now’s the time…
- Staffers. Our industry really seems to like reading about the employees of the firms they’re working with. Make sure your employee list – and not just senior execs – is up-to-date. Note: photos are critical.
- Social media. Do you have a corporate LinkedIn page, Twitter site or Google+ page? If so, make sure you have easy-to-find links (using the logos) throughout your site.
- Optimized for mobile. Somewhere between 15-25% of the visitors to your website will do so on their hand-held devices. Are you ready?
- 404s. Yes, the error message. Go through your site – every page – and make sure that every link, tab and icon works and is pointing to the correct page.
- News. If you’ve got a News section (and you should), make sure it’s been updated with the latest press releases. Put them in reverse chronological order, with the newest ones at the top.
- Edit. Less really is more. Re-read every page and if something can be said with 10 words instead of 15… do it!
- Content. Are you posting content regularly and often to your Blog and/or Resources section? If not, take the time now to create an editorial calendar for 2015… and then stick to it!
- Your difference. Is there a section on your website about ‘how you’re different’ (than other similar firms)? If not, there should be. By the way, ‘we do great work’ and ‘we have great people’ don’t count… everybody says that.
- Proof. To help new prospects get past the hesitation of doing business with you for the first time… you need proof. Proof that you’re a sustainable firm that does good work. Update or add a ‘proof section’ that could contain a list of clients (logos are a must), case studies and testimonials from satisfied clients.
- BONUS TIP: Your language. Go through your pages and make sure that your text is written with your clients in mind. Don’t just tell them what you do… tell them the benefits of what you do, the advantages of your services and the problems you help them solve. Remember… your clients don’t care about what you can do… they care about what you can do for them.
Bottom line: You only get one chance to make a first impression… and it’s more than likely going to be with your website. We hope these 10 (uhh, 11!) website tips will help you to put your best foot forward.