How do I make the most of my business’ website?

Unlike TV or yellow pages or other advertising media, a website’s unique and powerful advantage is its ability to create an opportunity to interact and engage your customer in a converstaion. But the site has to be set up to have that conversation and as the website owner, you exclusively hold the burden of carrying a one-sided conversation long enough and in such an engaging manner so that the visitor wants to join in. In other words, it takes time, trust, credibility and a host of other factors for a website visitor to make the leap from anonymous visitor to prospective customer.

Unlike a cocktail party where conversations are face to face, the web is anonymous which creates a seeming disadvantage to effectively communicating and carrying a conversation. However, the anonymity of a web audience, in particular when you analyze your own target web audience, can provide subtle clues as to the needs and intentions of the website visitor.

No one visits a website without a specific need – be it information, research, contacts, etc.. The thought you give to why your audience would anonymously visit your site can be used to your advantage to develop content and hooks that create more value for the website visitor and ultimately engages them in the long-term conversation. That visitor may not contact you right away, but by engaging the audience on their terms, you are building trust, credibility and value in their mind which may ultimately lead to them clicking that ‘contact us’ link.

This is where the content becomes critical – the longer you can keep the visitor engaged, the more likely they are to ‘speak up’. Content that delivers value to the visitor will create a memorable experience and increase the likelihood of that visitor to be engaged long enough to become a customer or visit the website again.

The best part is that improving your website likely only requires a minor shift in your schedule – carve out some time each month to think about your customers and about what value your website can provide to them. If you provide ongoing value to your anonymous website visitors, you will likely see dramatic improvements in your website’s overall contributions to your business.

If you would like additional information on this topic or a free needs assessment, please contact a Thrivepoint Advisor.

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