you have eight seconds to make a first impression. what kind do you want it to be?
by sandi leyva
the complete guide to marketing for tax & accounting firms
you can indeed get more business, more clients and more profits from your website. but not if you make these common mistakes!
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whether creating a new site or updating your existing site, here are some common pitfalls to avoid.
1. unprofessional writing. it’s easy to get so wrapped up in the web design portion of a website and forget about the words that go on the pages. maybe the web designer does the design but not the writing. you might even find yourself writing the content at the last minute. good writing is far more important than bling, and great copy from a professional copywriter will get your phone ringing.
2. looking like all the other sites out there. your business has something unique and different to offer its customers. is that evident on your website? if not, you could be attracting the wrong type of customers, or worse, none at all. when you hire a webmaster, you’ll want to make sure that s/he will design your site for you and your customers and not for himself/herself. your website will shine when it emulates your company’s personality.
3. not maximizing the eight seconds you have. web visitors – your potential prospects – will give you only eight seconds to wow them. do you have your best stuff at the top of your home page? i mean the really good stuff, not just the stuff your mom is proud of! you’ll want to capture the attention of potential customers using the item that brings out the best in you. it might be a great tag line, a killer testimonial, a big award, a blue chip client list or the like.
4. no credibility. can web visitors check out your reputation on the web? you’ll want to make sure your website comes as close as possible to feeling like a warm, personal visit with you. do this by posting content that is designed to build your credibility. as an example, this can include content that shows you have a track record of success:
- testimonials,
- case studies of current clients and
- a client list.
if you have been mentioned in the media, include a media page on your website that lists the newspapers, magazines, radio talk shows and other places where you’ve been mentioned.
5. no way to capture interested leads. people warm up slowly. your web visitors might be interested in you but are not quite ready to call you or buy anything yet. you’ll want a way to keep track of these warm leads who will be ready to buy a few months down the road when they’ve gotten to know you better. there are several ways to gather leads from your website, depending on what you’re willing to offer them. one method that is completely ineffective for capturing leads is to ask for information on your contact page. just don’t do it!
6. not marketing your site. if you’ve spent all your money doing everything right, but you don’t market your site, you may not get any visitors. you’ll need to spend at least a little time marketing your site through offline and online methods. for example, add your website name to the bottom of every email that you send. you can do this automatically by modifying the signature file in your email software. you may also want to delve into the more advanced fields of search engine marketing and optimization.
7. under construction. many people’s pet peeve is to click on a page and see an “under construction” message. it’s inconsiderate of people’s time to lead them down a dead-end alley, plus your website screams the message, “this person can’t finish what they start.” i’m sure that’s not the message you wish to send.
8. too much bling. in the name of being cute, many websites display obnoxious moving parts, flashing signs or vacuous videos. did you know most people hate that stuff? bling doesn’t impress clients, except in three cases: kids’ sites, sites that sell luxury items and entertainment sites. if you have one of those sites, then you need bling. limited bling is ok, timeless style is better and meaningful, benefits-filled content is best.
9. nonworking links, typos or other mistakes. a site filled with errors tells people that its owner probably makes a lot of mistakes when delivering services. even if the message is compelling, the red flag is there for people to see. people’s intuition will tell them not to do business with you. a quick and thorough testing of the site will avoid this pitfall.
10. no goals. a lot of people come to me saying, “i want a website.” i ask them, “what do you want it to do?” and they don’t really know. it’s important to think about what you want your website to accomplish because that goal should be integral to the design of the site. the best sites lead their visitors to a certain outcome that is beneficial for both themselves and their customers.
when you can overcome these 10 common problems, your website can start to become a powerful and effective marketing tool for your business.