So you got your website presence… Now what? Is the phone ringing off the hook? New clients request your products every day? No? Ouch! All this investment in the website and nothing in return?
So what were you thinking? – that dropping a small business card in the middle of a multi-million people city traffic will get you an instant profit…?
OK, let’s start from the beginning – website is a process. A thinking process that leads from first impression, through introduction to the final sale. So instead of a process, you installed a vanity mirror? A paddle or any mall’s window can do that, why website then?

Website can reach millions, but not by just sitting there. You need to design it with purpose. Take a client by hand and show him/her the way through your office. Main page – the entrance, the sign, the enticement to visit. One chance to make a first impression – is it worthwhile to come in? Yes, please come in, you need to say.

You have a client at your desk now. Does he know what to do? Where to go? Do you know why he came and what he needs? Make it easy to find suitable information. Make navigation extremely easy. If this is a health inspector knocking on your door – did you show him where to go? If this is a window-shopping lady with the whole free afternoon – what would you like her to do on your site?
They stopped by – “Great” you think, they will buy my product. Not so fast… Did you tell them clearly what to do next or you just stand there – a mime, watching them leaving without a single move, although they said – “hm, nice store you have there”. Call for action! Don’t stand there… Tell them clearly what they should do next, if they found something of interest.

Is all your page about “I”, “we”, “our company”? The viewer will think “wow, great people, can do all this, have good careers, nice products, good for them!”.
Change it to “You” and “yours”, and all of a sudden it’s about client and his needs, not about you. You meet his demand – you have a sale. If you don’t ask what people need, it’s like a museum – pure pleasure watching and walking away. Did you at least cash the tickets?

So a website plan should start backwards – not from you and your company, but from an internet user. Imagine final sale… and trace it back to your company. What lead to it? Trace back each step, and what action did you take that lead to that step? Now you’ve got your website. Oh, you don’t have time for all this? Your greatness lies in carving wood? Or writing a book? Well, why don’t you do just what you brilliantly do, and let someone else create a brilliant website working for your profits day and night. A modern way of slavery – no harm, designed by YOU, because you need to know what exactly your website should do for you.

By the way – your website has a double life – one that users can see, and one that shows to creatures like crawlers, search engines, spiders and marketing agents. These are like Miracle Grow – apply them with care and benefits will double and triple outgrowing a pot. That’s how your business grows while you’re sleeping.

Want to calculate your website ROI – set up a traffic tracker. Stats are a little story tellers, that will trace your latest success to the newsletter campaign or that banner designed by your son’s classmate. OK, don’t rely on him for everything… At least update your site to web 2.0 style. Why? Is it worth it? This is for another story… Read soon.

Haga – email me with comments at hg@minibizweb.com