8 questions: how effective is your website?

Transcription

1 TOWER MARKETING smart. creative. 8 questions: how effective is your website? A quick Google search will provide you with numerous papers about questions to ask when evaluating your website. Many, if not most, are focused on the most simple aspects of a website. How does it work? Is there a contact form? While these questions are certainly valid and provide some insight, they can t answer the question of effectiveness. The reality is, even a website that meets the simplest of website development criteria may not be all that effective. In this paper, we will get to the heart of a website s purpose: To effectively engage prospective and existing clients in an effort to heighten brand awareness, increase the opportunities for sales, and promote the solutions your business offers. Internet Usage In today s marketplace, opportunities to communicate with existing and potential customers have expanded dramatically. In North America alone, internet usage has expanded by more than 146% since 2000, with more than 77% of the population utilizing the internet to seek and gather information. Further, according to Pew Research Center,* The commercial use of the internet by American adults has grown since the mid- 2000s, with 58% of Americans now reporting

2 that they perform online research concerning the products and services that they are considering purchasing. So what does this mean to you? Simply put, it means that how you present yourself online, via your website, really does matter. The options for developing your business website are boundless, but there are key considerations essential to determining its effectiveness. The items below are a great guide to ensuring that your site is fulfilling the necessary attributes of a successful website. I. How Is My Website Managed? Under ideal circumstances, your website is a platform for your business to present your value propositions, products and/or services, and more. While the basic structure of your website provides the opportunity to display your website in a manner that is reflective of your brand, content is what truly engages its intended audience. Consequently, the ability to be agile and flexible with your website content can provide a business with greater opportunities to speak to multiple audiences throughout the life-cycle of a website. A Content Management System is the answer. What is a content management system? A Content Management System (CMS) is usually a database driven, dynamic website that provides the site owner with an administration area where website content such as images and text can be updated and/ or deleted. Having the proper tools to manage your website is key to keeping your message fresh and relevant. Utilizing a Content Management System provides you and your team with the ability to make necessary adjustments to your website, ensuring that your content remains both fresh and aligned with your strategies. The likelihood that a website is effective in its delivery and messaging is directly linked to its initial development and whether it can be managed easily. A Content Management System provides your business with the ability to make changes quickly and without the need for a third party. Eliminating the middle man is the first step to building a truly effective website.

3 II. How Well Does My Website Function? Superior functionality of a website is an obvious criteria for success and there are some very specific items to look out for when evaluating your website. And remember, adequate testing in the development and release stages are key to ensuring that your website functions as designed. Here are some criteria for evaluating function: 1. Are links clearly labeled to indicate where they lead? Do they work? 2. What is the maximum number of clicks required to reach an internal page of the site? 3. Is a logical site map available? Is it intuitive to navigate? 4. Is the content structurally separate from navigational elements? 5. Is the website compatible with most of today s browsers? 6. Does the site load quickly - even if users are utilizing dial-up? 7. All all links valid and active? 8. Is the site free from script or server errors? It is crucial to remember that a site that does not function properly or effectively can present an immediate and lasting negative impact in the mind of the consumer. Ask yourself, how do I respond when visiting a website with issues such as broken images or garbled text? It s safe to assume that your customers respond the same way. III. Is The User Experience Effective? The actual experience a user has when visiting your website is, with little doubt, the most important aspect of your website. Your website often provides the first impression for your business. Determining what perception you want them to take away from the experience is crucial in developing an effective website. Fifteen Second Rule A good rule of thumb when evaluating the experience of your website is the 15 second rule, namely that your website has less than 15 seconds to get your primary message and/ or value proposition across, dictate the call(s) to action, and entice the visitor to continue exploring.

4 If, within the first 15 seconds of clicking towards your site, the user must wait: whether that be for a page load or an intricate flash introductory page the likelihood for conversion decreases. How long are you willing to wait? The majority of visitors to your page are there for a reason. Being respectful of their time is of equivalent importance to promoting your business. Some Questions on User Experience 1. Do your customers frequently mention having difficulty using or finding things on your website? 2. Does your customer have a measure of control over where and how they navigate your website? 3. Are you communicating and using color effectively in your website? 4. Is there clear emphasis on the most important elements of your website? IV. Is My Content Reflective of My Customers Needs? Consider your website an opportunity to speak directly to the needs of your customer. They are most likely visiting your site for a reason. Assuming that you have done your research, the visitors to your website should not be a complete mystery to you. For example, it s likely that a Senior Living Facility can make a relatively accurate estimation of the age bracket of their visitors. Speaking to a specific and targeted audience is very important in the effectiveness of your website. White papers, blogs, and easy-touse applications (such as calculators, etc.) are great tools to help engage with your target audience. What visitors care about is solving their problems. Most people visit a website to solve one or more of these four problems: 1. They want/need information 2. They want/need to make a purchase/ donation. 3. They want/need to be entertained. 4. They want/need to be part of a community. Visitors want the solution quickly so the more compact the content, the more engaged the consumer will be. In other words, content on a page that requires more than 1 or 2 scrolls is most likely too much. With too much content

5 vying for attention, it s difficult for the eyes to find the focal point. People get confused and they leave. A long web page means you have failed to organize your site properly probably a combination of not planning your site and poor navigation.** The most critical component to consider when evaluating the content of your site is stated above: What visitors care about is solving their problems. It s that simple. Content that stretches far beyond the solutions your offer has reduced effectiveness. The content of your website should reflect what is valuable to your consumer as opposed to you what you want to see. If you re not sure what your customers consider valuable, don t be afraid to ask them. Now that we have evaluated the fundamentals of website management, content and functionality, let s explore the aspects of website that move beyond a web development. The following questions will help to evaluate the marketing effectiveness of your website. V. Does My Website Contain the Elements of the Customer Sales Process? A website is not a marketing strategy. Rather, it is a singular tool in the marketing tool belt. One of the most critical attributes of an effective website is a coherent and consistent strategy that stretches across all of the marketing tools to include the sales process. An effective website, for the most part, requires the delivery of information that is designed to: Define Define who you are as a company or organization, providing clear value propositions and messaging Promote Promote the services and products in a way that presents a solution to a problem Persuade Utilizing clear messages to persuade the consumer to utilize your business for a service or product Serve Provide opportunities to serve the consumer through easy communication methods (i.e. contact forms), tools (i.e. calculators, charts, etc.), online purchasing, etc. While it is not the job of a website to sell for you, it can be a significant part of educating consumers about not only what you do, but who you are as an organization. With so few opportunities for direct communication with significant numbers of people, your website should be designed to speak for you on your behalf...as if it is part of your sales team.

6 Using your website to incorporate daily promotional activities, such as direct mail, PR, communications, newsletters, etc. is critical to effectiveness. Consistency in both design and messaging presents opportunities to expand the understanding of your brand and its recognition. As you evaluate your website, review to ensure that the elements described above: Define, Promote, Persuade, Serve are key elements of your site. VI. How Well is My Website Designed? Aside from the content structure as described earlier, another crucial element to ensuring an effective website is it s design; not only the aesthetics, but the overall structure is instrumental in moving consumers through your website. Understanding how people think is an important key to designing your website. If your web design is not meeting the design parameters below, it may be time for a redesign. F Pattern Your website should conform to the standard patterns of the human eye and your content should be displayed in a way that follows the optimum pattern. Obvious and Self-Explanatory Your website should not present surprises to consumers. Minimize Requirements Limit the amount of requirements a consumer must fulfill to get the information they are seeking. Focused Attention Limit content and communicate through tools that attract the consumers attention such as imagery, shapes, flash elements and video. Calls to Action Make it clear to the consumer what their next steps are Some Thoughts on Color The colors you select, not only for your website, but for your brand can have a significant impact on the consumers perception of your site. Studies have shown that traditional colors can have a specific effect on the consumer. For example: Red: Daring, persuasive. Also hard on the eyes. Red is especially effective in highlighting key text on black and white sites, and also works to liven up browns and tans. Blue: Suggests quality, trustworthiness, success, seriousness,calmness. A common choice for sales pages.

7 Pam Renovato, in The Psychology of Color and Internet Marketing says this about the use of grays and browns: They suggest weight, or something heavy. This would provide your visitors with a feeling of stableness and strength. Emotions like these will help your visitors to associate your site with solidity and confidence. Other colors such as burgundy, oyster, beige, blues will also provide a feeling of solidity. The reality of web design is that color matters, just as content and structure do. Using the colors that have the most impact can take your website one step closer to having the maximum potential for effectiveness. Your website needs to be creative and stand out from the competition. Using some basic design, user experience and content principles when beginning the creative process will be beneficial in striking the right balance between creativity and structure. VII. How Safe is My Website? There can be few things more damaging to a business than the perception that they are at risk by visiting your website. With privacy concerns frequently in the news, educated consumers are aware of the damage that high-risk websites can inflict. If your website does not meet minimal standards as described below, it s time to revisit how secure your customers really are: Hosting Be sure your website is being hosted by a reputable provider and ask questions about the specific steps they take to ensure security. Back-up Be sure your information is being backed up frequently and securely. Activity Pay attention to unusual activity and glitches on your website; provide users with the ability to report problems. Testing Utilize your internal or contracted IT team to test the security on a regularly scheduled basis. Administration Manage and monitor those charged with administration of your website. When evaluating an e-commerce website, the stakes are far higher. With such pertinent information being required such as credit card numbers, addresses, and possibly more, a breach in security could be more costly than you think. While the same standards apply, the necessity for frequent and consistent management becomes greater. A consultation with a professional experienced in e-commerce issues, standards and practices could prove extremely helpful in this sensitive area.

8 VIII. Where is My Website Ranking on Search Engines? Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can make or break the ability of a consumer to find you. It is especially important to those businesses serving niche or early stages markets. A quick Google search can provide a great deal of insight into the effectiveness of your website, and, more specifically, your content. As mentioned previously, your content should speak clearly to the needs of the consumer. Not only for the purposes of communicating effectively, but in utilizing language that can enhance your search engine ranking... and aimed at the right people. A high search engine ranking is only effective if it s targeting the right audience. An Effective Example Here is a great example that demonstrates an exercise that might be useful in evaluating your website. Thinking of an issue that a consumer might have relevant to an industry or product, I searched the phrase: I need a dog leash glow in the dark. Targeting a specific need. The number 1 ranking (aside from paid placements) was the company Co-Leash out of Tampa, FL. Regardless of design style, the website was effective in drawing attention. In utilizing testimonials for how their products provided solutions to problems, the company spoke directly to the consumer (the one doing the searching) and focused on their needs. In fact, much of the content incorporated phrases that spoke directly to needs. When evaluating your website for it s effectiveness, try this test using your own customers needs and what they are likely to be seeking that you provide. If you continue to rank relatively high, then your content is likely effective. If not, it may be time to evaluate your SEO strategies. Wrap Up : Is it Time for a Re-Design? While every business is different, and the content and design of a site will vary based on the specific target audience, there are some basic principles that all great websites have. We covered most of the key principles that can help make your website more effective. Whatever methodology you use for evaluating your website it is important to do it on a regular basis.

9 It s always a good idea to speak with a professional web development and marketing company as you evaluate your website. Not only can these professionals provide objective input and suggestions for improvements, they may have a solution to your strategic needs. Additionally, gaining outside perspective on all elements of your website, from customers to family, can be very helpful in bringing user experience issues to light. The best advice when evaluating your website? Put yourself in your customers shoes. Get to know their experience with your business online. It may go a long way toward your goal of increasing the effectiveness of your website. *Statistics for North America were updated for June 30, (2) Population is based on data contained in the US Census Bureau. (3) The most recent usage data comes mainly from figures published by Nielsen Online, ITU, Computer Industry Almanac, and trustworthy local sources. (4) Data on this site may be cited, giving due credit and establishing an active link back to Internet World Stats. (5) For definitions and help, see the site surfing guide. Copyright 2010, Miniwatts Marketing Group. All rights reserved. **Web Pages That Suck TOWER MARKETING E Eden Road, Suite A, Lancaster, PA p :: f ::