Tip 12: Build Your Community of Clients Online, Make it Simple, Keep it Real
The following is an excerpt from the book Fifty-one Ways to Build your Community of Clients Online: How Women are Using the Internet to Grow their Business, Reach the Right Customers, and Make a Difference, by Monica S. Flores. Purchase the book online or at Amazon.
Tip 12. Make it Simple, Keep it Real
The more complex and cluttered your website is, the harder time your visitor has when they visit. Keep it simple. Take some extra time to review your content from a new visitor’s perspective. Common issues for business websites for the general public include:
1) industry-specific jargon that a non-technical bystander would not understand (if your site is targeted to people who would understand your lexicon, then by all means, stick to it, but if you’re reaching out to people not familiar with your industry, at least add a Glossary page)
2) alphabet soup, with many words or acronyms that only specialists understand (just because you refer to it does not mean your customer understands it)
3) cryptic navigation (test your site on people outside of your industry: if they find the navigation confusion, rework it so it’s more straightforward)
4) too many words (you don’t need to explain your entire procedure when only a few phrases, some well-placed diagrams, or an image will suffice)
5) not enough information (your website is part of your sales team, so make it work just like a salesperson: provides lists of features and benefits, offer internet specials and add a buy now button)
Give your potential customers enough web-based information so they easily and naturally take the next step to saying yes to you and your services. Keep in Mind: Website Basics
Keep in mind that you want your visitors to consider your website as a physical, literal interpretation of how they would do business with you.
Budget adequately for your web development process, including the costs of maintaining and continuing o fine-tune your website. Take time to review and prepare well-written, clear content, so anyone and any search engine that visits knows exactly what you offer. Make your design “fit” your style of work and your industry. Include pictures and biographies of your key people in the organization to establish credentials. Respect the user’s time and make sure the site loads quickly into the browser. Also keep your web content easy to view and use, reducing emphasis on interactive elements unless this is your target audience.
As you get more feedback from visitors and users, provide new functionality or new features to streamline your business process, and offer continually updated content pages such as blogs, picture galleries, samples, or articles.
Prominently post your privacy policy and any company policies that you enforce. Keep your contact information updated and provide “signposts” along the way to direct visitor traffic.
Consider updating your website’s “look” once a year at most, because too much change may be disconcerting to repeat visitors. Keep your website content simple and “real.”
A Successful Woman's Handbook: Fifty-one Ways to Build your Community of Clients Online. How Women are Using the Internet to Grow their Business, Reach the Right Customers, and Make a DifferenceE-book edition
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