So now that you have your store in order and your staff up to par on all your new products and plans for 2015, it's time to shape up your website!
We all know the importance of making a good first impression....right?
Let's start with the facts: Over ½ of all retail sales last year were influenced by the web. Your web presence is an introduction to your business and can be the key to turning a potential customer from "Should we visit this business?" to "Oh, yes, let's go there!"
Let's look at 5 COMMON PROBLEMS and SOLUTIONS to make a GREAT first impression:
PROBLEM: The design doesn't reflect the business.
46% say a website's design is the number one reason to discredit a company.
SOLUTION: Make it simple and reflective of your company's image. Use graphics. 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual. We're not just talking about product pictures, but use clever icons and pictures of decorated rooms with info bubbles, add downloadable coupons or consider shooting a video of the inside of your store. 85% of people are more likely to purchase after watching a video. This is where investing in a good web marketer and designer are worth it.
FIRST IMPRESSION: Short, sweet and memorable!
PROBLEM: Hidden Contact Information
Can the customer find you?
SOLUTION: A retail store should put the telephone number and store address at the TOP of the page, BOTTOM of the page AND have a 'Contact Us' page. Customers don't see your website everyday, so no matter where they look, they should be able to find and contact you. 61% of smart phone users will click away from a website if they can't find what they want quickly.
FIRST IMPRESSION: A quick find!
PROBLEM: Malfunctioning Website
Are all pages working? Are there any links that lead to a 404 error page?
SOLUTION: Test, Test, Test! Visitors hate getting stuck. Make a navigation tree showing the links to and from all pages. Then test each link's connection so no one gets stuck. Have a lot of pages? Use a link checker tool like www.freesitemapgenerator.com to search for connection errors.
FIRST IMPRESSION: Life without the 404!
PROBLEM: No Call to Action.
Are you effectively directing customers toward the desired outcome – an order, email sign up, etc.???
SOLUTION: Fine tune each page to have a specific topic that leads to one or two main calls to action. Reduce the number of clicks that the person has to make to do the action... for example, don't offer a link to the email sign up page, simply put the email form on EVERY page!
FIRST IMPRESSION: Customer gets what they want - easily!
PROBLEM: Low Traffic
SOLUTION: To increase traffic to your website:
- Write headlines with words your customers use when searching
- Compose content on a regular basis
- Search engines can't "see" a photo, use alt text keywords to define what is pictured
FIRST IMPRESSION: You've been found!
Getting your website in SHAPE takes work and commitment. Set your goals and then
define a plan based on a microscopic look at your website. We want you to make
not only a good first impression, but a lasting one and... gets the job done!
