Do you really need a website? The short answer is yes, but we have a small piece of advice for you: on the Internet, the “any will do” approach does not work. Although the Internet is a wonderful highway of information and business, there are zillions of pages on the Internet which are rarely (if ever) seen by anyone but their owners. You don’t want your site to follow that deadly path to oblivion, that’s why in this article we are going to discuss what you can do to get, not just your own site, but a web presence that will give you results.

If you are to have a website, make sure you have goals for it

Often, business people think of a website like a business must, just like their name, logo, office, telephone number and business cards. To an extent, it is. Having a website is often seen as a sign of seriousness in business, and it allows any business clientele to reach the business fast whenever they need it.

However, more often than not, business owners make the mistake to think of their own sites as a virtual extension of their letters of introduction. They write a page stating who they are, what they do, and how to get in contact with them… oh, without failing to place links to follow or like their Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest accounts. Don’t believe us, check for yourself how many companies have a page for their mission and value statements, for example, and next ask yourself when was the last time you visited a site and took a deep look at such a page. If you are like most other business people out there, last time you checked one of those was when you were looking for ideas on how to write your own mission and value statement, period.

Why is this a mistake? Because they miss the opportunity of using their sites as virtual salesmen, which is what can bring them money in the long run.

As a matter of fact, that is what successful websites do. They do not focus much on displaying who they are or what they do. They have goals. They use their sites to drive business. And this is the lesson you must learn very clearly today.

The Internet is one of those few places where, at least in the world of business, you shouldn’t do anything for nothing.

What are good goals for your site?

Although this question could be answered in a number of ways depending on the nature of your business, good goals are usually the following:

• Let the visitor know what you offer exactly
• Tell them why they should purchase from you and not from the other company
• Tell them how they can contact you in case they have questions
• Tell them how they can make a purchase, and what are your terms and conditions

In addition to these, there are a few things you should consider including as a marketing material for yourself. These include:

• Motivate visitors to come back to your website now and then
• Inspire them to speak to their friends about you (that’s free advertising!)
• Get some information about your visitors, so you can send them promotions later

Curious about why it’s important?

You need to tell them what you offer exactly, because when people search online for something, they do it because they have a very specific need. If they are looking for a reliable way to get rid of their tax debt or for a tax resolution software to work tax-relief cases, it is not because they are “curious”, but because they need them. Buyers do not randomize their needs, they buy just what they want or need, and just from those who have it. You should not randomize what you say on your site, either.

You need to tell your visitors why they should consider buying from you because, unless you are a true innovator and have a patent no one can touch, you will certainly have competitors offering, if not the same, something very similar compared to you. It makes no difference the kind of business you are involved in, your reasons should be powerful, specific and —to the maximum extent possible— provable. That way, your sales are more likely to happen.

Give them a way to contact you because nobody buys blindly (do you?). Interested visitors will be willing to send questions and receive answers; and your answers will be crucial for their decision of whether to buy from you or not. If you are to have a website, make sure you train your staff on how to reply to secure your sales.

Give them a straightforward and clear buying funnel because when money is finally on the way out from a person’s pocket, this person will want to know exactly what is going to happen and how; without complications or troublesome procedures to just buy something they need.

Last but not least, you need to give them reasons to come back to your site because that will help you make them feel confident about what you are offering; same if you want them to recommend you to their friends or family. Have you ever wondered what can you offer to have people come back to your site? You should.

Now that you have all this clearer, let us close this article by saying just one more thing: Wouldn’t you like to have true professionals handle your future website? If something inside you is yelling “yes!”, then click here to learn about InTechCenter services for new websites.

Homework

Grab a piece of paper and write down your goals for your site. Be specific about them.

Do it, because we will use this material in the next article.