Why Websites Matter

Have you ever wondered why you should spend money on a website? Maybe your business is already running and has a client base, or money is tight and next year might be a better time.

In truth, both are good arguments, but what happens when a potential customer goes looking for you? How do they find you? Even if they received the best referral possible (word of mouth) what is the next step into converting them into a customer?

In the Canadian consumer market, we are seeing a huge shift in the way people are interacting with the internet. There are more mobile phones in the market, and, of those, the majority are smart phones. Tablet sales have increased almost 20% year over year and show no signs of slowing.

The way people are looking for business and services is changing too; online presence can make a positive, or negative first impression. Have you ever walked into a dirty retail store and bought something? Probably not,because it was an unpleasant feeling. Something inside just screams “Maybe I should go elsewhere!”

Websites can have the same effect. If I was looking for a service, and ended up on a website that didn’t work on my phone or tablet, I would be more inclined to continue my search, rather than try a different way to view that company’s webpage. In short, websites can leave a “dirty feeling”.

When a customer ends up at your website, how will they feel? It is important to remember that your website is only a few clicks away from anybody – me sitting at home, or Jenny walking her dog at the park. The internet is everywhere and everyone has access.

Things to think about when looking at your website

It’s easy to get familiar with your current website and just accept it as it is. Try to take a step back and look at your website from someone else’s eyes; get a colleague to look at it, or have a current, or past customer provide their feedback.

CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:

1. Who are our customers? What are their priorities? Does our website speak to THEIR needs, or is it just talking about how great OUR company is?

2. How are our customers accessing my website? Are they using their phones, tablets or computers? Is our website accessible on these devices? (hint – look at your Google Analytics data for this info)

3. Does our website make our company look like the company it was 5 years ago, the company it is today, or the company it will be 5 years down the road? Are we making sure our customers are seeing our full potential on our website?.

4. How does our website look compared to our competitors’? How does it look compared to some of the leaders in our industry?

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Blog by Keith McGibbon