By Debbie Gregory.

Today, having a quality website is the cornerstone of your business’s online presence and overall marketing efforts. Your website should attract visitors, build their trust, engage and inform them, and finally convert them into customers. Keeping all of this in mind, there are key elements that your business website needs to be competitive in today’s marketplace that include:

1.) High Quality, Clear, Clean Images:

The first thing a visitor to your site will see are the visuals displayed on the pages. These visuals include your logo, header images, product photos, portfolio pieces, etc. The human brain is wired to notice and remember images much more than text. Make sure that every single image on your site is crisp, clean, and interesting. Carefully selecting the right images and taking the time to take high-quality product photos will really bring your site to life and engage visitors.

2.) Include a Minimum of One Call to Action on Every Page:   

A call to action is critical to have on every page of your site. Most businesses have one or two on their home page but often forget to include them on the other inside pages of the site. A call to action is designed to help guide your prospective customers to reach out to you or make a purchase.

Calls to action are usually buttons that include phrases such as:

• Buy now
• Call today
• Click here for more information
• Get in touch
• Get offer
• Send us an email

Placing multiple calls to action on pages such as blog posts, about us, single-page landing pages, portfolio pages, testimonial pages, and other pages on your site will help reduce the number of visitors who navigate away from your website without taking further action.

3.) An About Us Page Is Essential to Your Business Website:

The second most viewed page on your website will be your About Us page. This page needs to be carefully worded so that it clearly spells out how your company can help your prospective customers as well as informing them about your business history.   Often it is most engaging when you tell your story in an interesting way.

4.) FAQ Pages Must Be Included on Your Business Website:

Most people like to do their own research before they reach out to a physical person. Having extensive FAQ pages that clearly answer the most common questions your business receives enables you to establish your company as an expert in your field.  It also saves you money on support costs as well as helping your customers ease their valid concerns on their own.

Stay tuned – Part 2 of this series on  “Essentials for Your Small Business Website” will review your value proposition, trust signals, social proof, and why your site should have separate landing pages for important services or products.

By Debbie Gregory.

Social media has really taken the narrative control from the business and given it to the customer. There are simply too many options in today’s worldwide marketplace and those businesses that have learned to adapt are the ones that are going to continue to grow in our hyper-connected world. In reality, social media is a powerful tool that can drive business growth, but only when used correctly.

Regardless of the size of your business, here are 20 tips that will help to maximize your online presence:

1. Make sure that your posts are not just informative but also interesting or playful. Additionally, make sure that your content is eye catching so that people will stop and look.
2. Video is always the top dog on social media so try to pepper in videos as much as possible.
3. Shine a spotlight on customers to show them how much you appreciate their business. Post customer testimonials and make sure that you respond to each and every one of them.
4. Make your customers part of your business by encouraging them to photograph themselves using your products or services to share with their own followers.
5. Make clever or funny memes that relate to your business.
6. Insert yourself into a larger conversation by creating content related to a national holiday that everyone is already talking about.
7. Make yourself an expert in your industry with tutorials or other educations videos.
8. Put together an interactive series (video, calls, and/or web chat) to engage with your customers on a regular basis. Let them ask you questions and make sure that you give them compelling reasons to “attend” your sessions.
9. Figure out what your customers are talking about and strategize how you can solve their problems or address what they are looking for.
10. Launch limited time offers and exclusive discounts to your followers. Get creative with your giveaways to help grow your followers. Also, make sure that you tie your giveaways to other online events or promotions.
11. Team-up with other like-minded businesses to offer better giveaways or promotions that help both businesses.
12. Make sure to promote any of your business milestones. People want to have a personal connection with the businesses they give their money to make sure they can get to know you and celebrate with you.
13. Go “live” and create hype around your new products, in-store events, tutorials, and more. These videos really help humanize your company as well.
14. Use “stories” to boost your post to the top of people’s feed without having to pay for it.
15. Make sure to follow up on any comments or complaints posted to you because they sought you out and are looking for a response from you so don’t disappoint them.
16. Make it easy for someone to find, call, email, or order from you directly from your social media.
17. Connect with and get involved with your local community. People feel good about buying from companies that care.
18. Always remember to reward loyal customers. Create a database and send out periodic reminders for discounts for events such as birthdays or anniversaries.
19. Put together a referral program that incentivizes people for referring customers.
20. Utilize social media influencers to help generate buzz about your products or services.

Today, customers demand that companies notice and engage directly with them. Making your business more approachable and more open to your customers will really pay off in the long run. The easiest and least expensive way to do so is through good quality social media posts and diligent direct communication with your target audience. If you can make them feel like they are part of your business journey, they will not only come along for the ride but they will bring friends!