If you aren’t ready for a website redesign yet, don’t worry, there are several things you can do now to greatly improve the website you’ve already got. Most of these items aren’t time-consuming or require technical knowledge, but will really help make your website more effective and improve your revenue generation strategy. These are also must-haves for when you do get around to redesigning your website. Here are 5 things you can do right now to improve your existing website:
1. Make it Easy to Contact You
Whether your preferred method of being contacted from your website is by contact form, phone number, DM, or email address, the key is to make it simple for users to contact you. Include your phone number or email address on every page, and add hours of operation on the contact page or in the website footer, and add a link to a Google map if you have a location customers can visit (make sure it’s clickable from a smartphone). If your website uses a contact form, include as few fields as possible, to remove the barriers to getting in touch. Making it very easy to contact you lets potential customers know that their concerns matter and they will feel more inclined to do business online with you.
2. Add Analytic Tracking
If you don’t already track your website data using Google Analytics, you are missing out on some valuable information. Not only are you able to track how many new and returning visitors your website is getting, but you can also see how they found your website, which pages they visited, and how long they stayed. It goes even deeper too, you can set ‘goals’ and see how users flow through the information so you can really understand the user journey. Fortunately, it’s free and easy to get started with Google Analytics. You can sign up for a free account, then add some code snippets to your website either by using a WordPress plugin or add the code directly to the HTML pages. It will help you get great insight into how your website is being used.
3. Make sure it has an SSL certificate
Making sure your website has an SSL or security certificate is an easy way to give users confidence that the information they submit through your website is secure, and it will also ensure your website ranks well in search engines. A few years ago, Google began prioritizing websites that are secure over ones that are not. You can check if your website says “HTTP” or “HTTPS” before the URL. This is especially important if you have an e-commerce site or online shop where you collect user information from website visitors. An SSL doesn’t even have to cost much, with services like Let’s Encrypt (https://letsencrypt.org/) offering free certificates. This is one of the easiest ways for your website to show up better in search engines and appear more professional online.
4. Add a Call to Action
The call to action, also known as CTA, is very important to include on your website. You’ve attracted visitors to your website, they’re interested, now what do you want them to do? Tell them! Add some buttons with actionable text, like “Get a Quote,” “Download Our Guide” or “Sign Up to Our Newsletter”. If you have an online shop, make sure to include “Buy Now” buttons in obvious places so users know the next step to take. The text on the button should begin with a verb and be short and straightforward. This simple item step alone can grow your online business.
5. Add a Value Proposition
A value proposition, or mission statement, explains what you do and why you do it. This is especially important if you have a business website or an online store. Having this placed front and center on your website helps speak directly to your target audience and explains what you can do for them. Why should they buy your product, book a consultation, hire you, or subscribe to your newsletter? Put your value proposition in the headline of your website home page, and reiterate it throughout your web content, and on your About Us page if possible. It should also appear anywhere else you have an online presence, like on social media. Here is an example of how to create your UVP:
[company] provides [product or service] for [audience] that allows them to [key benefits]
Green Thumb Lawn Care [company] provides premium lawn care maintenance [service] for residential customers in Calgary [audience], so they can enjoy their summer weekends without having to mow the lawn [key benefits].
We understand that running a business takes most of your hours, so this is just a short list of some of the most important updates you can make to your website. Making ongoing improvements to keywords, messaging, and overall simplifying your website will give you that competitive edge so you can build a successful business online. These improvements also give you a leg-up when you finally decide to redesign your website.
Should you need help making any of these edits or want to discuss how to improve your online presence or grow your business online, please reach out. Or if you would like to drive even deeper into critical improvements you need to be making to your website, we invite you to download our FREE eBook below.
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If you want to get more out of your website, you need to go all the way. Learn more about all 12 Ways to Improve Your Website today. Our in-depth ebook is laid out in a simple way so you know what to focus on— we have also include links to easy-to-use, expert-approved digital marketing tools, so you won’t have to waste any time.
