Having a great website is not necessarily easy. Free templates tend to be generic and not compelling, so paying for a website design is like a shot in the dark for most companies. At DWHS, we highly recommend taking on the task yourself. Try to just be patient, eventually, it will all make sense and get easier the more you do it. Here are some tips for you to do it yourself, website owner.
1. Enhance Credibility: A professional and easy-to-navigate website conveys credibility to prospective and returning customers.
2. Differentiate your Brand: The look and feel of your website distinguishes your company from your competitors. The content and design of your site can play a major role in establishing your company’s identity. If done effectively, customers will remember you and you can build customer loyalty more effectively.
3. Expand Market Reach: Can your brick-and-mortar store in your town compete with a retailer in Manhattan? The Internet has leveled the playing field in the marketplace. You can sell your products and services to people anywhere in the world. Multilingual websites allow you to communicate with non-English speaking consumers, and merchant processing and ecommerce solutions make it easy and safe to conduct transactions with individuals globally.
4. Increase Lead Generation: A website is a great tool for generating sales leads. Content is key in this instance. An easy-to-navigate, clutter-free site can help drive sales. Tools such as pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns can effectively drive traffic to your site and result in high conversion rates if you choose the right keywords. Google™ and Yahoo™ both offer conversion tracking or ad tracking software.
5. Provide Free Market Research: If you want to know what your inventory should look like, just check your site’s activity. What do your customers want? They tell you with every click. If you need specifics, conduct an online survey.
6. Enable Real-Time, No-Cost Promotions: You can promote new or enhanced products or services quickly, effectively, and inexpensively online. Your customers can find, redeem, and/or print out coupons online. This substantially reduces high printing and distribution costs, as well as the wait involved for printed material.
7. Open your doors 24/7: A winning website should allow you to transact business and provide customer assistance around the clock, 365 days a year.