Being a new entrepreneur is challenging. Not only do you need to develop an exceptional product or service, you have to work hard to establish your brand and reputation online and offline. This includes growing social media reach and, of course, a website that turns visitors into customers.
But with all of the other things going on in your new business, how can you create a website that embodies what you do? In today’s article, we’ll give you a few of the common characteristics of websites that drive sales and increase engagement. The good news is you do not need to be a developer or know how to code in order to create a site that helps you grow your business. So let’s begin with the first thing you’ll need.
Building (or Rebuilding) Your Highly Convertible Website
Even if you do not have any coding experience, there is no reason why you should have a less than stellar website. Sites like Wix, Shopify, Website Builder, and Squarespace have been able to develop platforms for building websites that make it easier to build a nice looking and functional website without having any coding knowledge.
For new entrepreneurs, it is better to go with one of these options to get up and running with little effort and at a lower cost. Before you select your website builder, review your options and compare web builders based on price, features, ease of use, and functionality so you can determine which is best for you.
If you currently have a website, you should also take a look at other options in order to make sure that your site optimized. Since technology is constantly changing and evolving, you should be adding features that are familiar to your visitors and increase the likelihood of a closed sale.
Be as Clear As Possible
In an attempt to be as professional as possible, many new entrepreneurs make the mistake of complicating their business’s purpose on the company website. Usually, this results in using too many words to convey the message they are trying to send.
It is important to be clear on what you do and what you want your site visitor to do when they land on your page. Do you want them to signup for your newsletter, buy a product, or hire you? Then it should be clear what you want them to do when they land on the page.
Your forms should be clear and simple. So should your “signup” and “buy” buttons. Be sure to remove as many other clickable options as possible. This way, you are limiting the number of options your site visitor has. Take a look at the Square homepage. As you can see, Square wants you to take actions and those actions are clear as soon as you land on the page.
You will also notice that the other actions such as point of sale, payments, and payroll are listed at the top of the page and are relatively tiny. The reason why this is done is because those links give you more information on those topics. By the look of this page, it is clear that giveing you more information is not what Square primarily wants you to do. The site wants you to take action and sign up.
Address objections
During the buying process, many of your potential customers engage in an internal dialog with themselves on why they should or should not do business with you. Your website should address those objections and answer questions as quickly as possible.
In the description of your services or products, make it clear why your business is the best choice for them. Here are some common customer objections that you should address on your website:
- Timing-Create a sense of urgency by presenting limited time offers and purchasing incentives.
- Price-Offering price comparisons or price guarantees in order to give the customer peace of mind when purchasing.
- Risks-Minimizing or eliminating risk by offering money-back guarantees or free trials gives your customer the option to change their mind and gives them a sense of security when purchasing.
Social Proofing and Building Trust
Social proofing is a phenomenon where people assume the actions of others in an attempt to reflect correct behavior in a given situation. Basically, social proofing is a way to persuade others to follow or do business with you by displaying others that have done business with you or have positive things to say about you. One way to do this is to use real testimonials on your site.
You should also attempt to establish trustworthiness as soon as possible. There are many ways to build trust in your company. If you have customer reviews on Facebook, Amazon, or anywhere else, be sure to include those in prominent places. One study shows that 70% of consumers say they look at product reviews before making a purchase, and product reviews are 12 times more trusted than product descriptions from manufacturers.
Any professional memberships, notable clients, or awards should be in plain view of your website visitor. Seeing reputable associations helps your potential customer know that there are reputable businesses that have trusted you in the past or have associated with you in some way.
Strong Unique Selling Point
A unique selling proposition is the thing that you and your business posses that will make customers choose you over your competition. This is an important site addition that you should spend time developing until you can clearly state what sets you apart. Here is a template that should help you get started.
(Insert your business name) helps (insert your target market) (insert desired outcome) by (insert what makes you unique).
A USP is supposed to be more benefit driven – what is the outcome that your clients or customers can expect from working with you? It will be descriptive and instead of playing off word choice or trying to be cute or clever, it will cut right to the heart of what it is that sets your business apart. Your USP should be on your website where your visitors can easily see.
