Today, almost every company and organization has a Website. Some are more effective than others, but no one can deny the marketing power of an effective online presence.
How is your Website doing? Is it achieving your goals? Or does it need some revisions or even a major overhaul?
Here are some considerations to help you evaluate your Website and make the most of this powerful marketing tool.
URL
Is your URL easy to remember and to type? If possible, make the URL your company name (e.g., www.thehungersite.com).
Message
Is your message clear? Do you state who you are? What you do? Who your audience is?
Do you talk in terms of benefits, of how you can help that audience?
I don’t mean your vision statement, which is probably too abstract to interest a Web visitor. I mean a simple, straightforward statement of what you do, delivered in terms of how you help your audience.
For example, Women in Consulting (www.WomeninConsulting.org) says that it “offers consultants and small business owners a vibrant, diverse, and powerful community to help them build strong businesses.”
Your message should be clearly stated on the home page, with a variation on the theme on every major section. You don’t know what page your visitors might enter. Make sure you give them a reason to stay.
A note: some larger companies now use the home page basically as links, not as a marketing tool. Most smaller companies need to give their visitors a reason to care, a reason to continue reading. Make that your message.
Content
Is the site complete? Do you have the following sections?
- A home page
- Product or service descriptions
- About us
- News section
- Contact us
- Case studies, testimonials, FAQs and the like (if appropriate)
Writing
Is the writing appropriate for the Web? Many organizations simply take copy developed for print and transfer it online. That doesn’t work. Online writing needs to be tighter. Crisper. A Website is not just a “brochure with a mouse.”
Among its other attributes, good Web copy is:
- Clear
- Accurate
- Relevance
- Concise
- Consistent.
For example, Robert Middleton, a marketing consultant for independent service professionals, clearly states his basic message and target audience on his site (www.actionplanmarketing.com): “Self-employed Professionals. Information and support for attracting more of your ideal clients.”
Is your message that clear?
I’ll give some additional tips in my next post.
