Of late (and I suspect it’s due to burgeoning financial problems) I have experienced a large number of clients coming to me for suggestions on how to improve their website and make it do ‘more’ for them. This is great because for ages I’ve been encouraging them to use it as more than just a pretty picture telling people what they do, so I’ve put together a Smashing Mag style 5 point list on what I have been advising.
1. Email newsletters
It’s the obvious one, but seldom used as well as it should be. We have developed (here comes a mild sale pitch) an amazing enewsletter module for our CMS, it has SO much potential, but of the clients who own one, only a small percentage take advantage of its power. If a person has expressly requested more information on your products or services from your site by signing up – that’s like someone walking into your shop and asking for something – these people are valuable and should not be ignored! The enewsletter shouldn’t just be ‘something else you can do every so often’ – if during this so called time of financial crisis you need to raise awareness of your products and services, or more importantly your BRAND, then enewsletters are the perfect way to do this. Regular emails are the equivalent to TV ads, radio ads and billboard posters. Even if people don’t read or act on your story on how you have just moved into new offices, or your report on how the environment is being helped by your charitable efforts, or indeed the launch of a new range, they will have seen it drop in. Chances are they’ll delete it, but they’ll have you logo / name in their mind again and when they DO come to looking for that product or service again, they’re sure as hell more likely to select you over someone else they’ve never heard of. Another thing is to Group your subscribers. Obtain as much information on where they’re from, what they purchased or requested more info on and send them only emails relating to this. If they asked for info on holiday only in the UK and you start firing off cheap flights to New Zealand, they’ll soon think you’re not paying attention to their requirements and probably unsubscribe.
2. Clear message, stronger calls to action
Just today I was looking through some competitors websites as part of my research for a new client, and one of sites I stumbled upon, had I not known what they did previously (by my client telling me), I had to read, click and re-read about 3 pages before I completely understood what they were about, and why I might want what they are offering. I always think there is a tendency among companies to force themselves to appear more complex, advanced and ‘high-end’ than they really need to. Imagining probably that by using long, complicated terms it will elevate them from the competitor. Not true. If you think about when you are looking for anything online, what do you look for first – a site which is easy to use and makes it clear how to get in touch / buy / search for the product you’re after. So BIG clear buttons, do away with a homepage explaining how the company was started in 1915 from a bike shed and has been through XYZ times, try and explain who you are or what you do in less than 20 words.
3. Integration of other elements (Social networks)
Everyone’s banging on about Social Media Marketing, and while it maybe the current buzz word in web strategy, it does have its reasoning for being there. Facebook, Myspace, youtube and twitter plus any others you care to mention, all have drawn huge audiences, and while it’s completely inappropriate for any company to wade in thinking they can wack a few phrases about and dominate Google’s rankings, it is important to understand what getting into these ‘circles’ entails. It’s an entirely different or alternative form of marketing here. There is no taste, feel or touch, so you must go entirely on language – or ‘vibe’. Let’s say you’re selling mobile phones, to simply start targeting people on facebook that show the slightest interest in mobile phones and selling at them will most likely turn them the opposite way you want to go. However, if you show willing to offer assistance and guidance on selecting the right phone, while addressing them in a language they understand, you will build up a trust and in turn loyalty towards your brand. Once you have this, you’re half way there. There is nothing more powerful than a friend telling a friend to check you out as they instantly will trust their judgement. Brand loyalty is what can be gained from effective Social Media Marketing.
4. Know your audience
Websites, like English celebrities, date quickly. So if or when things change within your company, for example to adapt to the changing financial climate you’re company adopts a new method of working or selling or promoting, then your website should reflect this. Quite often website owners base all the content along with the design, on what they feel they themselves, want or like. I know loads of business owners that have very little personal interest in what they do or sell, which is fine, as long as they know how to connect with their audience. If customers feel that you’re just putting up information on your site for the sake of it they are far less likely to feel engaged as with a company who sound like they love what they do as much as the people they’re selling to.
5. Manage content, stay fresh
Continuing on from point 4, to ensure people return to your site, it’s vital you update the information contained within it. For months I was checking a favourite band of mine’s website hoping they would update it on when we could expect more songs / gigs from them but alas, they didn’t. Eventually I gave up, and only recently discovered they had released a new single a while back, through an online music store that happened to be promoting it – if I wasn’t subscribed to their news, I would never have been on and subsequently bought the track. Many people always say to us “but I don’t have the time to update the website”. If this is the case, then I always give the same reply. “You have 3 choices; make time, get someone else in the company to make it their job, or employ us to manage it for you”. It doesn’t take a huge amount. It’s like anything, cleaning the bathroom, cutting the grass, doing the recycling; it’s something you make time for. But because those things physically exist and build up, you recognise the fact they need to be done. If you could physically see users leaving your website each month, perhaps it would persuade different thinking. Part of our new strategy for larger clients with budgets, but not enough time is to effectively become their walking, talking (and most of all, THINKING) CMS’s. We are responsible for ensuring the content stays fresh each month. It would be our responsibility as a creative agency to call the client, find out what’s been happening throughout the month and report it in any way we see fit. Again, this won’t just relate to standard things like hitting sales targets or launching a new product range, we aim to ensure each time something is spoken about or acted on, it is another step in forming a relationship with the customers. So there we go, just some ideas I’ve put together based on recent experiences with our clients, hopefully someone may also find it useful!
