Did you make a New Year's resolution to start your year off with focused direction and positive change in your business? And have you started to follow through on it? Because let's be honest, unless you have taken action, no matter what time of the year it is, nothing's going to change - and the same goes for your business website.
It's hard to keep abreast of technology, especially when you are busy running a business, so we've put together a few key business website truth's to help kick-start 2013 off in the right direction.
1. Standard websites VS. Killer websites? Killer website - hands down!
Standard websites provide information on your business - basically an online brochure talking about your business.
Killer Websites act like a salesman working 24/7 for your business. It's not just a website, it's a whole strategy that works to engage the visitor, build interest in your offerings, capture visitor details & automate follow-ups, enable multiple calls-to-action, market to your identified target groups, are easily found on major search engines, generate business, and are easy to modify yourself.
So how will owning a Killer Website benefit you?
- More sales and leads
- Increased targeted traffic
- Save time and money by automating your sales process
2. How much should you invest?
This is often one of the first things people ask, as there are so many options out there. These days you can get everything from a free website to a $15,000+ website, so what's right for your business?
It comes down to two things: What you want to generate out of your website and your budget.
What do you want your website to do for your business?
That's right, your website is not just another thing to check of your business must-have list, it is a marketing tool that should be helping you grow your business, delivering real, tangible results.
Maybe you want your website to...
- Educate site visitors, saving us time on standard questions that get asked all the time.
- Automate the sales process
- Take payments online
- Site visitors email us for more details / Request a quote
- Generate leads from our target audience
Your budget (tips to help work it out)
Now with your website goals in mind, work out what sort of revenue your website willgive you / what savingsit will make in freeing up staff time. This will give you an approximate allowable spend, based on the return you will be getting.
You don't want a website - you want increased sales
So you can definitely get a website for zip these days but the truth is you can't expect to get a good return on investment from a free website.
A website should be helping you grow your business. If you just want a website that is informational and does not work as a marketing tool then you are better off only spending a small amount.
If you are going to get a website, you should get one done correctly - get one with a good solid strategy behind it to help you grow your business by increasing your revenue.
Website cost VS. Yellow Pages cost
Think about how much you spend on Yellow Pages, often not giving you great results but costing you thousands a year.
A website with a business growth strategy behind may cost you $5000 - $15000, but it will give you ongoing leads in a measurable and constant flow. It would typically include some or all of the following:
- Direct Response Website
- Ongoing performance tracking and baseline KPI report.
- Landing pages
- Google Adwords / Paid Advertising
- Search Engine Optimisation
- Automated Email marketing
- Social Media Marketing
Even if your budget is tight, you should start with a website that covers the basics and can then be added to over time as your business grows.
The only limits we have are the ones we set, and at Itag we don't believe in limits when we work together, so here's to a great and successful 2013!
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