Making your website work for you

Websites are common place, almost every firm has one, so you need to make sure that your website stands out. There are many ways you can differentiate your website from the competition, often through the aesthetics or content displayed, but it is important to hold the users attention.

What do you want to achieve from your website?

How you approach your website should be determined by what you would like to achieve from it. We all want a website to look great, but it is important that it also provides a positive user experience through informative content and easy to navigate pages. Obviously both can be achieved, but it can take some thought and planning to make it happen.

Generating enquiries - If you are hoping to generate more enquiries from your website, then you need to look at having a strong call to action for your users. For example you can have a contact form placed on your homepage, making it easy for people to get in touch, but allowing you to collect some simple data on them too. Along with this, your contact number and email should always be visible and easy for the user to access. It is important to remember that you need to reduce the amount of barriers that users may have in trying to contact you.

A source of information - If your aim is to have a website that people will return to time and time again, then it is important that your content is relevant and updated regularly. Having resources that are of interest and of value are key in making sure people view your site as the place to keep informed. This can also be enhanced by emailing newsletters to your clients and those who register on your site, making sure you provide them with your information (such as tax tips or advice) on a regular basis.

Just an online presence - Some firms are not actively seeking any new business, but it is still important to make people aware that your firm is available. A professional looking website can help reinforce your image and reputation, even if it is mainly used to portray a message about your firm and staff in general.

There are of course other aspects that you may wish your website to help you achieve, but it is key to stay focussed on your main objective.

Setting realistic expectations

Above all, it is important to have realistic expectations about what your website will help achieve. It is highly unlikely that a website on its own will generate numerous leads and new business for a firm - it needs to be part of an overall marketing process.

Almost every firm has a website, so just like any other service, people will shop around. You can expect that nearly everyone that has viewed your website has also visited a competitor or two, so this is where you need to differentiate and look at what you want to achieve.

How do I go about this?

If you are unsure if your website is meeting your needs, then ask yourself why. Importantly, also talk to your provider or marketing team to understand what can be done to improve or change your approach.

At Mercia totalSOLUTION we work on numerous websites, so please feel free to contact us for some advice or how we may be able to help with your website or content. Either email or call 0116 258 1242.