Resolve to Focus on Results in 2006--Website Results, That Is!
If you are like most people, you've pledged, whether
enthusiastically or begrudgingly, a few New Years' resolutions
for 2006. One resolution you may not have considered is
improving your website results in the coming year. Think about
it, how many of your resolutions have the real potential of
adding to your bottom line? If your website isn't providing
results, it's time for a change.
Align your site with your business objectives
If you're planning a site redesign, major update or revamp this
year, take a holistic approach. Don't just update the look and
feel--think about how your website can help you accomplish your
business objectives. What is the purpose of your site? What
is your site's primary goal? Are you trying to generate
qualified leads, increase shareholder interest, educate and
inform, better service existing customers, attract new employees
or business partners, increase sales and performance? Each web
page should have an underlying purpose/goal and a conspicuous
call-to-action.
Optimize your site for the search engines
Your website will have little to no effect on your bottom line
if your prospects can't find it. Ensure that you include search
engine optimization and/or advertising in your annual Web
budget. There is no better way to drive targeted qualified
visitors to your website! In order to be successful, search
engine optimization, performance measurement and tuning need to
become constants in your site development and maintenance
process.
Optimize your site for your customers
Set aside a percentage of your annual Web budget to continually
optimize, measure and tune your customer's experience. Make
your site easy to use, clarify the unique value proposition and
lead your prospects step-by-step to your calls-to-action.
Focus on site usability issues, improving calls-to-action,
effective customer-focused copy, opt-in subscription type
funnels, increasing conversion rates and decreasing page and/or
shopping cart abandonment rates.
Focus on your site's performance
Track, measure, and analyze your site's performance carefully.
Understanding how visitors use your site will help you
identify where you should spend your time. Focus on
improving the performance of your key metrics. What are your
conversion rates and how can you improve on them? Which pages
are working? What copy needs to be tweaked? What content needs
to go? What are you doing right? Spend your dollars on improving
the underperforming areas.
Resolve to focus on website results in 2006! Concentrate
on those areas with the greatest upside and largest effect on
your bottom line!