“A website has just never worked for me…”
Why?
I have been in this business for a while, and I regularly run into this statement. These are the questions I ask and the answers I get:
Question: Did you put your website address on all of your marketing material and advertising campaigns?
Answer: No
Questions: Did you put your website address on your business cards (to me, this is a given, but…)
Answer: No
Question: Did you market your website to search engines?
Answer: No
Question: Did you keep your site updated with fresh information on a regular basis?
Answer: No
Question: Did you ask people who contacted you how they heard about you?
Answer: No
I think you’re getting my drift. If you build a website, no, they will not come. But if you promote it properly, keep it updated with useful information, and actually refer people to it; then, yes, they will.
Some ideas to consider:
1. Put your website address on that billboard or television commercial that you spent a fortune on.
2. Put your website address on your voicemail, answering machine, automated attendant message, etc.
3. Make sure your email address and your website address match. I cringe when I see somebody who has a website using an @aol.com or @yahoo.com email address for their professional email.
4. Put your website address in the signature line of your email message.
5. Ask a qualified professional how to optimize your site to search engines. It’s worth the effort and cost, I assure you.
6. Keep updated information on your website. If a visitor sees outdated material, chances are, they will never be back.
7. Ask people how they heard about you. This is valuable information, especially if you are promoting your business through various media.
These things are not difficult to do, but definitely necessary. So, if your website isn’t working for you, now you know why.