10 Ways to Use Your Website as Marketing Tool

Your Website is Your Best Marketing Tool

The Internet has millions of users across the country and all over the world. Think of the possibilities! Of all those people, surely some of them need what you have to offer. On the other hand, there are most likely many other businesses who do what you do. To make sure those millions of users click on your site and stay there, you have to make sure your website is your best marketing tool. Here’s how you can make that happen.

1. Get your website to rank in search engines.

Use strong keywords and search engine optimization (SEO) to get your business to rank high in search engines. When people are searching for what you do, you want your site to be the first one they see.

2. Engage your visitors.

Words may be what gets visitors to your site, but words alone won’t make them stay. Get visual! Engage your visitors with photos, videos, and social media feeds. The better your site looks, the longer people will browse it.

3. Use clear navigation.

Navigation is crucial to good marketing. Visitors will come to your site to do something specific, like check for a product or price. Make sure your main menu is well-organized, visible, and as simple as possible, so that your visitors won’t have to look too hard to find what they need. Additionally, be sure to utilize breadcrumbs, which help people navigate back to where they began if needed.

4. Update your content.

Visitors to your site don’t want to see a price list that is too old or information about an event that already happened. Make sure you update your content regularly, so visitors will always have something new to look and the most accurate information about your offerings.

5. Offer value to your visitors.

Give away something for free. While this may sound counterproductive, if you give away a free white paper, ebook, consultation, video series, etc., people will appreciate the value of what you are giving, and will be more likely to buy from you. Have you ever received an unexpected gift? The law of reciprocity dictates that people often feel compelled to return the favor, which translates to sales in this instance.

6. Put a blog on your site.

Offer information and education to your potential customers. Give visitors to your site a taste of what you offer, and then explain to them how you can help them with what they need. Information will impress your customers, making them more likely to think of you when they are ready to buy.

7. Make calls to action prominent.

Whatever is it you want customers to do, make it easy for them with a call to action. Make sure it’s as easy as a click or two to get your visitors to do what you want. You can emphasize your call to action by placing it somewhere prominent on the page or by using a different colored button that stands out. Lastly, always utilize action-oriented words like “Register Now” or “Start Here” so users know exactly what to do.

8. Keep branding consistent.

Put your logo in your site’s header so it is visible on every page. This helps build familiarity with your brand. Most successful websites also have a unifying color scheme and a theme in the imagery they use. Extend this look and feel to your social sites and emails and add other advertising and collateral materials to your site to further reinforce your brand.

9. Make it easy to find your social media.

Install buttons on your website to allow your visitors to find you on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and any other sites you use. Social network buttons allow you to get your own followers and likes directly from your website.

10. Make it mobile friendly.

Make sure your site is mobile friendly. Check out your site on a smartphone and tablet to be sure you are providing the best mobile experience possible. You can also test your site on Google to see if it meets Google’s criteria.