Is your website out of date, under construction or lacking in focus? Does it make you cringe every time a prospect mentions it? I refer to this as the “cringe test.” If you cringe at the thought of someone visiting your website, it’s time to turn your site into a strong marketing tool that will build your bottom line.

Your website is an important marketing tool for a number of reasons. It is generally the first place a prospect goes to learn more about your company. This is true, even if you have a store front. It markets your company 24/7. It’s an inexpensive way to advertise new products and services. Finally, it allows you to build a relationship with prospects and customers.

Here are seven ways to build a quality website:

1. Set goals. Many companies overlook this critical step and doom their website to failure before they even begin. Before you launch or redo your website, ask yourself what you want to accomplish with your website. Write your goals down and use them to guide the development of your website.
2. Write to be found. If you have a website with all the bells and whistles but no one finds it, your website is not doing its job. Understand what key words people use to search for your products or services and use them strategically in your website content.
3. Write to be understood. While the use of keywords is critical to help people find your website when using a search engine, your copy also should be clear, concise and to the point if you want visitors to understand your message.
4. Make it easy to find information. Use headlines, bullets and type to help visitors quickly find and understand information you are presenting. A sea of unbroken type is difficult to read and often will cause people to quickly click off your site.
5. Write each page as if it is the only page. A website, unlike a printed piece, often is not read from start to finish. Visitors may land on a product or service page first, totally bypassing your home page. While you can't repeat all information on every page, each page should contain your marketing message and a call to action.
6. Make your site copy rich. If a store owner never changed or replenished his or her merchandise, before long customers would stop coming to the store. The same is true of a website. If you want people to keep coming back, give them fresh copy, new offers and resources to explore.
7. Write from your customers’ point of view. Use your website to help customers and prospects understand how you can help them. Keep in mind that while this is your company website, it should be written for your customers and prospects. Write from their viewpoint and reap the rewards of a stronger bottom line.

©2009 Joan B. Marcus Communications LLC

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