You have finally done it.
After getting completely fed up with the 9-5 grind, you have decided to make a change for the better. You have taken the plunge and decided to open an online business. You have jumped on WooCommerce, Shopify Plus, or Big Commerce and gotten your platform sorted.
And now it is time to actually make sure that your website starts turning a profit.
Which all comes down to making a great website.
1. Start with Great Copy
I don't care how pretty your website is -- if your content is poorly written, people will leave without clicking in a single link.
You want to give people a reason to stay.
They should read your 'about us' page and have a genuine understanding of who you are, and what you offer. Your 'contact us' page should be clear and explicit, as if you're talking to a real human being.
Importantly, every single word should be directed at them.
They are not there for you, you are here for them. So make sure when they come to your website, every word is describing the benefit that you and your products offer to your customers.
It is here where your website starts and finishes making sales.
2. Clear Navigation
Is there anything worse than jumping on a website and actually having to try and find your way around? Nothing is clear, the headings don't make sense, and the links don't seem to go anyway.
The navigation is terrible.
You decide that you wouldn't purchase from these website noobs even if you could find the products they are selling -- which, by the way, you can't.
Don't be them.
Organize your pages into logically-named categories, and use normal terms on your drop down menu. Customers don't want to guess where to go, and they certainly don't have the patience to go on a wild goose chase to find information.
Make it as easy as possible for them.
3. Don't Ignore SEO
When I first built my website, I often heard people talking about 'SEO' -- however, as I had no idea what they were talking about, I chose to ignore it.
Instead, I made my website, put out content, and... crickets.
No comments, no visits, nothing.
So, I decided to go back to the drawing board. I started looking into this SEO thing. I quickly learnt that it stands for 'search engine optimization' and it essentially determines how visible your website is to search engines like google.
The better your SEO, the more likely you are going to be on the first page of google's search results.
I guess you could say that if your website isn't search engine optimised, then no-one knows you exist -- and let me tell you, it is very hard to make a profit when no-one knows you exist.
In short, don't do what I did.
Focus on SEO from the get go.
4. Triple Down on Your Home Page
Once you actually appear on google's hit list, it is highly likely some people will find their way to your site -- and the first spot they land is your homepage.
With this in mind, it better be crisp.
It should very quickly describe how customers will benefit from your content, products, or services. It should also provide some insight into the different types of products or services you offer, while highlighting your point of difference to other companies in the same field.
If people on your page can't figure out what's in it for them within the first 15 seconds, then you can say goodbye.
5. Deliver Ridiculously Good Content
No matter what your industry, you need to write relevant content for your website.
Whether it's in the form of short blogs, opinion pieces, or long-form research articles, it doesn't matter -- you must do it.
Firstly, increasing the amount of content on your website improves your SEO. Secondly, providing free, high-quality, useful content is a great way to demonstrate your expertise in the area and show you are a trustworthy source of information.
In my mind, this is the first step to you becoming a business with a good reputation.
It is important to note that to build this trust, your content should not be a sales pitch. Simply try and help your audience with free information, and over time they will become long term customers.
6. Use Pictures
I would be the first to admit that when it comes to building a good website, content is king -- however, it still needs to look good.
And a large part of this is making sure that you use relevant pictures throughout.
When it comes to selling a product or service, a picture tells a thousand words. It shows a potential customer exactly what they can expect, making them more likely to bite the bullet and spend some cash.
On this note, the pictures should be related to the message you want to send.
If you consider the fact that every page on your site tells an important part of a story, the pictures should compliment this -- rather than detract from it.
7. Be Easily Contactable
As a business owner, I can appreciate why you might be hesitant to put your contact details smack bang in the middle of your website.
I mean, think of all the email enquiries...
However, I want to tell you exactly why this is actually a great idea.
Having your contact details easily accessible creates a sense of trust between you and the customer. It essentially shows that your business is run by a real person who is only a short email away.
Secondly, if someone does have an enquiry, it goes straight to you (or your service team, if you're so lucky...), rather than through an automated system. This gives you the chance to respond to the quickly and efficiently, which is the cornerstone of good customer service.
This further improves your reputation, helping you build a loyal customer base in the process.
8. Don't Forget Your Call To Actions
A call to action (or CTA) is simply a statement designed to get an immediate response from your audience. Typically used at the end of a sales pitch, a CTA aims to get your target market to respond by taking action.
You ultimately need to tell visitors to your site what they should do next.
Make sure they know that their next move should either be making a purchase or directly contacting you.
Yes, you want to be a great source of information for your customer base, but you also want to be profitable -- and that means making sure that people on your site also know that you sell a product or service.
So let them know at every opportunity.
It all starts with the right enterprise ecommerce software, since it makes the whole process so much easier.
Take Home Message
Once you have finally taken the plunge and decided to start an online business, your first point of call is making a killer website. A website that is readable, SEO friendly, easy to navigate, and looks appealing to boot.
And if you read this article, you will be 99% of the way there -- all you have to do is act on it.
So, hurry up and act on it.
