Change Shortage
Some things we just don’t understand. Right now when I venture out I see signs here and there stating that they have a need for change. There are many theories on that and I have a few of my own but, that’s not the real “Change Shortage” I’m talking about here.
I’m talking about another type of change shortage that many don’t understand and it has to do with your website.
Too many times people have a set it and forget it mentality with their website. Set it up, load the pages and leave it alone. Well in this case two out of three ain’t bad.
I’ll be the first to say, we have to get something in place, and it’s better to have something than nothing. But, when it comes to setting and forgetting it that’s where so many fail with their online business.
I’ve written many times about checking over your site fully at least once or twice a year. But, in all honesty if you are truly serious about your online business you should be checking it about once a month.
So Why Do We Need Change?
Well first off, think about this. If you’ve ever taken a walk in nature and passed a pond that was stagnant and covered in moss, your first thought is that there probably isn’t much living or moving around in that pond.
The same could be said with your website. If nothing is changing and nothing is new why would visitors comeback? Why would search engines come back? Google loves to see change. They want to see things are happening with your business.
Search engines such as Google key in on relevancy of your content with the keywords people are looking for. So, if Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc. sent bots to your page last month and then return this month and see the exact same pattern it’s possible next month they may not come back as soon if at all. Unless your site is pretty relevant with what people are searching for which can happen of course.
Let’s return back to our pond for a moment. Imagine walking past this pond again and the owners have added a fountain and maybe a bridge you could walk across. In your mind you think someone cares about this property, and it’s enjoyable to visit. So, you make note of it and plan to return.
The same could be applied to your website, and even your social media accounts. If people like what you are doing they will come back to see if there is something new to offer. They will return as long as there is something in it for them to enjoy. Or, if there is something in it for them.
What Change Do You Need?
Good, question. Where did you leave off? Did you just start with the basics? To me the basics is at least a page that tells what you have to offer, and how they can get that offer as well as a contact page so if they have questions about the information on that page.
But there is so much more you can add. If your first page is about your product, service, or information. You could add a page about who you are, and why you created the product. Or about the company that provides the services. Maybe you add a page about why the company was founded.
Think about this. People buy from those they know, like and trust. Maybe, they’re on the fence about buying the product or service and they read just a bit more and find out they like who you are or the reason you started the company. It just may get you yet another sale.
Also, Think about adding images (or more images) of your product, your company or even you. Different people buy for different reasons. Just as you learn in different ways, people buy for different ways. Look, feel, touch, how can you write, show photos, or even videos about what you are offering. You could even add these as blog posts or articles added to your site that people could find useful. Tips about how to use your products or services are a nice value added.
Also, think about what the search engines are looking for. Not only are we trying to appease human traffic, we have to satisfy the needs of our search engine friends that help us get seen by our human friends.
Search engines, want to see privacy policies, and terms of service to let the buyers know they are safe. Merchant services like to see (and may demand to see) these pages as well. These are more changes you can add. In previous articles I wrote about tags the search engines like to see such as title tags and alt tags for your images amongst others.
There is always something you can add to your site to give it some change. As you learn more about your customers you will find they will want to know more about you. But how can you find out more about your customers? Some of it is psychological triggers, things they don’t think about that affect how or why they buy. Things you can change to see what works better. For example… Do they prefer an order link to an order button? Do they like Orange buttons as opposed to blue buttons? Is one font better than another, is a font size better than another? I know you gears are probably churning now and it can be overwhelming.
How Do I Know What to Change?
There is so much that you can change a little at a time to make your site appealing to all that visit. Sometimes though it can be overwhelming, maybe you’re new to owning an online property and just need some advice. Well, This is when a website critique could be very useful to you. I've been providing website critiques to customers for over twenty years now. I even offer a website critique with a done for you option in case you either can't or do not want to make the recommended changes yourself.
It does not matter if you’ve been online a long time or just a few months, everyone and anyone can benefit on having someone review their website. I myself have had different sites reviewed just to get a different perspective of what could be better. Many times we are just too close to the project and even stepping back and looking at it differently we will see the same things. Having someone with a different mindset, or a different vision can be just what you (and your website) need to take you to the next level.
