As a business, you are always searching for innovative ways to get customers to notice you. Working hard is great, but all that work doesn’t mean much if it doesn’t translate into results. After all, if your business doesn’t achieve results, what was all the hard work for?
Sending the wrong message to your audience can actually sabotage your efforts and make getting your business recognized for the right reasons a faraway goal… which begs the question “If you don’t see results from your efforts, are you sending the wrong message?”
Let’s work through the basics and determine if you are sending the wrong message to your audience and let’s go over what you can do to fix it if you are.
Your website is your face and your best marketing asset. Your site is where you make your first impression and either grab your audience’s attention or lose them to forever. Consider the entrance to your website as an online receptionist. If the receptionist doesn’t leave a customer immediately feeling warm and fuzzy, then you risk losing them to one of your many competitors.
If you are a site with a worldwide audience, be sure to add a feature such as Google Translate. The translation may not be perfect, but it is far better than no translation at all.
Customers will include different groups of people, so the site should consist of features for those with impairments of various kinds, such as hearing impaired, blind, learning disabled, and more. Include videos, audio elements, and of course, photos that convey the written message, as well as tags and meta descriptions for all of your elements to ensure you are meeting ADA compliance standards and being gracious to your base.
Navigation on your website should be as intuitive and easy as possible. Menus should be visible and appropriately identify the content. Provide a way for customers to reach out with questions and FAQs to find their answers quickly.
Fonts should be easy to read and not hard on the eyes. Research complementary colors to see which color combinations work well for your brand and customer viewing. Always include an “About” section for customers to learn more about you, your brand, and any philanthropic efforts you support.
There are many ways to promote your business. Sending the wrong message starts with not being out there. Put your business out there and make yourself as visible as possible. Here are 6 ways to market and promote your business to send the right message and attract customers.
Many studies specify the best times to post and what to post. For example, post a reel three times a week between 8 am, and 10 am. But, that doesn’t take into account your specific business. Do your research specifically for your niche and your audience. Treating your audience like an entirely different niche will miss the mark.
As a business, you may not have the staffing or means to focus on “getting the word out.” Partnering with bloggers can help. Reputable influencers can reach a much larger audience and allow you to focus on the business.
Relying on potential customers just finding you is not a great strategy. Being available online as an expert will help customers find you. There are sites and forums for people interested in your niche to post questions. As an expert, answer the questions and refer them to your website for more information.
Provide valuable and insightful content. If you can’t create this content in-house, it is worth seeking assistance. The content should add value, and the customers will continue to return. Don’t create content just because it is Thursday, and you always post content on Thursday.
Choose topics that answer customer questions and how your business can help with those questions and concerns. For example, a company in a medical niche would not choose to create content about boilers.
It is crucial to consider the timing of your messages. Considerations need to include culture, environment, seasonality, and more. Perhaps particular messages should not be shared in the Summer or perhaps during a presidential election. Be sensitive to what is appropriate messaging and what could be considered insensitive.
Sending the wrong message can be detrimental to a business. Missing appropriate opportunities is just as crucial as not sending the wrong message. For example, if you specialize in novelty face masks, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to keep getting the message out during COVID.
Web design is the beginning of your brand and its story. Making sure your website sends the correct message is critical for your success. Your website sets the stage for all communications and interactions.
But designing a website for your business takes time, experience, and a creative eye.
It may seem like it’s going to be easy to create a website yourself — but almost every customer we have ever had that has tried to do it alone regrets it. It always takes longer than they think it will, and the result is never what they hoped for.
At Bhirst Media, we have experience building websites for various customers and a variety of different needs. We understand what it takes to build a website that looks good, is optimized for search engines, and is designed for lead generation.
You don’t have to try and do this alone — let us help. Check out our website design, development, and website care plans today.
