6 Tips To Improve Your Business Website

6 Tips To Improve Your Business Website
By Michael Moorefield, Sat Dec 10th

There are six important characteristics that can play a majorrole on the impact your website has on prospects. Outlined belowis the importance of each characteristic and tips on how tomaximize your potential. It is always important to tailoreverything you do to what your customer is expecting, doing sowill help keep you one step ahead of the competition.

Convenience - Allowing your customers to make decisions at theirconvenience is a very powerful element. Nobody wants to feelpressured or hurried into making a buying decision. When acustomer can go to your website, browse your products andservices, and make a purchase at their convenience, you aresatisfying a crucial consumer obstacle -- time. They don’t haveto keep returning to your storefront every time they wish toevaluate your value. In fact, most customers do not buysomething the first time they see it. Instead, they must see andconsider it several times before they finally talk themselvesinto purchasing. A website allows customers to quickly reviewtheir reasons to purchase something, leading to a greater numberof impulse buys.

Information - A website can allow you to communicate much moreinformation about a product or service than an in-store displayor advertisement. You can also control the way the informationis presented. Supplying information in an orderly step-by-stepprocess can greatly improve the chance of a purchase.

Evaluation - Many customers will not purchase something withoutsearching for the best value. The internet allows your customersto obtain the information they need to feel like they are makingan educated buying decision. Make sure you are using yourwebsite to take advantage of this opportunity. Inform yourcustomer why your product or service is of the best valuecompared to their other options. Always acknowledge thecompetition instead of acting like your product or service isthe only one out there.

Guidance - The pages of your website should guide the customertowards the specific solutions they are looking for. They shouldserve to help them quickly locate what they came to find. Thinkof it as a store map located at the entrance of a departmentstore. The customer can use this directly upon entering thestore to get to the department they are interested in, insteadof wandering around looking for it. Get their relevantinformation in front of them quickly while they are still themood to purchase. People buy on impulse. If they have to spend15 minutes searching for what they are looking for, that impulsemay very well fade away.

Contact - The internet also allows for another form of contactwith your customer. Some people can be hesitant about talking toa representative in person or on the phone if they don’t feelvery knowledgeable about the product or service. Email allowsthem to carefully collect their thoughts before sending them.They feel less awkward about their lack of knowledge. Again, usethis opportunity to gain an edge over the competition. Go out ofyour way to educate them about the product or service.

Entertainment - Use

the informal atmosphere of the internet toentertain your customer. The internet is used by more people asa means of entertainment than as a means of business. If usedeffectively, entertainment can significantly improve thebusiness relationship. Provide clever facts, amusingpresentations or even a witty character or mascot to assistthem. However, be sure that the entertainment is usedappropriately. Be sure that is does not obstruct the informationor value you are trying to bestow upon them.

Always use your competition to your advantage. Research how yourcompetition uses these characteristics to improve their customerrelations. Your website does not have to be boring just becauseit is informative. Create an appeal that will set you above thecompetition. The internet can be an extremely powerful tool foryour business, reaching a greater audience than ever before. Asuccessful business uses a complete arsenal to reach its market.

About the author:Michael Moorefield is one of the founders of ThirdWeb Solutions,a digital multimedia company specializing in creating andimproving the internet presence for small businesses. Workingwith a range of businesses to establish a prosperous webpresence keeps Michael up to date with online trends not only ina design & development aspect, but a business aspect as well.Visit http://www.thirdweb.com for more info.