20 Oct Five Best Tips for a Marketing Website

There has been a great discussion going on in one of my favorite LinkedIn groups recently – What are your five best tips for a marketing website?

I saw some great viewpoints, strategies, and suggestions that I agree with 100%! But there were also vital points missed in the discussion, as a lot of people focused on the technical aspects only. So here’s my two cents on tips for a great marketing website:

1. Be clear about who you serve. Is your business trying to be everything to everyone? Who do you help the most with their problems? A lot of businesses fear that having a niche will limit their exposure or lessen the opportunity for more clients, but it is the opposite. When you know your audience you know what their exact needs are. You are the expert, the go-to person for that specific client base in your industry.
2. Be clear about what you do. When people go to your website, do they know what it is that you do? Is it spelled out that you have the exact, unique solution your clients are looking for? Upon the first viewing of your home page there should be no doubt in your prospective clients’ minds how you can help them.
3. Have a call to action. People need to be told what to do next. Does your marketing message start out strong and fizzle at the end? Have you given your customers a wonderful appetizer but failed to tell them how to get the whole feast? Or maybe you’ve given the whole smorgasbord on your website and they have no reason to contact you for more. There is a balance of providing helpful information without giving away all your services – does your website reflect that balance?
4. Be interactive. Give your audience a chance to express their needs, viewpoints and opinions. Your customers and clients want to be the star of your business – it’s imperative that you provide a place for them to do so. Make it easy to find your Blog, Facebook, Twitter, and any other social networking links so they can easily join the conversation.
5. Simplify. The times have changed. Complicated, fluffy marketing websites that are laid out like a brochure are no longer relevant. Your website should be clean and simple, with clear-cut navigation and a prominent call to action. Less is more is the mantra of today’s market.

What about you?  How do you make your marketing website stand out? Let us know by commenting below or sharing it on Facebook.