January Quickshot

In December’s QuickShots I suggested several ways you could grow your business in 2010 by increasing traffic to your website and converting visitors to buyers. The list included ideas that may—or may not–fit your website, but take another look:
• Audio/video
• Blogs
• Calendars for events, scheduling, etc.
• Content Management System (CMS)
• E-commerce
• FAQ pages
• Forms (contact, data capture, etc.)
• Photo galleries
• Slide-shows
• SEO Research: keyword searches
• SEO Research: keyword competition
• SEO Web content optimization

Interactive Content

Blogs, videos, photo galleries, SEO? These are components of a broader website technology you know as Web 2.0 or “new media”. Some, such as FAQ pages, calendars, or slideshows , are more traditional, passive, and one-directional: they reach out to the reader or visitor. Others can be much more active, even interactive: by their very nature they invite website visitors in, allowing them to participate. These types of sites tend to be more interesting, drawing visitors back again and again.

And this is the purpose of your website: getting prospects interested and returning. With the explosion of Internet technologies, websites, and online marketing it’s probably time to evaluate your website. Is it up-to-date (especially when you look at the websites offering solutions similar to yours)?

Have you visited sites offering audio and video (who hasn’t looked at YouTube!) and thought your sales could use an audio/video boost? Have you explored RSS feeds from social networks like Facebook and Twitter? If you follow a particular blogger, posted your comments, or asked for help from a cyber community, then you are part of the Web 2.0 technology. Consciously or subconsciously, you are aware of their potential marketing power.

Review your website. Resolve to give your prospects and customers a lively, persuasive invitation to experience your product or service. Is your website relevant and current? More importantly, does it speak to the prospects you want and the customers you want to keep? If it isn’t, resolve to change it!