The following points may make your site more effective:
1. Collect data about your customers, even if it is only their email address as this gives you a chance to re-capture their attention at a later date.
2. Provide testimonials from previous clients as it builds trust.
3. Show membership to any credible organisations that you may belong to as this shows commitment to your business.
4. Have a customer service policy or mission statement, something that shows the level of service you are aiming to provide.
5. Easy to understand terms of business. Large amounts of legalese and “we are not responsible for anything” will create mistrust and suspicion.
6. Privacy policy, especially if you collect information of a sensitive nature such as personal details and credit card information as this reassures the visitor you will respect their privacy.
7. Consider a viral marketing strategy as these can work faster and longer than a search engine strategy. Combining the two can be very effective. Viral marketing works on the principle that your customers or website visitors communicate details of your company, products or services to others usually by forwarding an email, brochure, free product etc. Hotmail is an excellent example of viral marketing as a link to upgrade or install hotmail was sent in every email message sent.
8. Try to build a relationship with your customers by using tools such as newsletters (with a double opt in approach), membership area etc. This is beneficial because the mistrust barriers are removed once the initial contact or purchase has been made.
9. Advertise for CV’s even if you are not actively recruiting but do mention this, as it will stop the endless phone calls and desperate job seekers. You may receive an outstanding CV that you will make room in your organisation for. If not then there are plenty of networking opportunities to be found from talking to other people in a similar line of business as your own. Other useful indicators of CV’s are the Company health of your competition, market trends and many more.
10. Avoid background images unless it adds to your site. Black text on white background is the easiest to read quickly. Web users tend to speed-read text at up to 25% faster rates than paper and back ground images do not help this.
11. If you are going to use photographs then use a professional to take them or use websites selling royalty free photographs on the Internet. Obvious snap shots take away from the professional design of the website.
12. Have a 1-2 line phrase, which sums up your business which is easy to remember e.g. a scaffolding company which states “we have the biggest erections in town” or a curved glass manufacturer using “we bend like no other”. The more ways of separating yourself and being remembered from other “standard” websites, the better. Think of how many catchy marketing phrases and tunes you have remembered and why. If we mention “you do the shake and vac to put the freshness back” or “you can’t get better than a quick fit fitter”, do the tunes instantly come to mind?
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