Real Stories

Your Website: Today's Place for First Impressions

Posted on: Mar 31, 2008

Posted by: mpoweringu
Member since: Oct 10, 2007

mPower Consulting Charlotte, NC
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The Solution

We all know it and we all do it, but as business owners do we really think about it? When people want to get information about a business, where do they look? Your answer was probably the same as mine, the Internet.

So, if you answered "the Internet" and/or "the company's web site," doesn't that make you think about how your web site currently looks and what's on it?

No one can deny that the Internet has now become the #1 business tool to get information, give information, and interact with other businesses and consumers. Web sites now play a vital role in every company's marketing plan, but it may not have sunk in how important this tool is to how your business is perceived by potential customers.

Not more than 15 years ago you could still count on potential customers or possible business partners contacting you by telephone to find out more about your company, your products, and your services. You scheduled meetings with your sales staff to present your business and make that lasting first impression. All of who undoubtedly were all wearing suits or at least dressed nicely, with shaved faces, and nicely trimmed hair. Why did you do this? It was because you realized that it was all about first impressions, right?

The Internet as the New Meeting Place for First Impressions

With the creation and proliferation of Internet access to businesses and homes of consumers, the environment of the meeting place where first impressions are made. That is because this very important meeting and presentation has now become digital. Instead of an individual consumer, you know have thousands of people that make up your audience of interested buyers. Instead of a nicely dressed, well manicured, and well prepared sales associate, you (hopefully) now have a well designed and well laid-out web site.

First impressions are now made within seconds after viewing the opening page of your web site. Lasting impressions are made the first time a potential user tries to find the information they are looking for. If they cannot find what they are looking for on your web site, it has become that much easier to take a look at your competitors. All it takes it a point and click!

Five Ways to Tell if Your Web Site is Making a Good Impression

So how do you know if your web site is bringing in the business by offering a great first impression to visitors? Here are a few tips and techniques to help you determine.

1. Have your sales team ask prospects where they heard about you

When a prospect is speaking with your sales team, before the end of the conversation have your sales ask where the prospect heard about your company and if they went to your web site. It also gives you the opportunity to receive some direct feedback about your web site. If the prospect starts to make suggestions, be sure to write them down! If you receive more negative remarks than positive, it is likely that your web site is not generating a great first impression.

2. Ask your current partners and trusted customers to offer suggestions

If you think about it, you already have a great group of individuals who can help make sure your web site is making an impact. Contact your partners and your trusted customers and tell them that you want to survey them about your web site as a way to identify ways you can improve the design and layout. Everyone likes when their opinion gets put into action and everyone loves to share their opinion. If you are getting quite a few suggestions regarding the look and the ease-of-use of the layout, then your site might be projecting a poor image for your company.

3. Ask your employees what they think about the web site that represents them

Employees really do love to be asked their opinion when it is in regards to something that can make their jobs easier or help them develop their careers. It is likely that your employees spend more time on the Internet looking at other web sites than you know.

While you probably would prefer them to always be on task, this is one time when that possible laziness might pay off. In all their mid-day perusing, they have likely picked up on new styles and trends in design that can be carried over into suggestions to update your site's design.

It is also for certain they have had to answer question after question from potential prospects that they feel might reduce their support phone calls if it were placed on the web site. Find out these things that can make your web content more interesting and valuable to visitors, and be sure to be open to criticism should they tell you they think the corporate site "sucks!" Just try to find out why and what can be changed to make it better.

4. Install web statistics software to capture and review critical information

Now I am not being paid to promote a particular web statistics software package, but I like Google Analytics for its in-depth information tracking and its price tag (currently FREE!) The opening dashboard view is all that a business owner will want to look at, so let me point out a few statistics to take notice of.

NOTE: You need to let the software package you install track your web site for at least one month before you have any valuable information. Sorry, but that is just the way it is!

Visits - this is the number of unique individuals who have visited some portion of your site. If this number islow, then you might need to find an SEO (Search Engine Optimization) specialist to help you get more traffic.

Pages/Visit - this number shows the average number of pages viewed per single visit. If you have a lot of web pages on your site and this number is still small, then that tells you that your site is either not interesting or is not what the visitor was looking for.

Bounce Rate - this number represents the percentage of site visitors who left your web site after only viewing ONE page. If this number is high then there is no doubt that your web site is not making a good impression or does not include the information that the visitor is looking for.

Average Time on Site - this number tells you the average amount of time a visitor stays on your web site. If this is more than five minutes, then it is a good bet that your site is providing valuable information to viewers or some just some great bells and whistles that a bored office worker is playing with!

Percentage of New Visits - this number tells you the percentage of site visitors that are visiting your site for the first time; in other words, the new traffic you generate. If this number is high, then your site is performing well at generating new traffic and your content is engaging enough to keep them coming back.

5. Contact a web design specialist and possibly an SEO consultant for assistance

Notice I put this step last as I am a firm believer in exhausting all available options requiring no investment before determining it is time to spend a little money to get the job done! If you really want to know how well your web site is working for you and you cannot find out any information any other way (or you do not want to wait,) then it is time to call in the professionals.

A web designer's entire job is to create user-friendly interfaces and great looking layouts that will keep web site visitors "Wowed" and coming back for more. These individuals can take stock of your current web site and can talk to you about new design trends and styles that have proven to generate great results.

An SEO (Search Engine Optimization) specialist is the professional at creating content that will generate the traffic to your web site and provide the valuable content needed to make that lasting impression.

Now take notice, not all designers and SEO specialists will provide you the best service. Remember the rule of thumb: "you get what you pay for." Be sure to check the consultant's portfolio and references to ensure you are working with a proven expert!

Make Your Web Site Work For You

So the next time you think about what you are going to wear and what you are going to say at that important new client meeting you have scheduled in a few days, be sure to remember to think about the impression your web site is making over a hundred times per day! There are some simple ways you can check and see if your site is serving as a great impression tool, and if it is not... then it might be a reason why your business is struggling!

Advice for Others

Would you wear an old, worn suit from the 70's purchased at a local pawn shop to a big meeting with a new client just to save a few dollars? I think not! Making your web site even just the clean cut suit from the department store will keep new business coming to shake your hand!