If the summer months are seeming a little longer than usual (we’ve got the rain to thank for that) then maybe it’s time to take the bull by the horns and make up for any shortfall in your business by transforming it online.
A complete overhall might not be a possiblity – but what about changing a few things that could just tip the balance for your sales?
Websites and ecommerce are constantly updating and improving, but this doesn’t mean you need to be all-or-nothing in your approach. Perhaps you can implement an evolutionary makeover, rather than a revolutionary revamp?
Identify the areas that would benefit from a brush-up in order to spruce up your site.
1. Revitalise your copy
Websites don’t need to be wordy, they need to be wonderful. Accurate and honest text can deliver your message far more effectively than pages of descriptions. Think about the message you want to get across and try to say it effectively. Double check your spelling – mistakes can undermine your credibility.
2. Consider the language you use
For many websites, a straightforward ‘who we are, what we do’ description is sufficient. But in order to capture a customer’s interest, you need to show how you can be of benefit to them. By rewriting your intro, you can address ‘who we are, what we do’ and ‘why you should choose us’. Make sure your opening gambit is a good one.
3. Make your call to action count
Review your current calls to action – do they really make your customers want to click through? “See our lowest priced cameras” is a better prompt than “click here ”, giving the viewer much more of an incentive to take a look and stay longer on your site.
4. Check your image
Have a look to make sure the product images on your website best reflect the product themselves. Perhaps a newer model is now available, or an additional colour option? Update the photos to include alternative views or angles of a product, to help the customer see what they are getting.
5. Get organized
Remove old or irrelevant information from your website. If you have a ‘News’ section, spend some time archiving old articles to make site navigation easier. Take a look and see if your product categories are best arranged – new innovations often mean products step outside of their original description.
6. Improve your customer service online
Consider the level of customer service that your website currently offers. Aside from a contact address, telephone number and email details, is there anything else that you can do to make your customer’s lives easier when they want to reach you? Consider impleme nting feedback forms, an email link or even a LiveChat facility.
Is there any more you can do?
Of course, you may realise you need a complete overhaul – a re-brand. This doesn’t mean chucking the baby out with the bathwater, just building on an existing customer base, refreshing how you present yourself, interact with people and updating your look. You don’t need anything drastic or unrecognizable – simple yet effective enhancements to your branding and logo can revitalize the company.
And if you’re in any doubt about tackling some of these ideas – take a look at Mill House Hotel (pictured top). They came to us at the beginning of the year wanting to increase browsers to bookers on their website. So, we added a new booking system, re-branded, included new photography and a implemented a few other tweaks and as a result they have been fully booked for a few months now. Just ask them about it and then call us!
