What a Website Will (and Won't) Do for You
Website marketing and website conversion are key pieces of having a website that actually performs. Too often, we expect that having a website will automatically mean more clients and more sales. That can happen — but only when the website is part of an overall marketing plan. Let's look at what a website will and won't do for your business.
What a Website Will Do
Save time answering common questions
A website is a great place to refer people for general questions: What do you offer? What are your hours? Where are you located? How do I sign up? These can all be answered on pages that describe your products and services — freeing you from repeating the same information in every email and phone call. You also build trust by sharing your story, your process, and helpful tips. We like doing business with someone we know and trust.
Give clients and prospects a place to go deeper
A website is the ideal place to give your audience more detail about your services and products at their own pace. If a client wants to know more about a specific service, you can refer them to that page. If a prospect is researching before they're ready to call, your website does the educating for you. It's available whenever they want it — no scheduling required.
Give you a larger audience
A website is visible around the world. Your audience suddenly becomes much larger than your local network. Even if you're a location-specific business, someone in another state or country can easily refer a friend or family member who is local to you — because they found you online first.
Support your overall marketing
Every marketing channel you use — social media, email, print materials, networking — should point back to your website. It's the hub where interested people land and learn more. A website makes your other marketing work harder.
What a Website Won't Do
Automatically bring in more clients
Although the end result may be more clients, a website doesn't guarantee them. It needs to fit into your overall marketing plan. Your website address should be on your business card, invoices, brochures, and email signature. With millions of websites out there, your site is a small fish in a big pond — additional steps are necessary for it to perform well in search results. See the SEO section for how to address that.
Automatically increase sales
This goes hand in hand with the previous point. It typically takes multiple "touches" before someone buys from you — similar to traditional marketing, where a potential client may need to see your message seven times before they act. A website is always there for their review whenever they're ready, but it works best when combined with a consistent marketing plan that keeps your name in front of people over time.
Run itself
Websites require ongoing attention: content updates, security patches, plugin updates, and periodic design refreshes. A neglected website loses value quickly — in search rankings, in appearance, and in the impression it makes on visitors.