Get Better Social Media Results with a Better Website

Businesses use social media for many reasons. Social media is very effective in attracting new customers, keeping your brand top of mind, and building your fan base. However, the primary goal of social media is to build website traffic. Your website is the hub of your online marketing program.  The goal is to get them to the website where they can be fully immersed in all your brand has to offer and to close the sale.

Most businesses invest a lot of time and resources in social media. The problem is this effort may be a waste and the problem isn’t your social media program. The problem is your website.

The fact is most websites visits last less than 15 seconds. If your social media is successful and gets the reader to the website, but the website fails to keep the reader on the page, then your social media efforts are wasted. The best way to improve your social media is to improve your website.

Here is the good news. Improving your website could be simple and it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. You may not need to completely redesign the site.  In most cases you can simply change a few words and copy changes are relatively free.

The first few moments a reader is on your site will determine how long they stay on the site. The goal is to hook the reader, tell them how you make their lives better and how they can get what you sell. Here is how you do that.

Step One:  The Headline Must Be Customer Focused.

Take a look at your websites headline. Does it talk about “you”? Is the emphasis on your company or the products you sell? If so, you have what we call a company centric headline. Most readers don’t care about you. They care about themselves. So, the headline needs to be customer centric. A good headline talks to the benefits a customer is going to get if they buy your brand. A good headline tells the customer how their life will be better if they buy your product.

Step Two: Have a Clear Call-to-Action

Don’t assume readers should know what to do to get your product. Have a clear call to action placed prominently on the page. Be simple and direct. Use terms like Schedule a Call, Get a Free Estimate, Shop Now. This kind of direction helps the reader learn to navigate your site and get to what they really want.

Step Three: Make Sure Your Brand Stands Out

Make sure your logo and company name are visible on the top of the page. Use branding elements like logos, color and taglines to make your company name memorable.

Step Four: Use a Lead Generator

Not every reader is ready to buy in the moment. Readers often need more information before they are ready to buy. Be informative.  Give them free information, tell them about how you can help, offer up free ideas. Create a downloadable PDF with the information they need. Make the PDF accessible when the reader supplies you with their email. The reader gets the information. You get the email address of a qualified lead.

Step Five: Make Your Site Scannable

Readers are busy. They are not going to spend a lot of time on your site. They need to be able to quickly scan your page, get a gist of the information and then dig in when they find what they want. To make the site scannable try doing the following:

• Use headlines wisely
• Don’t add too much text
• Remember pictures communicate a thousand words
• Differentiate section by using light background colors
• Try using a gradient background to keep the eye moving
• Move detailed information to a product information page

Small changes to your website can lead to big differences in the length of time a reader stays on your site and your ability to close a sale. Making sure you have a strong website will ultimately improve your social media efforts.

If you would like some inside pointers on how to improve your website, schedule a free website review now.