You should continually strive to improve your small business website in order to maximize the value of the site to your business. But where to start??
To that end, here are three relatively simple steps that you can take to make improvements to your website today:
1. Review Your Analytics
Have you checked your web analytics recently? Analytics stats reveal an amazing collection of information about your prospective customers, including the number of unique visitors to your site, new visitors vs. repeat visitors, where visitors came from and how they navigate through your site, the leading online conversion funnels, and from which page visitors exit your site.
Analyze the data and then decide on at least one improvement to your website that you can make to grow your business. For example, if you notice a large number of visitors exiting your site from the same page, test different adjustments to the page to compel them to stay on your site longer or to make a purchase.
2. Ask Your Customers a Question
Add a new question to your website today, either in the form of a poll, survey, contest or blog entry. Or simply request suggestions for improving the site. Solicit feedback from your customers, and leverage the insights to grow your business.
For example, ask them about potential new products/services that you are considering, or ask them about challenges that they are experiencing (that you can potentially solve).
3. Analyze the Competition
Check out three competitor sites today. Put yourself in the shoes of the prospective customer. What do you like about their sites? What do you not like? Do the sites compel you to contact the company or to make a purchase? Are they effective in differentiating their business and their offerings? Identify at least one way to make your site more competitive with these sites, either by finding a gap in the market that other firms are ignoring or by learning more effective ways to make your site customer-friendly.
For example, if you sell technology support services, perhaps there is a gap in the marketplace addressing the needs of women entrepreneurs and small business owners. This might be an area for you to target in gaining expertise, and you can start by making a special offer to this audience segment on your website today.
