It’s no secret that the internet plays a central role in defining our purchasing decisions. While having a website is commonplace, many small businesses do not utilize the full scope of tools available to maximize their web presence and convert visitors into customers.

A common misconception among small businesses owners is that website optimization is complex and expensive; and, because of this, many opt to limit their active efforts to social media. A recent study entitled Benefits And Barriers Of Bringing A Small Business Online: Perspectives From Global Small Businesses conducted at Merrill Research in San Mateo, California made some notable discoveries about this issue. Data collected from 1,050 businesses from 7 different countries revealed that though many businesses understood the value of a well-developed website, they preferred to primarily stick to social outlets because of the convenience.

What many small businesses might not know is that website optimization can be a manageable process with the right knowledge and expertise. Here is how to get started:

Make contact information easy to obtain.

The goal of your website is to get customers to buy your product or service. If they cannot navigate your website to find a way to contact you, then your website is useless.

Make your product or service offerings known.

Give direct call-to-actions. Do you want people to subscribe to your newsletter or review a product? Let the audience know exactly what it is you want from them and provide direct links/buttons to guide them there.

Tell your story.

Let the audience know who you are and what you do in concise and understandable language. Some web pages can seem cluttered and disorganized which can sway users from the underlining goal. Be clear, succinct and concise in all messaging. Additionally, be sure to embed targeted keywords into your web page text that will help enhance your search engine ranking and maximize your visibility. Google’s Keyword Planner is a great tool for this.

Check your analytics.

Do you know how long visitors stay on your site? What is your site’s most visited page? What actions do customers make most often? Analytics are the key to understanding how customers interact with your site. Use a tool like Google Analytics to see specific data regarding your user traffic, and be sure to optimize continually.

Have impeccable customer service.

We’ve all experienced bad customer service, and we always tend to remember it. Implement a customer service platform like ZenDesk or Groove to streamline your customer interactions and improve your response time. Understanding what frustrates current customers will help you acquire new ones, so do not overlook this piece.

If you are in need of professional website optimization services to enhance and boost your business, please reach out – our team is here to help.