Successful retailers put time and effort into maintaining the exterior of their stores. They hang eye-catching signs with their shop names and create attractive window displays meant to get people through the door. Few retailers would allow the outside of their shops to grow stale and dated.
Unfortunately, some retailers don’t view their store websites in the same way. They may adopt a set-it-and-forget-it strategy when it comes to their online presence, building a quick website and assuming they can leave it alone for years.
With more consumers turning to the internet to find what they’re looking for, the very first impression most consumers will have of your business is what they find online. You can’t control external reviews or other online mentions of your shop, but you can control what they’ll see when they visit your website.
If you want your website to work for your business and not against it, make sure you’re to avoid mistakes that small businesses frequently make when it comes to their websites.
1. Not Having a Website
The internet has changed the way consumers find the products and services they’re looking for. Fifteen years ago, people turned to the phone book when they needed to find a local business. But according to a recent article on socialmediatoday.com, 70% of Americans don’t use the phone book at all. Mine doesn’t even make it into the house. It goes right from the mailbox to the recycling bin. Compare that to the 97% of Americans who have performed an online search to find a local business in the past year (per a BrightLocal survey).
If you don’t have a website, you don’t exist to those consumers.
Even if your business name comes up in a Google search, that’s not enough for today’s consumers. According to an article posted by DUBUB Marketing Agency, 70 to 80% of consumers research a business online before visiting the company or making a purchase. They want to know if your business is worth leaving the house for. If you don’t have a website, potential customers will pass over your shop for your competition.
If you’re going to build a website, make sure you have a professional domain name. You can create a free website through sites like WordPress, but you’ll have WordPress in your domain. For a small annual fee, you can use your own domain based on your business name.
2. Missing and Outdated Information
Today’s consumers have little patience for businesses that don’t provide the information they’re looking for on a company website. Many people prefer to contact companies through text messages, email and Facebook messenger. However, plenty of consumers still want to be able to call a business if they have questions. If your website is missing your contact information, you could be losing out on potential business.
Make sure everything a customer wants to know is on your website. Include your contact information, shop hours and directions to your store. Additionally, your site should also outline the services and products you offer. Information about your range and archery lessons you provide should be easy to find, too.
It’s even better if your site allows archers to reserve range time or sign up for classes online. Online scheduling makes the process easier and less intimidating for new and existing customers. Allowing customer reservations ensures that customers will be visiting your shop in the future, perhaps making a purchase.
Once you have your content finalized, check it periodically to make sure it’s still up to date. A BrightLocal survey found that 50% of consumers said they were less likely to patronize a business if the contact information was incorrect; 39% said they would hesitate to use a company if the website content was poorly written, so consider hiring a professional copywriter to help you. If that’s not in your budget, find an editor to look over your content. Many editors have reasonable rates.
And remember to update the copyright year if it appears somewhere on your site. A website with a 2011 copyright date will make consumers assume your shop is out of business.
3. Too Much Content
You don’t want to leave out important information, but don’t throw every detail you can think of onto your website. Having too much content clutters up your website, creates a confusing layout and dilutes your message.
Donald Miller, the author of Building a Story Brand, recommends using the “grunt test” to determine whether your website provides the information you need it to. According to Miller, a good website is one where a caveman looking at it would be able to grunt the answers to the following questions:
- What do you sell?
- Why do I need it?
- How do I buy it?
If you’re not sure if your website meets the grunt test, ask someone you trust to look at it with fresh eyes.
Don’t overcomplicate your website with excessive text that consumers don’t care about. Some businesses put a lengthy company history on their homepage. There may some value to that history, but most consumers are more interested in what your business can do for them than in learning more about you. Move your company history or personal bio to an About Me page that interested consumers can click on if they wish.
