So, you want to get started with Social Media! If done effectively, it can build your brand and generate new streams of revenue while delivering ROI unlike many off-line marketing strategies. But, don’t even consider posting to Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram or any other social media platform until your website represents your company in a positive way.
Clearly, the first action any consumer takes when considering a product or service purchase is to search on-line. The scariest is that there are still companies with no website! In today’s world how can you expect to be found if you’re not even there? Your company itself or its product category is being Googled… and if you’re either not there or look like you’re stuck in the 90’s, chances are consumers will move onto your competition that presents a contemporary image of their company. We’ve all been on-line and have been referred to someone or something. First thing we do? We Google them… right? No different for your company. You don’t want to have a disconnect between your company, its website and its on-line or off-line marketing vehicles.
Your website is your on-line connection and very often the first touch point for new business. It is the cornerstone of your business and your most important selling tool. As marketers our ultimate Social Media goal is to drive traffic to your website. Face it; the value of Social Media is significantly constrained and limited if you don’t have a good website. An equivalent situation for a brick and mortar retail location is if you effectively advertised in the newspaper and drove scores of people to your store, but they had such a frustrating time trying to find your products on your store’s shelf that your prospects simply left. This happens online too, and all too often. Social media can be great at generating leads, but your website has to be well conceived so as to ultimately benefit.
Evaluate your website with fresh and informed eyes. Was the content developed so as to optimize the page viewing on Google’s search engine? Do you have multiple call to action opportunities at every strategic site location? Are your headers appropriately named and in the right sequence. Have you minimized clicks to achieve a sale? Is the navigation easy, simple and highly intuitive? Is the site itself clean, modern, contemporary and friendly? Does it capture attention and direct the focus?
Not sure? Well, I know of one consultant who can help! He also writes blogs about this kind of stuff! Click here to get in touch.