I've used this analogy before so I'll share it here. Your website is like the home for your business and you can fill your home with gorgeous furniture, but if the beautiful couch is blocking the kitchen - this is a massive problem. And if there is no door on your bathroom, MAJ problem. Right?!
Let's just get one thing straight...
Just because your website looks pretty, doesn't mean that it's doing it's job. And by job, I don't mean having a couple pictures, a little about me section and the shortest description of your services so that you can spend an hour on a sales call explaining what it is that you do, if you even book any sales calls.
Your website should do a couple different things and standing there looking pretty isn't one of them. Well it is, but it also needs to have functionality and flow and give your viewers a good taste of who + what your brand is all about AND (most importantly) what you are going to do for them.
Assume that your website visitors have a 'need to know what is in this for me' mentality. Always. So the faster that you can provide value and show them how better off they will be after having worked with you - the faster you will get them signed, sealed + sold.
Everything I am going to share in this list below are things you can begin implementing immediately on your website and start to see your conversion rate rise.
This list below is a compilation of the most MUST HAVE #1: A Clear Navigation
Your website navigation, that main call to action area at the top of your site that tells people where to go to within your site needs to be two things: Short + Sweet.
It also needs to be very clear. If you can eliminate the 'home' tab and instead have your logo re-direct back to your home page, perfection. Having an 'about' is great and then really think about where you want your site visitors to go and hang out. Where will you create the most impact for them and what kinds of questions + thoughts might a first time visitor (aka potential client) have for you? How can you make it easiest for them to find those things through your navigation.
And I am not talking about your newsletter sign-up form. In fact, you can almost just do away with that one altogether because who at this point is willingly signing up for a newsletter, unless you have really incredible emails going out or you are Laura Belgray from Talking Shrimp - her emails are freaking hilarious and informative, highly recommend.
The quickest way to growing your email list, which I am a major advocate of, is by having a freebie or an opt-in smack on your homepage. About midway through your homepage should be a place where a visitor can get some value packed freebie from you by signing up. Think: 3 Tips To Your Next 100 Subscribers or A Social Media Starter Kit or A Brand Photoshoot Checklist. If you can capture your site visitors contact information just a couple seconds into visiting your site, you have a major opportunity to provide value, earn some trust and be well on your way to signing a new client.
MUST HAVE #3: Continuous Flow
There is nothing worse than a dead end on a website. And so often, site visitors are left with no where else to go on your site, no other content to checkout and that is SO AVOIDABLE. Every page should have some sort of call to action or button to take them to something else. Whether that is a more information, reading your about me section, scheduling a call with you, reading a different blog post that is relevant to the one they are reading, linking them to a podcast you are featured on or an episode of your own, signing up, applying... the opportunities are endless for you to continue to send your visitors on a journey of trust building and educating them on how whatever it is that you do, is going to solve a problem of theirs.
Check out my homepage and all of the opportunities there are to click buttons and go to other places on my site and/or get on a call with me!
MUST HAVE #4: Testimonials + Credibility
This is one of those things that is undervalued. Just the other day, I caught myself being influenced by a testimonials on a sales/offering page. I stopped in my tracks like 'Dang, these really work, because this program im reading about is looking realllyyy good after the results these people have had!'.
THEY ARE SO POWERFUL.
Put credibility + testimonials throughout your site in relevant places. For example, you don't need a testimonials page, but you can sprinkle them in on your services pages, where your freebie + opt-in are, on portfolio + gallery pages -- just to name a few. And another tip is, take one longer testimonial that someone has given you and split it up into multiple. Pull out key sentences and you can so simply create 3+ pieces of valuable credibility and use on social media, in email campaigns and on your website.
Don't have testimonials yet? Consider doing some smaller projects/services for ideal clients at a discounted rate or for free in return for testimonials. And if you have already been working with clients - reach out and ask them for a 3-4 sentence testimonial (even past clients!).
MUST HAVE #5: Clear Services/Offerings + WHAT YOU DO
This is the #1, the 'if you don't have this you're missing out big time'. Girlfriend, you have to stop making it so difficult for someone to figure out what the heck it is that you do. And we know, you are so darn good at what you do, but if I have to guess or circumnavigate your entire site to understand what you do, im done. Ive already left your site, checked all my DM's and emptied my inbox.
Bright, clear + smack on the top of your homepage, tell your visitors what you do. And btw, what do you do? I know you aren't just a photographer, or a business coach, or a stylist -- no, no, you are doing so much more than that.
You are capturing destination weddings for adventurous millennial couples. You are helping female entrepreneurs create impactful + bold brands. You are helping women look and feel their best with personal styling.
Here are a couple things you can ditch on your website:
Social icons at the top of your homepage/pages. If you are using Squarespace, you can turn this off in your site styles. Ditch these big giant exit signs -- the second someone clicks on your Instagram icon in your top bar, they aren't coming back. Have these icons someone else on your site, like on your about page or in the footer of your site.
Too much text. Cut your text in half + then cut it in half again. No one is going to read your novel of a website, period. Be as clear and to the point as you can be, sprinkled with your personality and passion. The more clear you are on your ideal client, the less convincing you will feel like you have to do with the text on your site.
And here's the deal, majority of what I talked about in this post has A LOT to do with you understanding who your ideal client is. I know this concept of knowing who they are is talked about a lot, but it's real. The more connected you can get to who you want to serve, what their pain points are, what they need from you, and how you can best create services around your strengths AND their wants + needs, this is how you create a profitable business and a strong brand.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Give your website a good look through and see where you can minimize wordy text, get more clear on your intention with what you are sharing and make sure it is easy to understand what you do and how you serve your clients.
If you are coming up short and can't figure out just how to elevate it - have an ideal client, maybe someone you know review your site, blog and pages and give you honest feedback. Just a couple of the changes mentioned above could be major for your brand!
Ready to take your site to the next level or get started with a completely new design? Check out my 1:1 Brand Coaching + Full Brand Identity Design HERE.
Not sure what you need?! Overwhelmed? No need for that! Schedule a 20-minute Strategy Session and we can talk it out, no string attached, and make sure you are on the path to creating brand that makes you proud + is profitable!
Love this tip?!
Share it and save it to Pinterest so you can come back to it later!
