Websites that WOW… and CONVERT! A few simple strategies for a great website that grows your business and looks like it was built by a designer… even if you DIY it!

Your website is the face of your business online. It’s often the first impression people have of you.

It’s where people get to know your business, learn about your services, and decide if YOU are the person/business to help them.

It’s important your website reflects the caliber of your business. It should not only look professional, but more importantly, it should be your best employee and grow your business on autopilot everyday.

There are a few simple things you can do to up level your website and turn it into a highly effective tool that works FOR you (and not against you).

Strategies for a great website:

1. Answer these 3 questions BEFORE building your website.

Knowing the purpose of your website before you build it will help you be clear in your wording and focused on your audience’s needs.

• WHO is your audience? Who is your product/service for? 
• WHAT specific problem do you solve? How do you help people?
• What do you want people to DO when they get to your website? 

2. For a website that looks great and builds trust… be consistent!

Choose your color palette (usually this will be the same as your logo) and stick with it! 

• Be sure to use the same colors and the same fonts on EVERY page. Your website is not the place to try out new things on every page. Keep it the same.
• For color palette ideas, go to Canva color palettes and type in the kind of business you have. You’ll get some great ideas and can choose from designer created palettes.
• Every page should look similar to the other pages. You want your website pages to look like each other. This subconsciously builds trust as you are consistent on every page and shows you are professional.

3. Follow basic design techniques.

• Use white space to spread out your elements and sections. White space (the space on your website page that has nothing on it or is between sections) gives your website visitors breathing room and allows them to easily scroll down your page.
• Make your pages scannable by using headlines, subheadings, bolded words and bulleted items
• Keep your paragraphs SHORT and easy to ready

4. Use your website to grow your email list.

Not everyone who comes to your website is ready to schedule an appointment or buy from you. Every website should include a way to collect email addresses so you can follow up, show your expertise, offer value, and gain trust. 

• You should have a lead magnet (or “freebie”) on your website! This is where you give visitors something of value they can sign up for to get their email address.
• Use those email addresses each week to send out valuable information, tips, strategies, coupon codes, etc. This is where you nurture that list of people to later become buyers.
• Be sure to send out emails regularly so you stay top of people’s minds. 

Put your lead magnet in several places on your website! 

Have ample opportunities to collect email addresses from your website visitors. Your email list is gold, so be sure you are growing it regularly!

Here are seven places you can link to your lead magnet:

• A button in the header menu of your website: the top right corner where people are used to looking
• A bar across the top of your website
• A section right on the homepage
• In the footer, put an image of your lead magnet and link to the landing page. This way it shows up on every page!
• In the sidebar on every blog post
• Every blog post should have a link to your lead magnet. Put it right in the middle of the article so people see it as they are reading
• A pop-up that shows up either after about 5 seconds (give people a chance to look at your site first) or on “exit intent” (one that comes up as the person is about to exit your site).

5. Follow key strategies for higher conversions:

• Tell people exactly what they should do to work with you. Give them steps to take and keep it really simple. Here’s an example:

• Make contacting you easy to find and easy to do. For example, put in links so when someone clicks on a button, it automatically calls you, emails you, or allows them to schedule an appointment to meet with you.
• Repeat your call to action, often! Don’t just put it on your website one time and expect people to do it, call them to action several times on each page of your website
• Make sure your website looks good on mobile! It is estimated that over 62% of website traffic comes from mobile devices. So be sure your site looks really good on a phone!

6. Follow basic website layout strategies.

• Your web pages should each have a specific goal
• Be sure they are laid out in a way that is clear, easy to understand, and easy to navigate. 
• Make the layout intuitive and simple. People are used to things in certain places and expect to see specific pages (i.e., header at the top with navigation menu, footer at the bottom, About page, Services page, Contact page) 

What does all of this look like in real life? There is a simple layout strategy that works GREAT for coaches and service-based businesses!

DOWNLOAD THE HIGH-CONVERTING HOMEPAGE LAYOUT TEMPLATE!

Finally, when you’re ready to go live… PROOFREAD your site and double check ALL LINKS to make sure they are working correctly!

If your website visitors click a link that doesn’t go anywhere, they usually won’t bother trying to figure it out, they will just leave your site frustrated… and that is NOT what you want!

Building a website that works well for your business doesn’t have to be overwhelming or scary. With a few simple strategies, you can have a website that shows the world your awesomeness and converts visitors into paying customers!

(a version of this article was also featured in the SheCorporated Magazine)