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Have you taken a look at your sales data lately? If your company could use more customers (and who couldn’t?), the answer might be in your online presence. A recent survey found that 91% of shoppers “have visited a store because of an online experience,” and yet up to 20% of small businesses don’t use digital marketing. Attracting new customers and keeping existing ones may be as simple as developing a more robust website. Follow these tips from the Bad Coffee Club to build and use your website to foster growth for your business and build a recognizable, successful brand.
1. Link to Your Socials
Most site builders include options to link to various social media platforms. Take advantage of these and remember that they are tools to get the word out to more people. If you’ve ever seen a video go viral, you know that even a niche subject or product may have the potential to explode in a world of nearly 8 billion people. The more eyes see your content, the more potential customers you have. Engage with your audience on these platforms as often as is feasible: More active accounts tend to get more prominent positions when scrolling.
2. Synchronize Company Data
Does your sales force talk to your financial team? Do they share data seamlessly, update each other instantly on changes and ensure all information is accurate across platforms? They can. Here’s where technology is incredibly useful: You can integrate your customer relationship management and enterprise resource planning systems, making company data transparent and easier to manage.
Your site can act as a behind-the-scenes hub for information and business tools, enhancing efficiency from top to bottom. Data sharing can even be automated and you can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that, even as staff changes and grows, the systems in place will continue to accurately and quickly support the company’s varied functions.
If you aren’t familiar with Business Process Management (BPM), you should be. It is the process of optimizing and automating your business practices, and it makes you more efficient. In fact, automation is critical for effective BPM, so you’ll want to work with some experts to make this happen for your business.
3. Plan for Cyber Attacks
Assume your website will come under attack by hackers at some point. Studies have found that 36% of cyber attacks are launched against small businesses. Customers will feel much safer using your site and purchasing with credit cards if you’re protected by anti-malware software. Make sure your website is certified and indexed, and update your software often.
Create a plan for how you will recover data in the event you experience a ransomware attack. This includes regular back-ups, designation of a point-person or team, an up-to-date list of data and tools to be recovered in order of importance, a proposed timeline of recovery phases, and contact information for everyone involved.
4. Keep Customers’ Experiences in Mind
A great website will be intuitive enough that new customers can easily find what they need. Do some research on visual design principles like reading patterns, typography, layouts, and color palettes to ensure a positive user experience.
Remember that websites are often visited from smartphones and tablets, and put extra care into designing the mobile version, which should keep scrolling and small screens in mind. Build the site to encourage traffic by including interesting videos, punchy images, and short text.
A company’s website is similar to a portfolio. It’s an easy way for potential and existing clients to see what you’re all about and a great opportunity for you to draw people in. With some thoughtful design and attention to detail, you can use your website to improve your online presence, build your customer base, and ultimately build a long-lasting and high-performing business. Find out how Synaptic Web Co can help.
The Bad Coffee Club provides tech resources for readers. Check out our blog today!
About the author: Elijah Dawson created lookforjobshere.com while he was furloughed from his retail management job at the beginning of the pandemic. With many still looking for work, he hopes his site will assist and motivate them as they look for their next big opportunity.
