Recently, Evision Media released a new e-book about improving the profitability of your website. While the e-book is rather in-depth, this article’s goal is to condense the points into a thorough summary.
Essentially, the e-book’s author believes that every website is extremely profitable, if it is used and marketed correctly. In the e-book, she asks the reader 10 questions that they should be able to answer about their website, giving them an idea of what goals they should be looking to achieve.
In the book, the author presents these 10 questions to the reader:
- Am I clear who makes up my ideal target market?
- Is my break clearly visible and properly represented?
- Is it easy to find information on my website from a customer standpoint?
- Is it easy for potential clients to contact me?
- Is each page uncluttered with clear call to action?
- Is there a reason for people in search engines to keep coming back to my site?
- Is my copy compelling enough to grab my ideal client attention?
- Is my website search engine optimized?
- Am I consistently building and reaching out to my tribe of subscribers?
- Am I using strategic marketing techniques to drive qualified traffic to my site?
By answering these questions, readers should have a better understanding about the effectiveness of their website. This in turn gives them a starting point to work with in order to set goals for change.
The e-book covers a number of relatable topics that any eCommerce entrepreneur would want to know. For example, the author points out that your website is essentially an employee that’s working for you 24 hours a day. She suggests harnessing that kind of power in order to maximize the efficiency of your site.
In addition, the authors suggest that any effective website will have highly consistent and reliable navigation that is easy to follow at first glance. Customers will not have a pleasant experience if they are working with the web interface that does not navigate well. If they cannot easily find what they are looking for within a reasonable period of time after visiting the site, it’s very likely that they will move on to a site with a better interface, and with easier to follow navigation.
It’s important to design your site so that it is very clear about what it is you’re selling, states the author. The customer should know exactly what you’re offering from the very first time they see your home page, and should not have to click in order to understand your product. You should be able to stand out from the crowd from the very first impression.
Finally, and perhaps the most important point the author makes, is that you must realize that your competitors are not sitting idle. They are all looking for ways to top the market, just as you are, meaning that you will need to be able to create a sustainable marketing program in order to continue reaching out to new potential clients. If your competitors are moving forward while you stay still, you can expect to see more sales for your competitors, and can expect fewer potential new customers.
