I would be a well kept woman if I received a dollar for every time I heard “I have a website, but nothing happens”. Sigh. I wish this story wasn’t common, but unfortunately, most of the small business owners I chat with have a classic “she’ll be right” approach to their website and focus their marketing energies elsewhere.
Then if they do work with me, the general expectation around SEO and making it all work is oh you’ll do some fancy backend something to make the magic happen, then I will be golden right?
I wish…it was…that easy.
Why there is more to website strategy than SEO
Search Engine Optimisation is a pro at getting people organically to your website. BUT once they are delivered to your digital front doorstep, I hope you pulled out all the stops. Because if you have a poorly designed website, where the copy could have been written by a five-year-old…say goodbye to that traffic that just came your way.
According to Forbes if you don’t clearly give users what they need in 5 seconds they vacate the building. Roughly about 61%.
So, now that you know this little bit of info…what do you think of your website strategy now..?
You can’t be for everyone
Understandably you will have users that fall off your site, regardless of how good your website strategy is. Because you won’t be able to serve everyone AND you won’t be everyone’s flavour. That’s okay.
So, still bring your special sauce to mix through photography, branding, and how you write things. YOU are what makes your business special. There isn’t anybody else like YOU.
But never get complacent. Never assume because you’ve done one thing that you’re sorted.
Here is what you need to consider:
Even though I’m a die-hard SEO fan, our love affair never started like that. Hands over the ears and a whole bunch of LA LA LA’s would happen when someone would say “search engine optimisation”. My blinders proceeded to come on, and I would only focus on drool-worthy design as my only website strategy tool.
Obviously, your girl has learnt a thing or two and changed her obsession (who else loves hacking how things work?!) BUT she also learnt that you couldn’t just focus on one thing. Going from a 9 to 5 where my job was ‘this one thing’ to becoming a business owner, where EVERYTHING is my thing. You understand why you need help from those who are complete wizards in their fields.
Website Design
I’ve been known to say that a pretty site that just exists on the internet, is not a conversion tool in itself. HOWEVER, not having a well-designed website can also be the death of that sale.
In WIX’s 50+ small business website statistics blog it’s noted that nearly 38% of shoppers will stop engaging with a website if the layout and content are subpar. AND 57% won’t recommend a business if the website has a crap design on the mobile site (never forget the mobile version of your website).
Why? Because deep down we humans are all vain and are attracted to pretty things. When something is pleasing to the eye we might stay awhile, maybe even consider hitting ‘buy now’.
On Brand Photography
Photos and videos are a lens into your world. They help showcase who you are. AND they have so many uses! From being a profile picture on a certain account, to being used over and over again via social posts. Just have a look at these content marketing statistics (Forbes, 2024), we’re a generation of content consumers. Photography is an investment.
And if it’s not in the budget or timeline? Get crafty. Phones these days have amazing cameras, and there are presets available to make doing it yourself (until you can afford to invest) a breeze!
Copywriting
When I discovered Dirty Copy, I fell in love. Words were never something I had invested in. I just tried to sound ‘professional’ (and boring), and thought that was my copy done. Then I saw other entrepreneurs selling their wares, and I thought to myself “how the hell did they do that?”.
I invested in Dirty Copy’s Dible (a plug-and-play copywriting course that has been life-changing!) and realised how much I had been underselling myself. To the point that even if my SEO brought people to my site they would have yawned at the copy and would have said “see you later alligator”.
Don’t underestimate the power of some good wording as part of your website strategy and if you don’t believe me check out Dirty Copy’s course, because you’ll soon see why not incorporating some website psychology is slowly killing your business.
Search Engine Optimisation
SEO is what I like to refer to as the small business owner’s secret weapon, the workhorse slogging it away in the background while you sleep, eat, and repeat. While you focus on your zone of genius, the SEO principles you have applied will start performing tricks with the search engine results, so you can organically reach more people, without being a hamster wheel of constant content creation. Need help executing that part? I’ve gotchu.
Focus on more than just SEO
It seems slightly odd that an SEOer would be recommending you to not just focus SEO, that’s because I don’t have my head in the sand. Optimising your website to be found organically can get more eyeballs on your website, BUT what makes them click through? The copy. What makes them stay? The design. You can’t have one without the other.
This is why I love website strategy because when you tie it together, it’s simply the chef’s kiss.
If you are thinking to yourself “How can I learn all of these things in an easy-to-understand format, so I can do it myself?” Well there is an answer and it’s called Website Rehab Masterclass, where you will learn ways to implement not only SEO basics, but also design, and copy, so you can do it yourself. See you there!
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