So, how much should you invest in your website?  I’m afraid the answer is that dreaded response:  it depends.  If you have a retail business, you will need to invest more money in building your site.  You have to make sure that your shopping cart is effective and safe.  Also, you’ll  undoubtedly be changing inventory on the site constantly.  If you have a service site (such as this one), you can get away with a smaller financial investment. 

Once you have a site built to your liking, you’ll need to invest some capital to make sure that it’s visible to folks who need to see what you have to say.  It may be time to hire an Internet marketer, an SEO specialist or a PPC manager.  These individuals are professionals who can help get creative with your site, help your site make it to the top of search engines, and help advertise your site to those who are searching for your products/services.

If you already have a website, it’s time to spend some time figuring out how effective your site is and how you can make it work even more efficiently.  Hire an expert to review your site and make suggestions.  I won’t promise that it will be cheap, but it may be even more expensive to overlook a detail on your website.  Even one error could decrease sales on your site dramatically. 

When it comes to your website, spend the time and money to built the site correctly.  Hire professionals to help guide you in this process.   Your efforts (and the professional’s efforts) will pay off in the long run.   Take a look at your website and contact us with questions.  We’d be lucky to help!

1. Make sure the site is easy to navigate.  When deciding how you want your site to look, try to think like an average web searcher.  Will someone who knows nothing about the site be able to navigate the site easily?  When he/she is looking for certain information, is the site designed simply enough that he/she will be able to find it?  If the answer is no, take another look at the design and make some changes.

2. Make sure your web team builds the site with a CMS system.  CMS stands for content management system.  Your site MUST have a CMS system.  This will allow you to make changes to the site yourself without having to ask the web builder each time you want to change information like your business hours or to add a picture.  This will cut down on a lot of time and effort on your part.  We at Lucky Marketing Firm insist that every new website is built with a CMS system.  Make sure your online marketing team is just as insistent.

3. Install Google analytics as soon as the site goes live.  Google analytics is a free program offered by Google to help understand the “back end” of your site.  With this analytics program, you’ll be able to see how many people view your site each day, how they find your site, how long they are on your site and which key terms they used to find your site.  It’s an absolutely amazing tool, and you will learn a lot from reviewing your site’s analytics.  

4. Make sure that the team you use to build your site understands your vision for the site.  Every business owner has a goal for his/her website.  Communicate your goal to your online marketing team.  Make sure that you’re all on the same page.  If your web team or marketing team doesn’t understand your vision or tries to change your vision, it may be time to look for a new internet marketing consultant. 

Websites can get complicated, but don’t let yourself get overwhelmed.  If you have any questions about your website, or if you’d like to build a new site, please contact the marketing team at Lucky Marketing Firm.  We’d be lucky to help you!

• MarketingExperiments tested product conversion with and without product ratings by customers. Conversion nearly doubled, going from .44% to 1.04% after the same product displayed its five-star rating. 
• RSS study: Burpee measured a 43% higher click-through on RSS feedswith reviews than without. (Burpee, December 2007)
• Shoppers who browsed the site’s new “Top Rated Products” page, which features products rated most highly by customers, had a 59% higher conversion rate than the site average and spent 16% more per order than other browsers of products. (Bass Pro Shops, June 2008)
• Giving shoppers the ability to sort products within a category by customer rating led to a sales increase of 41% per unique visitor. (PETCO, June 2007) 

Unbelievable, right?  So you may be asking yourself how you can start getting some positive reviews on the Internet about your business.  The answer isn’t so simple.  We’re living in the time of user-generated content.  The users are in control.  The company no longer has complete control over the message.  You can, however, take some proactive steps to encourage reviews. 

1. Ask your best clients to write about their experiences with your company.  When someone loves the service/product you’ve provided, they’ll usually be happy to write a quick testimonial or review. 

2. Encourage folks to review.  If you sell products or services online, it’s OK to encourage the users to rate the product.  But don’t take my word for it, listen to iJustine (a YouTube “celebrity”).  At the end of her videos, she encourages the user to “give it five stars.” 

3. Get involved with social communities. Check out what people are saying about you on the Internet.  Take some time each day to review Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and any other social communities in which your customers participate.  Respond to people who are making comments.  If they say something wonderful, thank them.  If they say something horrible, listen to them and let them know that you care.  By paying attention to their praise, concerns and complaints some folks may be impressed enough to actively market for you.

4. Spread the word about your great reviews.  If you are lucky enough to get wonderful online reviews, it’s OK to brag just a little.  Make sure that your website has a testimonial page, and link from your site to the reviews online.  Reviews can be like yawns — when you see someone else do it, you want to do it, too!  The more reviews, the better!

If you have any questions about online reviews, don’t hesitate to contact us.  We’ll be happy to show you how to take your online reviews and turn them into profits!  (And, if you’re so inclined, leave a comment with a review  )