In this digital age of marketing, it is paramount that your business has a website.  In fact, 92% of business owners believe that having a website is the most effective digital marketing strategy. (fundera.com)  Luckily, designing a website has become a lot easier than it used to be.  You no longer need to know html coding thanks to user friendly hosting sites like Squarespace, Wix, or WordPress to name a few.

So if you’re ready to build your own website or want to refresh your current site, I’ll list five things your website should include.  But first, it’s important to put yourself in the shoes of your customer.

When a potential customer visits your site, they’re asking:
What do you offer?
How will it make my life better?
How do I buy it?

Does your website communicate this simply and clearly?  If not, here are the five things to include on your home page:

1. Header – Towards the top of your home page you need a header statement that explains what you offer. Be clear.  Use simple language.  Don’t talk about yourself.
2. Call to Action – Your call to action is what you want your customer to do, i.e. Schedule Now, Order Now, Join Now, Download Here. This should be a larger different color button in the top right of your site.  You may also repeat again on the header. (see photo below for example)
3. Failure – Tell me what bad thing will happen if I don’t buy from you or explain what problem you solve. For example, if my business serviced septic tanks, I’d say “It’s no fun having sewage backing up into your house. Get your septic tank regularly inspected….”
4. Reward – Tell me what great thing will happen if I buy your product. For example, if you sell online photography courses, say something like “Are you ready to take photos that you can brag about?”  How can your product help your customer “survive and thrive?”  Use simple language to spell out the value and benefits if you buy our product.
5. Plan – your website should spell out a plan. Make it look really easy to do business with you by giving three steps, then ask for the sale. For example, if you’re a marketing consultant, say

Step 1. We will analyze your goals together.

Step 2. I’m going to give you a custom strategy.

Step 3. I’m going to help you execute your strategy so you see results.

Once you have these five items on your home page, then you can include the other stuff on separate pages like Contact Us, About, FAQ, etc.  If you would like more marketing advice or help from one our professional website developers, please reach out to dauconsulting@gmail.com.