Your web site is alive, or is it?

As we have started building web sites for local businesses, one of my request and really my only demand of them is that they keep the site fresh and fun. If they don't care about it, then why should their friends, customers or clients. The simple answer is they won't. People might visit once and go away never to return. Take a look at the tips included in the report below and add some of your own:

Strengthen Your Website to Woo More Clients
A closeup of a website. You have your website up and running because you were told that every viable business has gotta have one. Now what do you do with it? There are just a few easy and inexpensive things you can do to strengthen your website and woo more clients. Here are seven:
1. Personalize Many business sites are sterile and impersonal. That often intimidates and overwhelms users. They’re more likely to request your services if they feel a genuine connection with you, and that can happen when you personalize your website. I once called a plumber blind simply because the owner had a picture of himself and his son in the yellow pages. The picture drew me to his business more than anything else about the ad. In the ‘about us’ section consider adding pictures of you, your family, and your staff. Also write a fun and interesting bio that will allow potential clients to get a taste of your friendly personality.

2. Vocalize Adding a podcast to your website is a nice way to personalize the site by allowing visitors to hear you speak. Fairly easy and inexpensive to create, a podcast is an audio recording that can communicate the emotion that is often lost in promotional text. It allows the listener to better connect with you and your business. And all you need to create a podcast are a microphone, a digital recorder, and some editing software.

3. Relate Let visitors know that you understand their concerns and can relate to them on some level. This comes in knowing your target audience and being able to communicate how your services can benefit their lives in some way.

4. Teach People love free stuff. Provide information that can help your current and potential clients. This can be accomplished in a number of ways: offer a free newsletter that provides helpful information about your product or service; provide links that will give them even more valuable information. Your website then becomes educational and not just promotional. This increases its value to visitors and they will come to use your site as a reference; when they actually need the help of your type of service, you’ll be the first one they think of.

5. Respond When someone comes to you through your website (and other means) you must respond as quickly as possible. Waiting too long communicates disregard and may turn potential clients away. Even if they’re asking a simple question that may never lead to even one billable hour, this is a potential client who should be given the same high level of customer service you provide all your contacts.

6. Keep in touch One of the most valuable things you can get from your website is contact information. Once someone comes to you through your website you should keep in touch with that individual. Be friendly and low pressure. Send email updates, call to see if you can help them with anything else, or give him/her promotional offers.

7. Outshine the competition Your website should be better than anything else your local target market can find. This means you must find out what the competition’s websites look like. Go through the yellow pages, do a web search, or look for URL’s on business cards. Once you find those websites take inventory of what you need to improve on or add to your own.

Good Luck! from
Terri Barnes Bryant