When did you launch you launch your current website? Some months ago, a couple of years? Has it been worth the money and the investment of your time? Do you even know?
When it comes to digital marketing there seems to be a widely held believe that a new website is the cure-all for lacklustre marketing results.
As someone with a strong tendency to be distracted by shiny new things, I totally get why the idea of a new website is so attractive. It symbolises a new chapter, a bright and more up-to-date look...new possibilities.
For sure, your site is a very important piece of your overall marketing puzzle, however a fancy schmanzy website is not by itself a strategy.
Right now (March 2020) there are some 2 billion sites and, with "just" 400 million of them being active, the internet is practically a wasteland of useless/inactive websites.
With so many sites out there, getting the right eyes on your site is challenging.
A shiny new homepage won't suddenly attract an influx of qualified buyers with their credit cards at the ready. Sorry to burst your bubble.
A new site is is not like a high street bricks and mortar that benefits from foot traffic nor is it a destination store with an incredible reputation that magically attracts qualified buyers from day one.
So what's the answer?
The moment you begin to focus on exactly the type of client you want to attract you're ready to transform the experience people have of your brand and conversions will follow.
Deep insight into "your ideal client's why" will become your north star in crafting an online experience that prospects and clients will find irresistible. It's like you built the experience just for them and...you did.
When you place your ideal client at the centre of your strategy you offer them a consistent positive experience with your brand across every channel whether that is your website, social media, email or any digital or offsite channel on which they engage with you.
In the words of Simon Sinek, "begin with why". Why does someone visit your site or your social media profile? Here's a hint; practically all search engine behaviour is driven by someone trying to solve a problem.
This question of "why?" will give you the outline for your website content plan.
What do you want your website to deliver for your business?
More often than not, business owners actually have never given much thought as to how they measure the effectiveness of their site. Would you continue to do something if it wasn't delivering a positive outcome? Without setting goals and keeping a close eye on your site's key performance indicators you won't make the most of your primary digital asset. The likelihood is that you're leaving money on the table.
There really is no excuse to not have an up-to-the-minute understanding as to how your site is performing. You can have visitor numbers, lead and customer conversions as well as email marketing metrics at your finger tips without needing to spend "an arm and a leg" on technology. What's more, most apps are very user friendly and so you don't need to be a tech or marketing nerd to get value from them.
So next time you begin thinking about a new website, please first consider what is lacking in your current site.
Have a think about what role your site plays in your overall marketing strategy and how does it need to contribute to your business goals. Does it need to deliver qualified leads? If so, how many qualified leads will you need to achieve your sales goal?
The really really good news
When you begin to think in terms of strategic outcomes you are likely to discover that launching a new site is not necessarily going to give you the biggest bang for your buck.
Chances are you will spend considerably less but see faster and stronger results from a strategy that's client focused and that turns anonymous visitors to your site into paying clients.
