After evaluating several different websites in the past few weeks, I realized they all have a few things in common. I came up with a list of 5 missing links to your website.
Imagine if visitors fell in love with your site on their first visit. It happens! There are 3 blogs I visit regularly without an email, tweet, or Facebook status. While it has a lot to do with content, it also has a lot to do with the aesthetics of the site.
Wouldn’t it be great to know in advance what you can do to freshen up your website so you know exactly what to ask when hiring a web pro? Think of it as a website makeover and start planning what you want featured on your site.
Take a look at the 5 questions based on common missing links in a website.
- Is there a free offer?
- Do you own your site?
- Is your domain name user friendly?
- Do you have a Blog?
- Is your site one minded?
How does your site measure up? Continue reading as I explain the importance of each one.
I.
Own your own site.
You want to always be in control of your content and website. Are you using freeware for your site like Blogspot.com or WordPress.com? Not sure? Check your domain name. See my previous post on WordPress.org vs. WordPress.com
II.
Regular blog posts on your website.
Having a Blog on your website serves many purposes. Not only does it give visitors an opportunity to get to know you, how you think, and get a glimpse of what you know and what you provide. It also satisfies Google. Search engines see Blogs as fresh content.
There’s only so much that can be changed on a standard website from one day to the next. A Blog completely changes the game. It also is what can be used to keep your visitors coming back to your website again and again.
When I first mention a Blog to some business owners I hear “What will I talk about?”, “I don’t have the time”. The reality is you have lots of time to blog but fail to see where the time comes from. Can I ask you a few questions and keep in mind these are things I've already pondered myself? I just truly believe I'm not the only one.
Okay, here goes:
How often are you thinking about your business?
When you're thinking of your business what specifically are you thinking of?
Are you thinking of ways to make life better and more efficient for clients?
Are you thinking of how the latest tool you've just learned could really help your niche?
Are you thinking of how the last ENewsletter you read could really help those who follow you?
Have you ever stopped to think that these could all be relevant to your Blog?
Ah ah! Light bulb just went off hey? Thought so! You've got all the time in the world to blog.
Still in doubt?
You may be saying well, I don't like to write so blogging is not for me. Ha! WRONG. You don't have to have a written blog, it can be audio or video or you can even have someone transcribe it and write the blog from what you say.
Now are you with me?
If you still are unsure of what to say checkout the following sites that offer great content assistance that you can be repurposed for your Blog and/or ENewsletter.
EasyPLR
Special Report Club
III.
Having a friendly domain is super important because you want something that’s easy to remember.
How do you know if your domain name is friendly?
- No extra characters like a hyphen
- Keep it 3 words or less
- Can you say it easily without spelling it
- Does it end with something other than .com or .net? It’s okay to have .org, but you should also own .com even if you are a non-profit organization. You can have all of your domains redirecting to the .com domain
IV.
Having a free offer allows you to:
- Identify those who’ve stopped by
- Let’s you know who’s interested in learning more about what you have to offer
- Gives you permission to communicate with them on a regular basis
V.
Is it clear what you want someone visiting for the first time to do?
Your site should have One Mind, One Focus. If you are unclear guess what? A newcomer to your site feels the same way. They have no idea where to go except to the “X” on their screen. You don’t want that.
I used to sell Personal Preference Art in the early 2000s doing in home art shows. I would watch decorating shows on TV to get ideas for how to present my paintings and give my customers ideas on how they could use them in a room. One cardinal rule of decorating is to identify the focal point of the room. It could be a fireplace, TV, etc. When there’s a focal point in a room it should be clear. Same goes for your website.
Use this as your checklist and watch your visitors fall in love at first site!
