Secrets of a Successful Website

Have you ever watched the show Flip or Flop on HGTV? The show has two professional house flippers who make a living finding homes, buying them quickly, rehabbing them, and then putting them back on the market with the hope of a big profit. I feel like there should be an Internet version of this, where we redo websites and hope to make a big profit. Of course, website success isn’t measured in a big sale once it’s launched, it’s measured in traffic, conversions, possibly online sales. But I feel like the Flip or Flop model could be applied to websites.

So what does make a website successful?

Here is my top list of things that the best websites do well.

1. They have a clear message.

   If I land on your website and I’m not sure what you do, then you’re already losing. So many websites try to be everything to everyone and cover all their bases. If your custom home building website also sells mattresses, then you have a problem with defining your message. Yes, homes frequently need mattresses, but someone looking for a custom home builder is probably not also looking for mattresses at the same time. That’s not saying that can’t happen, or that a home builder can’t also sell mattresses, but it’s a distraction on your website. It’s out of place. And it dilutes your message.

2. They understand their target audience.

   One of the first questions I ask clients is who is their target audience. And plenty of times, I get the answer “everyone!” And while we’d all like to think that everyone is going to love what we offer, that’s not typically the case. Your product or service probably has a demographic that has a higher percentage of sales and interest than another. For example, if you sell baby toys, your audience isn’t babies. Your audience is mostly moms. You want your website to appeal to moms. Now, that’s not to say that dads can’t or won’t buy your product, and that’s not to say that grandparents won’t either. By target audience, what we mean is the demographic of people who are most likely to have an interest in what you are offering. So yes, everyone is welcome to shop or hire you for services, but there’s probably a group that’s most likely to do it, and that’s the group we want to focus on tailoring a website for.

3. They don’t look homemade.

   I get it, you can login to a dozen DIY website builders and make your own website for pennies on the dollar. You’ll save a ton of money if you do that. But making your own website almost always looks like you made your own website. (Kinda like when your mom gave you a haircut as a kid instead of taking you somewhere? It’s just not the same as having a pro do it. Somewhere I have a photo of a me sporting the perm my mom gave me. It’s not good.) Having a professional web design makes your company look legit. It builds credibility. It shows you have taken the time, and put the thought and expense into having it done right and done well.

4. They have measurable goals.

   How do you know if your website is working? Well, if you don’t have goals, then you don’t know. How will you measure those goals? Having a measurable goal helps ensure that your website is doing what you want it to do. It could be an increase in traffic (as measured by Google Analytics), online sales, newsletter subscriptions, submissions on a quote form, phone calls, or a change in the search engine rankings. It can vary depending on your industry and your goals, but the first step is to have a goal for your website, and the second step is a way to measure it.

5. They are updated frequently.

   Websites should no longer be ‘set it and forget it.’ If you want your website to work for you, then you have to work it too. Frequent updates show your users that you care about their online experience. Do you have news, events, or specials? Those should be on your website. You should also be watching your goals to see what your site could be doing better and make changes to improve. Are people not submitting your form? Why not? Make changes and tweaks to adjust until you start getting the results you want.

Having a website online in 2018 is not enough. It needs to have strategy, plans, goals and action in addition to being professionally designed and managed. There’s a difference between having a website and having a successful website. Which one do you want?