We all have friends who love to recommend websites. Every time they stumble upon a site they like, they share it on Twitter or post it on their Facebook wall. If they like a blog post, they’ll share a link to it – but – if they like the overall look or theme, they’ll add “cool site for women!” or “great, great articles on leadership!” or some other specific attribute that they favor.
Such is the power of a great-looking and content-rich site. No wonder sales and marketing people spend much time and money creating the best possible website to get attention, to sell, to influence, to move people to action.
Your Homepage – where it begins
Look at your homepage. Does it clearly communicate what your company does? Without having to go through the other pages of your site, can people tell what you’re all about and what they can get from you?
Some people think that a value proposition is a mere line or two on your website or marketing materials. Of course, a value prop is much more. And a website is more than just a brochure online. It is the face of any business, and it is where you can emphasize your competitive advantage and your value proposition.
Evaluating your site
Whenever you come across a new website for the first time, what’s the first thing you notice? Is it the design? The list of articles? The banner ads?
Ask any sales or marketing person, and they’ll tell you how valuable a website is to a business. If you evaluate your site, or ask people to evaluate it for you, what do the results tell you? Does your site need a makeover? Is your design too bright or too dull? Is it difficult to navigate? Is your Web copy or blog content boring?
- You want people talking about your site, and your products and/or services.
- You want them telling their friends and family about it.
- You want good word of mouth to spread naturally and eventually, you want your target market to buy.
Take a serious look at your website today, and determine if it’s helping drive your business’ success and is it doing a good job telling the world about your value proposition – the what and why your offerings matter.
