When you consider creating a website for your business, one of the most important questions is usually the most neglected.

Your business aims.

And how your website can assist in achieving them aims.

We look at four simple concepts today and how your website can assist in achieving some simple customer-related goals.

Those are:

Branding & Awareness
Lead Generation
Customer Service
Aftersales & Customer Retention

Branding & Awareness

Establish your brand image.

Awareness of your business is the crucial first step in any sales process.

Although people may not be actively searching for your product now…

Awareness of your brand for when they are in the market for your product?

That’s golden.

Your website allows you to generate awareness around your brand.

When they are in the market for your service, if you build an effective brand, it is more likely you will be the first to their mind.

Let’s look at a few ways you can use your website to raise the awareness of your brand:

Posting company news on your blog (as you would on Facebook)
Define your business focus with your homepage
Creating pages for all services that you offer
Building localised pages for geographical targeting

Building your ‘brand’ is a difficult task for any small business.

You can start with the cliché things; logo, business cards.

Thinking about what separates you from the competition (unique selling point).

Then there are other things to consider, such as:

Audience definition and buyer personas
Establishing yourself as an authority in a niche market to become the leader in the field (locally or nationally)
Features vs benefits of your product/service and how to portray that to your customers,
Brand positioning to clearly define a segmented target audience.

Your website should be part of your branding process.

Once you have positioned yourself in the market, defined your business and focus to your target audience, your website becomes a resources that assist in becoming more recognisable.

That’s how we get to the next step.

That’s how we start getting more customers.

Lead Generation

You want more sales.

You believe a website will assist in the sales process.

That makes sense to anyone.

Ways to use your website for lead generation:

Localised pages for familiarity and search engine results
Pay-per-click advertising (Google Adwords)
Create retargeting advertisements that retargets website visitors on their device (such as Facebook Pixel)
Update website based on data and customer behaviour gathered from analytics

Generating leads is part of any marketing and sales process.

There are some guidance we have to make sure your website generate sales-qualified leads:

Clear call-to-action within into the content on your website
Mobile optimisation and ‘call us’ button
Ensure you define your target audience with our homepage
Establish your search engine presence, with keyword targeting and a well designed website

Your website is a multi-faceted tool.

You should have all the information on there, that allows your customer to make a purchasing decision…

And pick up the phone.

Not only that, you may have multiple steps on the decision making process when it comes to closing a sale with your customer…

That’s why you want to think about the separate ways you will be utilising your website, for not only sales but long-term customer satisfaction.

Customer Service

Providing the information your customers need to remain engaged with your brand through the sales process.

This may mean utilising the website in the consultation process.

From directing customers there to answer common questions, to displaying your portfolio of work across your work for your company to reference.

Ways to use your website for customer service:

Publish content that persuades customers
Easy-to-use navigation across the website to direct customers to relevant pages
Create landing pages that assist you in the consultation process

Marketing is about creating resources that assist in your sales process.

They make it easier for you to sell your service (or product) to your customers.

It is not always convenient to arrange face to face ‘consultation.’

Physical sales material (brochures, etc) can be replaced with a link to your website.

Not only that, it can allow us to retain customers for the long-term and create more thorough ‘resources’ for our customers, in order to retain their business over the long-term.

Aftersales & Customer Retention

By publishing frequent content, you encourage your customers to continue to engage with your brand.

Even after your work has been complete.

You are at the forefront of their mind.

That helps when they need your service again.

Or when their friend asks for a recommendation.

That can be a crucial step in your marketing efforts in the age of social media.

Ways to use your website for customer retention and referrals:

Develop a ‘customer resources’ section to your website.
Advertise your website on your posts in social media.
Display your website on your company vehicle, business cards and branding.
Continue to update your website with relevant information to your audience (local news, tips, advice, business practices, guides)

Ensuring that you update your website and establish this as your business aim, it can be a wonderful tool.

And it can really assist in your business growth.

Retaining customers, referrals and repeat business.

What would that do for you?

When people visit your website…

You control the narrative.

You are able to give them the answers to the questions your customers may have.

And then go on to make the sale.

You are able to clearly define your target audience.

Saving your time on the phone with unqualified leads.

You attract the right attention.

Allowing you to grow your business in alignment with your goals.