3 Ways to not get Spun by the Web!
Sudarshan S
Founder Director and CEO - Communications & Marketing at Prognosys Marcom Services Pvt. Ltd
Are you wondering as to why one is advocating a website in 2020? This is almost like a checklist, whether for individuals, or companies to even audit their current structure, or a guide for those who are planning to have one. One is either overflowing with ideas about the website that has to be created or redesigned, or has no idea. This will serve as a thought trigger!
There are adequate sites that allow you to start a free website, but the challenge is what to include as content beyond the standard photograph of the individual and/or products and services. Most of the sites now give what is called as a mobile friendly version. While you may speak to a web consultant who would put together your dream website, this serves in briefing them better.
Individuals or Professionals can look at a simple Basic 3 or a Standard 5, while businesses could consider including sections of Optional Web Content as an addition to the normal. Depending on your needs, one can even enable a e-commerce site with a payment gateway, at a cost,
BASIC `3’
For a start you need to worry about only three pages.
1. Home Page / About Us
2. Our Offering / Product / Service
3. Contact Us
STANDARD `5’
1. Home Page
2. About Us
3. Product / Service
4. Engage with Us / How It Works
5. Contact Us
HOME PAGE
Think of this section as a Tweet about your company and think how you can introduce yourself as a company in 280 characters. Keep in mind that you will be demonstrating your value to customers by showing how you can improve their lives or their businesses, by sharing with them the benefits of working with you.
THE ABOUT US PAGE
To begin with, you are going to write a short paragraph about your company, with at least three sentences. Write about your company, your history, your mission, founding entrepreneurs, and even your team. The more formal language on this page lends a little bit more credibility to the story about you. This style has also become something of a Web page standard.
OUR OFFERINGS - PRODUCTS / SERVICES
While describing your products and services that you sell, here is where you get to show off your best items-with descriptions, photos, and pricing (optional). A good rule is: one paragraph = one topic.
ENGAGE WITH US / THE HOW-IT-WORKS PAGE
Make it clear for how they can order and how you will help them. Explain the set of steps that happens after your customer decides to purchase your product or service. Your objective is also to clear the apprehensions in the minds of the customers. This also helps to refute any hesitation or doubt that they may be having.
THE CONTACT US PAGE+MAP
This page will tell them how to contact you-to ask questions, place an order, or simply get more information. But this is when the customer has read through your Web site and get excited about your products and services, Get the buyer to take action, using a call-to-action statement. Provide the right contact information to reach you. You can include a map to reach your location, and publish it on your Contact Us page, along with directions; and include on your Web site.
THE CALL-TO-ACTION STATEMENT
A good call-to-action will create a sense of urgency in potential customers, spurring them to act now. Ideally, if you are selling products, the next action would be to place an order. If you are a service business, it would be to contact you to schedule an initial appointment, survey, review, or analysis-whatever is the next step in your sales process.
OPTIONAL WEB CONTENT
Providing these optional “extras” avoids overwhelming regular readers, while enabling you to provide extra value for your most interested audience members, and add unique features to your website.
Success Stories Page
A simple sentence where you describe the customer's problem, describe how you solved the problem with your product or service, and the overall positive benefit or gain for the customer, thanks to your solution.
Testimonials Page
This is almost an alternative to the Success Stories page. Here you can ask the customers to provide you with short quote commenting on their positive experience in working with your product / services / business.
Media / Press Page
You have to do things that brings your customers back to your Web site, over and over again! Keep updating this section to include press releases and articles about your company, your industry and business.
A Career Opportunities Page
All you need to include for each job listing is a job title, a short description, and a preferred method of contact for prospective employees. Give you a direct link to receive candidates' resumes through e-mail, or on the Web site itself.
A Portfolio or Sample Page
All you need for a good portfolio or sample page is three to five samples of your work in different areas. You can show the whole document, a picture of a project, or a piece of the work itself. A short description of the project is also nice to include. If you do work for other businesses, it is a nice touch to include links directly to the customer's Web site as well.
Executive Bio Page
It typically includes work experience, business experience, association memberships, academic degrees, photograph (optional) and any special achievements of your, or key personnel that may be important to inspire confidence in a potential customer.
A Company History Page
You can combine your company history with the About Us page. If you have only one or two short paragraphs to add, there is no reason to create a special page just for the history. More in-depth than the simple company overview that you wrote for the About Us page.
Social Media Plugins
Adding social media links on your website helps you grow your followers, and also be able to achieve other goals and objectives by featuring your social media accounts on your website. It is important to ensure that you are not having ghost towns and your social media sites are having adequate updated content. The goal is to achieve top-of-mind awareness, and convert them further down the road.
Downloads / Bonus Content Section
There are many types of downloadable content, including: Infographs, Printables, Audio/video recordings, White papers, Step-by-step guides, etc., Creating downloadable content for your website takes time and effort. Its addition to your site enables you to delve further into key topics, and ensures that your audience is getting the most value possible
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