Business Tips From SCORE: A Finely Turned Website Leads To A Healthy Business. Here's How

Once your website is getting regular traffic, it is important to link your social media pages to your website so that your customers and potential customers can follow you. According to 20% of Hubspot respondents, customer feedback can be very effective. Potential clients need to trust you before they decide to work with you. Hopefully, a customer testimonial page can help you earn that trust.

Use your website to build trust by sharing your experience and track record with clients and customers. When you receive feedback, ask the customer for permission to use their real name. Real reviews from reputable companies and organizations mean a lot more than anonymous reviews or quotes from fictional people.

Case study pages should have a consistent and precise format and template for what problems the customer is facing, how your company solves them, and what processes you use to achieve those solutions.

Location information is very important for local SEO (Search Engine Optimization). 46% of all Google searches are for local content, which means that if your business isn't optimized for local search, you're missing out on potential customers looking for products or services in your geographic region. And our research shows that 26% believe that a company's physical location is a key component of an effective website.

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The pandemic has made many of us forget the existence of the physical world. Most brick-and-mortar businesses focus on customers in a specific geographic area. Fortunately, when many people search for a product or service, they include a location. Including information about your location will help your SEO strategy and help people unfamiliar with your area find your business.

For example, if you need a locksmith, you can search for "Locksmith in Maplewood, New Jersey." That's why you should use your location in page titles and other metadata, as well as in the text that appears on your website. If you serve multiple cities, consider creating a landing page on your website for each location to make navigation easier.

Live chat is an important element of any business website

According to 28% of respondents in a Hubspot survey of 285 US users, live chat is an important component of a successful website. Chatbots can't replace real people in customer service, but they are a good alternative for those who don't want to call or email and can learn about a service or ask a simple question. To meet your customers where they are and give them the feedback they need instantly, consider installing a live chat option on your website.

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Chatbots are easy to program and many don't even require coding. Artificial intelligence (AI) has made this feature more accessible to businesses of all sizes. In fact, many companies offer online chat as a simple plugin for your content management system (CMS) platform.

Another reason to consider a chatbot: 44% of online consumers say having a live person answer their questions while shopping online is one of the most important features a website can offer. 63% say they are more likely to return to a site if it offers live chat. 38% said they made a purchase because of the chat session itself, and 62% said they were more likely to make another purchase on the website. Twenty-seven percent of respondents said it is important to use original videos and images of your products and/or services on your website.

Customers love images, but they are tired of standard photos, especially of products or services. This is where real behind-the-scenes videos and photos can help.

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For example, if your business offers services such as landscaping or IT maintenance, show before and after photos of your work. If your service is more tangible, such as insurance or life coaching, show photos of your friendly staff and your belief system through visual aids. Or better yet, include a video. Videos where you explain your business goals are a great way to build trust with potential customers.

According to 10% of Hubspot respondents, newsletter subscriptions are a valuable component of a company's website. Offering your website visitors the opportunity to stay up-to-date with the latest news by signing up for blog posts, newsletters or product releases is a great way to stay in touch with potential customers and build customer and brand loyalty. By signing up, you can share your business information through email marketing and build your mailing list at the same time. Use this list to share information that customers and prospects will find useful if you have it.

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Your website is the gateway to your business and it takes time to build and maintain attention to welcome your next customer or new client.

Contributed by Mark L. Goldberg, SCORE Cape Cod & the Islands Certified Teacher. www.score.org/capecod, capecodscore@scorevolunteer.org, 508-775-4884. Source: SCORE Partner in Success Newsletter, February 2023, Vol. 4, issue 2. SCORE Southeast MA, www.sema.score.org.

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This article was originally published in the Cape Cod Times: POINTS: An optimized website can lead to business success. Here's how.

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