Is Your Website Ready for the New Economy?

​During the Corona crisis, many small business owners were forced to improve their remote order taking and delivery capabilities. In time, the market will recover, but the world has changed. More than ever, a strong online presence is the only way to move forward for many small business owners. Is your website up to the challenge?

Below are multiple recommendations small business owners should consider to increase their remote sales now, and when the economy finally recovers. Many of those recommendations are easy and free to implement. If money is tight, start with the low-cost options first.

By Alain Houle, Alco Web Design LLC

Is Your Website Ready for the New Economy?

​Website Content

Make sure your website content is up to date. The Corona crisis might have forced you to modify the products and services you offer, delivery methods, operating hours, etc. Up to date content will let your visitors know that you are open for business and can be trusted.

• Your PRODUCTS & SERVICES pages should provide detailed information about each product and service you offer, the benefits to your customers, and why potential customers should do business with your company vs your competitors. In addition to inform your visitors, the natural presence of your keywords and search terms on those pages will increase your Google rankings and traffic. These are the most important pages of your website.
• Your ABOUT US page should convince your visitors that you know what you do, are trustworthy, and bring value. Be personal, be human, be humble, but don’t be bashful. Including local references about your company and your customers helps Google understand your area of operation. Include your name, address, picture. Don’t hesitate to talk about the community activities you are involved with, honors you received, your expertise, your company, and what you bring to the table.
• Your HOME page should summarize the products and services you offer, who are your typical customers, and what kind of company you are. Save time by reusing material from your ABOUT US and PRODUCTS & SERVICES pages.
• Your TESTIMONIALS, GUARANTEE, and FAQ pages should support the message of expertise, honesty, and value that will convince visitors to contact you. Take the opportunity to display your expertise and add local content while answering common questions from your potential customers.
• Your CONTACT US page should let your visitors know your operating hours, where your business is located, and how to contact you.
• Your BLOG is an easy way to periodically get in touch with potential customers and convince them to come back to your website. You offer new products or services? You expanded your territory? You have new staff? Let the world know about what is new and exciting about your small business. Search engines love fresh content and blogging is an easy way to remind Google that your small business is alive and kicking.
• Websites with original content rank higher on the Google search results. Do not copy from your competitors and come up with your own text so you do better than they do.
• Coming up with the right text for your web pages is easier said than done. Most small business owners I work with are better at running their business than at writing about it. Record yourself when telling a friend or relative about your business. Work with your spouse, kids, friends, business partners and take advantage of their writing skills.
• Typos and spelling mistakes immediately label you as sloppy and not worthy to do business with. Make sure everything is perfect before going live.

​Security is a Big Deal

• Make sure your website is secure and cloud hosted on the servers of a reputable provider. Minimize usage of plugins, make sure they come from reliable providers and are up to date. Limit the collection of personal information from your customers and make sure the software on your office computers is up to date and includes a solid antivirus protection.

​Modern Look & Feel

• A visually appealing, easy to use, and fully functional website will convince Google and your potential customers about the seriousness of your small business. Make sure everything looks good and works well, including your internal and external links. Don’t forget your mobile visitors that account for about half of your traffic these days.
• Make it easy for your visitors to contact you. Your phone number and contact info should be easy to find on each page of your website.

​Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Having a website is pointless if nobody finds it. SEO is the art of bringing your website on top of the Google search results, so it can easily be found by potential customers.

• On-page SEO is the art of optimizing your web pages, so they are easy to understand and categorize by Google. It involves taking advantage of the invisible portions of your web pages with your keywords and search terms. It also involves making sure your keywords and search terms are present in the textual content of your web pages. Here is a little-known secret: Website content is the most critical step of a successful SEO effort.
• Off-page SEO are promotional activities designed to tell the world about an existing website and have little to do with the website itself. Examples of those activities are getting your business listed by internet directories, getting customer reviews, creating YouTube videos, participating in social medias, as well as purchasing online and conventional ads on TV, radio, and newspapers.

Alco Web Design LLC

Many small businesses are running slow right now. When is the last time you had time to think? Take advantage of this idle time to review your business priorities, your website, and your online marketing strategies so your business is stronger than ever when the market reopens. Alco Web Design specializes in small business website design and SEO. Don’t hesitate to contact us, we are always happy to help.