Last week I was talking with someone who was disappointed that they weren’t getting any leads from their new website.
Building a website and adding a lot of keywords is no longer the sum total amount of work there is to be done for your online presence.
Let’s talk about what else you can (and should!) be doing.
Be helpful
There are TONS of ways to be helpful online.
First, make sure your website answers any questions your clients and potential clients might have. I’m not just talking about you, your products and services (although that’s a great place to start) but also general questions related to your industry. For example, I have pages on my services, but I also offer helpful information about WordPress and websites on my blog.
Then, think about any questions you’ve been asked recently. Those questions and answers would be great posts! Has something changed in your industry that people should know about? Tell us! Have a satisfied customer? Get a testimonial to add to your site. What do you wish everyone knew? Let us know. (If you need other ideas, check out 5 fun and easy ways to find a topic for your next blog post.)
Search engines analyze the questions people search for. Does your site answer those questions best?
All of these ideas give people a reason to go to your site. Don’t forget to drive people there yourself. For example, the person who asked the question that you just answered on your blog. Send them a text or message with the link saying that you wrote the post just for them.
Optimize for SEO
Do your pages and posts have meta descriptions and titles? For pages, this is generally a one-time setting, but for each new post you write, make sure to take a few minutes to write and optimize those.
Heading tags are another way to optimize for SEO. The title of your page or post should be the only Heading 1 (H1) tag on the page. Break your content up with Heading 2 (H2) tags. If you have something specific to say about one of those headings, go into more detail with a Heading 3 (H3) tag.
If you’re linking text, don’t link the word here but rather text that describes where the link goes.
These are just a few tips for optimizing your content, but content isn’t the only thing that can be optimized. Don’t forget to check that your site is easy to use and navigate AND that it’s fast.
What’s actually happening?
You may think that no one is visiting your site or contacting you in the way you want, but does the data back that up?
Analytics
Take a look at your analytics. Don’t have analytics set up? Stop what you’re doing, sign up for Google Analytics and configure it on your site with a plugin.
Now, take a look at those analytics. (If you just set them up, you’ll need to wait a few weeks to gather some data.) What pages are people visiting? Are you getting views, but people are leaving quickly? Or are your views really low?
Once you know what’s happening, you can make changes accordingly. For example, if you have a page or post that gets a lot of views, consider writing more content like that. Or if people are visiting a specific page and then leaving, think about how you could keep them there longer.
Measuring engagement in other ways
What are you measuring engagement by? When someone fills out a contact form? (Don’t forget to check the forms now and again to make sure you’re getting the emails. You could also set up a zap that stores your form submissions to Google Sheets so you have a record over time.)
What if someone calls you? Are you tracking the event with Google Tag Manager? Or at the very least, are you asking where they found you?
What if they sign up for your newsletter or email list? (Don’t have one? Maybe it’s time.)
Take the total that’s happening — don’t just view one segment.
If you prefer that people contact you one way over another, consider tailoring your call to action that way. For example, if you want people to contact you via the website and NOT by phone, make those contact buttons clear and plentiful and your phone number small and out of the way. (Remember, though, even if your preferred method is for people to contact you via the form, some people would rather call you on the phone.)
To consider beyond your website
Social media
Are you on social media?
Are you active? Being active on social media doesn’t just mean posting links to your blog posts. Do that, for sure, but also share other, relevant content for your target audience. And engage! If someone asks a question, answer it! Follow hashtags. Be helpful (see above).
Are on the right social channels? I would define the right social channels to be the ones your target audience use. Is your target audience on Pinterest? Then you should be, too. Instagram? Go there instead.
Also, check out these helpful tools for social media management.
Other sites
Have you claimed your Google My Business listing?
Are you on Yelp? TripAdvisor? Are there any local websites where you show up? Or industry-specific pages?
Make sure all of that information is in sync. Are your hours consistent? The images you use? Is your phone number correct? And your website is linked, right?
Leads from other sources
Don’t discount word of mouth and referrals. If your goal is to get more business, word of mouth and referrals may actually be better than leads via your website.
I recommend tracking all of your leads and customers. Record the name, date and ask them where they heard from you. After awhile, you’ll be able to get a better picture of where exactly your leads are coming from.
Your website and online presence is ever evolving. Spend time writing, optimizing, engaging and tracking each month and you’ll start to see improvement. Need help? Don’t hesitate to reach out.
