If you’ve just started your business in a trade, and are wondering why you’re struggling with leads, then we may have the answer for you…
The importance of good web design is often underrated. If you have a website but aren’t leveraging its full potential, then keep reading.
The latest Digital 2019 Report stated that consumers are spending on average 6 hours online per day.
For you, as a business owner, that is six hours a day to reach your ideal client.
Your site should be earning leads from at least 3% of your visitors.
So if you’re getting website traffic but no leads, then there’s a reason they moving off the page.
Let’s take a look at some strategies you can use to help your website generate more leads.
Your website doesn’t have a clear call to action.
A call to action is a button or graphic that guides the user to the next step.
For example, a “BOOK NOW” button is telling the user to make a booking.
Other examples include free downloads, free trials, subscribe now, donate now etc.
Having several calls to actions throughout the site is a critical way to convert your visitor. It should be clear, and after a few seconds of landing on the website, the user should be able to find it easily.
Action tip:
Check your site.
If the call to action is challenging to find, and can’t be found within 4 seconds of entering the site, then you could be losing leads from this.
Highlight it, make the font more prominent, and move it to the top of the page.
Your website doesn’t feel like a human is behind it.
I see this all of the time.
As I am perusing through the website and it feels fake.
Too many stock photos and generic copy leaves a website feeling like robots made it. Real imagery and stories throughout your site will help give it a personalised feel.
Custom graphics and excellent website design will also add to this.
There are so many out-of-the-box templates floating around the world wide web, and consumers are onto this.
We can pick a premade template from a mile away! So consider your website design carefully and pay attention to the finer details on your site.
Because consumers want to work with brands they trust, and if your website doesn’t communicate trust, then you won’t capture leads.
Action step:
Add company videos to the site, custom graphics and imagery that represents your brand.
If you’re using stock photography, use images that are unique and don’t look fake.
Pay attention to your website design, if you’re using a prebuilt template that’s all over the web, consider changing it up to look unique to your brand.
Ensure your copy speaks directly to your target audience in the tone you would talk to them. Use words that will resonate with them, not isolate them.
Your website isn’t guiding your audience.
When someone visits your website, it’s up to the website to guide them through the process.
If the user journey hasn’t been considered, then it’s likely the audience will get lost in the site and lose track of where they need to go.
The ultimate end goal of a website is conversion, and capturing your visitor’s information.
So every page should lead them to this final step.
Action step:
Go through the flow/user journey of your site.
Where does each page lead you? How are you guiding the visitor? And does each page have a call to action to conversion?
There is no blog and SEO is lacking.
Long-form blogs are a vital way to help your website rank on Google.
Google prioritises regular content added to websites.
It also shows visitors that your site is still in use and not gathering “digital dust”.
Adding a blog to your site will also help educate your audience and provide value.
The traffic that comes through from your blog will act as a lead-qualifier. If the content is relevant and provides them with value, it will also build trust.
Action step:
Add content regularly to your site to help with your search engine optimisation, and qualify your leads.
Your website looks generic.
Again, going back to point two, where we spoke about humanising your brand.
If your website looks generic or messy, this removes an element of trust.
Stay away from templated content and go for custom, visual design.
Get a website designer involved to make your site look unique and tidy. Don’t sacrifice poor design for the sake of saving money or doing it yourself.
Action step:
Get a web designer to:
- A) Audit your current site.
- B) Customise it to you.
- C) Redesign your site.
This will make all the difference when it comes to displaying a professional and tidy appearance to your audience.
There’s no bonus for the visitor.
When arriving on a website, often we are greeted with a freebie.
This helps retain the visitor by giving them a free trial, sample or discount off their first order.
This is a simple way to help your visitor to further learn about your business.
Action step:
As a tradesperson, you could offer a discount off their first booking or an information pack on how to save money in electricity (for example).
Figure out what your visitor is looking for, and add value by offering a freebie around this.
Create a pop up that will display a few seconds after the visitor lands on your website.
Your competitor’s site is better.
Okay, so when a customer is searching for “Gasfitter in North Brisbane”, they’re going to be visiting a few different websites.
This will leave you in direct comparison with your competitor’s site.
So take a look at what other tradespeople are doing on their sites and keep on working on yours!
If your website doesn’t have a professional or clear explanation of what you do, you’ll likely lose the client to your competitor.
Action step:
Research other websites and see how other businesses are bringing in customers. It’s even worth getting design inspiration from other industry’s outside of yours. Because good design has no bounds.
Now tell me…
Which step are you going to take first?
If you’re thinking about implementing some of these changes but don’t know where to start?
I can help take the pressure off.
Get your free website audit here.
Simply let me know when enquiring that you saw this post.
