When you see statistics that don’t make sense, it warrants additional investigation. The companies without websites say they don’t see a need. They generally have excuses like “I am not a web-based business” or “I don’t have time to maintain it.” These excuses might have been valid twenty years ago, but not today. Customers are using the internet to search for your business.
There are other reasons cited by these business owners:
Cost. 26 percent of the businesses without a site mentioned price being a significant factor. Note: I built my website for $350 using Upwork and a developer in Sri Lanka.
Local business. Some business owners think because they are local, or have one location, they don’t need a website. Keep this in mind: 90 percent of consumers search online before they go to your business (even if it’s a local business).
Social media. Some CEOs think social media has them covered. Facebook might be an excellent tool to connect to your audience, but do you want to give them control over your customer base? I don’t think so.
Why You Need a Website
I understand these arguments, but I still contend you need a website. Think of your website as the hub of all your marketing efforts. I have a feeling that business owners without a website won’t be reading a book on marketing. If you are, here are some more reasons to start building your site right now:
Your brand. A website gives your business an image of authenticity. You want your brand to convey a positive, innovative, inclusive, and forward-thinking company.
Control. There are three types of traffic: 1) traffic you control, 2) traffic you don’t control, and 3) traffic you own. Your goal is to own all the traffic you can. How can you do this without a website?
Your customers. Yes, your customers are online. 97 percent of consumers search online for products and services, and more than half of these searches are local. Customers generally find you online before they go to your location. They want a central place where they can proactively learn about your business.
It’s not hard nor expensive. As I mentioned above, you can have a decent website for less than $400. You can also learn how to edit your website yourself. There are companies like Wix, GoDaddy, Weebly, Squarespace, and many more that can help.
Insights. One of the fundamental principles of Lean Marketing is measuring results. A website provides valuable insights that help you measure and track the success of your various marketing efforts.
Time. A website saves you time. Just think about all the questions you’re asked by your customers and prospects. By addressing these questions on your website, you help potential customers make a purchase decision and save time that you’d spend answering the same questions over and over again.
Mistake #12
Not Having A Good Website
You’ve got a website, so that’s the first step. But is it a good website? There are a lot of bad ones out there. Here are the problems I see most often. I have to plead guilty to making several of these myself:
No calls-to-action (CTAs). In Lean Marketing, owning your traffic is one of the fundamental principles, and you need a name and address to do this. Offer your visitor a newsletter sign-up, downloads of free information, or “request a quote” forms. I like to have CTAs on every web page. It also helps to have your contact information featured prominently.
Poor design. Mistakes often happen when you try to design the site yourself using a hosted solution like Wix or Weebly.
If your site looks like some throwback to the early days of the internet, it’s probably time to update.
Not mobile-friendly. Since most searches are on phones, a mobile-friendly site is essential. Most visitors assume that your website will work on their phones. If it doesn’t, they’ll leave and go to your competitors’ sites.
Outdated content. Regularly updating your site can be frustrating for many small business owners. It’s also bad when you have vague content like being “a leading provider of business solutions.” Try specifying your target customer, so they know they’ve come to the right place.
No analytics. Without performance metrics, you can’t track your progress and make revisions. Free tools like Google Analytics can help you do this. Unresolved problems on your site will only get worse over time.
Poor SEO. You need all the help you can get when it comes to getting found on the internet. 26 percent of businesses like yours can’t be found online and have a page rank of zero.
Bad logos and branding. Nothing detracts from a good site like a bad logo. If your uncle created your logo for free, it could be hurting your business. It doesn’t cost that much to redo. There are many good logo designers on 7Upwork.com.
Slow site. Even if you have a gorgeous website, it won’t rank high with Google if it takes too long to load. It’s one of the most critical factors for page ranking. Consider the speeds when you’re choosing a hosting platform. Cheap hosting is usually slow hosting.
No social links. Social sharing is a vital component of any digital marketing strategy. So, make it easy for your customers to share their experiences. Why do 91 percent of all sites lack Facebook widgets?
No support. Almost 1/3 of small business owners maintain their websites. If you’re like me, it’s easy to neglect critical functions and keep the content fresh. By going to professionals, you can easily prevent many of the technical glitches and have regular website updates.
7 www.upwork.com
Mistake #13
Not Treating Your Suppliers Like Customers
I learned a precious lesson in my first company, Bullseye Database Marketing, and that was the importance of suppliers. At the time, the conventional approach was to treat suppliers with a heavy hand. Instead, I took them on sales calls, got their input on our production process, and even invited them to our Christmas parties.
In this book, I often refer to the benefits of outsourcing, so it only makes sense that I discuss how to manage these relationships. You need excellent and reliable suppliers. And, when you find them, treat them the way you’d like to be treated. It’s essential in marketing because you’re likely to have many suppliers. Treat your suppliers more like business partners and less like “vendors.”
Approaches to Suppliers
One goal with suppliers is to get assistance and buy-in on the operations of your business - as you do with employees. It may involve a complete change of perspective for some business owners.
There are two philosophies on how you deal with suppliers:
Reactive approach. Managing supplier relationships is to confront them when something goes wrong. This approach wastes a lot of time and resources.
Strategic approach. The strategic approach calls for a change in mindset – your suppliers are viewed as partners and are vital to the success of your business. They even help with your strategy because they are so much a part of your business.
Suppliers can make or break your business. They impact the quality of your product or service, the timeliness of deliveries, your competitiveness, and can even be a source of great referrals.
How to Manage Your