You’ve heard the saying: first impressions are important.
Think about the lengths you go to in order to impress a prospective client on the first meeting. You show up on time, dressed and pressed, with your complete portfolio and a friendly smile on your face.
But have you ever considered that your REAL first impression takes place long before you ever come face-to-face with your clients?
Given how business has become increasingly digital, your website is likely the first experience many prospects have with your company. If this experience is negative, you might be losing clients before they even enter the door.
3 Mistakes Your Business Is Making Online
Want to increase online leads from your website? Here are three mistakes companies are making in the earliest stages of the game. Make sure you aren’t making them, too.
1. People can’t find your website in the first place.
Is your website fully optimized using the words and phrases that people use to search for your industry online? Not just the words you think they should be using, but the ones that they are actually using. If that sentence read like a bunch of gibberish to you, chances are you don’t have a working SEO strategy in place.
SEO is all about getting your website to rank higher for relevant searches—arguably the most important thing your website can do. Think back, when’s the last time you looked on the second page of a Google search? Possibly never. This is why having a strong SEO strategy is so critical to increasing online leads.
2. You’re giving the impression you don’t want to be bothered.
Companies may not have a sign on their website reading, “GO AWAY,” but when your contact information isn’t readily available or you don’t include a contact form, you might as well hang one up. Business name, address, phone number, and email: this basic information should be available on every page of your website—not just your “Contact Us” page.
It should also be on all your social media sites. This not only makes things easier for your clients, but for Google as well. Google? Why does Google want to know? Because it uses this information to rank your company in local searches! You want to make it clear to those reading your website that you are available, whether by phone or e-mail, to help them with their problems. Make them feel comfortable about contacting you.
3. You’re giving prospects an excuse to visit other websites.
Put as much relevant information as possible on your company’s website. Don’t leave out important details about your services and capabilities as a “hook” to get your prospects to contact you. Your website exists to provide information, not just as an advertisement spot on the web.
Let’s say a potential client comes to your website looking for an answer to a simple question, but all they find is a reference to the topic saying “call to learn more”. Do you think they’ll call? Probably not. They have the entire internet as a reference tool after all, why take up their valuable time chasing down an answer on the phone or through email?
Your clients are important to you. Let them know from the very beginning how much your company wants their business and values their time. Don’t make these early mistakes when dealing with prospects.
If you think your company could be doing more to increase online leads, but aren’t sure how to get started, we’d love to help you! Give one of our Digital Strategists a call at 419.629.0080 today and start generating more leads. 
