10 Tips to Improve Your Online Business

I’m not a mind reader, but I’ll bet you’d like to know a quick way to get more leads and sales using the Internet. I regularly consult entrepreneurs who want to improve their online content marketing strategies. The following 10 tips will instantly improve your online business. They’re listed from the easiest quick fixes to activities that will take a bit more time.
 

Quick Fixes

1. Link to your site from your social media pages
 Make it easy for people to learn more about your business by sending them to your website. Even if they want to learn more, people won’t search way down your Facebook page for a link to your site. So put it front and center. Fill out the biography or “about” section on each of your social media profiles. Always include a link back to your website in the topmost section. Make sure the link isn’t cut off from view once you hit publish.

2. You’re so clever, but don’t be
 People who are looking for your “About” page won’t click on your “Familiarize” navigation link. Clever is usually not clear, and clarity is the first rule of writing for your business. Less confusion = more conversion. Go change any navigation links on your website that aren’t clearly specific to the page topic.

3. Always end with a call to action
 Ask your readers to take the action you want, and you’ll see more results. This is the logic behind the CTA, or call to action. Example CTAs are “Join our list,” and “Email me to inquire.” But don’t stop at the CTA. It’s important to also include a reason why your reader should act, also known as a value proposition. An example value proposition combined with a CTA is “Join our list to enjoy exclusive members only savings.” (Refer to No. 6 for more on this.)

4. Make it easy to contact you
 Have a “contact” link in your top navigation. List your phone number and business hours. If you use a contact form, test it once in a while to be sure it’s still working properly. You might also include your mailing address and a map to your office if you do in-house consultations.

5. Get more traffic to your website by building backlinks
 There are many ways to build backlinks, but one of the simplest techniques is to submit your articles to blog directories. When your website is approved by the directory, you’ll be listed under the category you blog about. Your profile will include links and titles to your most recent blog posts.  A few blog directories to submit to include Technorati, Blog Catalog and Alltop, to name a few.

Invest Some Time

6. Get business clarity
 Know who you serve, what value you offer and how. This is the first step to successfully selling your offerings. If you’re not clear, your potential customer won’t be either. A confused lead is a lost lead. When you know what you’re marketing, you’ll offer leads the information they need to make an informed decision.
7. Know your value proposition
 Simply put, a value proposition answers the reason “why” for your leads. Why would they want to hire you? Why should they join your email list? Why should they take you up on your complimentary consultation? An example value proposition is as follows: I (do X) for (target market) so that they (accomplish Y). Always include a value proposition when writing about your services or when asking readers to take a specific action.

8. Prioritize building your list
 Ideally, the goal of most of your web pages will be to entice leads to join your newsletter list. Most people will join your list because they’re interested in your services and want to learn more about your business. In some cases, your new lead to conversion time could be as little as 7 business days, or it could take months. Either way, email marketing does work. Fifty-nine percent of B2B marketers say email is their most effective channel in generating revenue. Learn more about newsletter marketing in my blog post, “Newsletter Content to Cash.”

9. Publish YouTube videos to drive traffic to your website
 Introduce yourself and what you do. Address a problem your prospects likely have. Present a solution to the problem. Then, direct viewers back to your website to get more information. Ideally, you’ll send them to a landing page where they’ll opt in to your leads list. Here’s an example of a landing page.

10. Make your content scannableReaders can decide to leave your web page in 3 seconds flat. Entice them to stay by organizing your content into scannable segments. Use headers, subheaders and bold text. Also, use columns if your website theme allows. If you’re not sure how to make your website more appealing, hire a graphic designer to consult you and/or to design graphic elements that will streamline the look of your site.