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Legit website communications >> 07.09.2010, 15:01

Recession proof your website

The economic downturn provides businesses with the ideal opportunity to put their 'houses' in order, by exploring new avenues for achieving efficiencies to boost net profit.

Did you know that a simple overhaul of your website can reduce your cost per (customer) acquisition and increase your conversion rate?

A successful website pays for itself. To be successful and profitable, a website requires constant review and modification to meet the demands of a changing environment. So what about your website? Is it generating the right type and amount of enquiries? Are those enquiries being converted into sales?

We aim to show you how a simple 'spring clean'/overhaul of your website can help you to maintain and grow your net profit during the economic downturn.

Update your website's code for optimum performance

Simple technical improvements to your site, such as deleting code clutter will result in:

  • An improvement in your search engine rankings
  • Your website being accessible to the majority of users
  • Consistency of design and content
  • Ease of navigation
  • Reduction in bounce rates (rate at which visitors leave your site after visiting a single page only)
  • Repeat visits

Fine-tune your user's experience

Fine-tune your user's experience by optimising your website's design and usability. Demonstrating consistency in design and content, as well as regular signposting will reassure your visitor and encourage positive interest in your company and its products/services. Statistics show that visitors are more likely to return to a website on the basis of:

  • Quality of content. Is it easy to read, understand and most importantly, is it relevant?
  • Ease of use
  • Speed of downloads
  • Frequency of updates
  • Incentives
  • Ease of interaction
  • Web Forms
  • Email
  • Discussion communities
  • Levels of web self service (think on-line banking)

Overhaul your content

During a recession, customers will be conscious of expenditure, so marketing messages need to be clear and concise. Make sure your copy communicates the right messages as well as attracting good search engine rankings. Think about re-organising your site content and images; add extra images, extra site pages where necessary.

Add new features to increase sales

You can encourage trust in your company/products by introducing interactive features such as rotating customer feedback.

Search engine optimisation

How does your site rank in search engines? Are you happy with your ranking? How well does your competition perform? An increase in the position of your company/products in search engine rankings requires a structured plan. Strategies to consider include:

  • Key phrase analysis
  • Optimisation of your web content*
  • Strategic link building
  • Streamlining of on and offline marketing communications
  • Website performance analysis

* A tip for online copywriters: Although it is important to optimise your keywords for search engine rankings, care must be taken that you do not dilute your marketing messages. At the end of the day the aim of your website is to sell to your customers, not to the search engines.

Compliance with latest Internet regulations

Check to see whether your site complies with the latest Internet regulations, such as the Distance Selling Regulations and Ecommerce Regulations. The regulations aim to boost consumer confidence by streamlining the rules of on-line business throughout Europe. Also, you should ensure that your site follows best practice in matters of Internet privacy. You should make it clear to your visitor how you intend to manage the disclosure of personal information, and whether or not you intend to pass personal information onto third parties.

Revisit your online marketing strategies

Revisit your online marketing strategies to ensure that they take into account the current market conditions. Think about fresh ideas to boost online traffic by raising awareness of your business and website. Think about how you use your website to add user value and thus increase customer loyalty.

The web changes on a daily basis. To keep your website successful it is necessary to adapt it to evolving technologies, user requirements, search engines and legislation. In the current economic climate it makes sense to consult an expert. A small investment can make a considerable positive impact on future business.

Contact Us

You can contact Metastar for a review/overhaul of your website. We hope you have found this article useful and that the tips offered add value to your business. Please do let us know if you have any experiences that you would like to share and/or get advice for.

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