Revisiting Your Online Storefront
Faith Manning
Customer Success Officer
(Non-Technical Talk About Websites and CX)
Is This You?
In the excitement of getting “something” online for your business, you launched a new website despite a few hanging, incomplete sections. That’s no worry because you’ll get to it in a week and finish up, right? And in a couple of month’s you’ll hop online and figure out adding that eCommerce “thingy” so you can offer online shopping. Most importantly, at this moment, you have a website!!
Fast Forward Three Years…
When was the last time you updated your website since launch? What about those aforementioned incomplete sections? Did you finish them? Have you updated your products and services? Are there staff members on your page that are no longer with the company? Have you moved? We won’t even talk about the eCommerce “thingy.”
Often, for businesses that self-manage their website, these updates never happen past launch. The intentions were good, but as the focus shifts back to business operations, time slips away. Staff is usually not tasked with website upkeep, or if they are, they don’t have time to do it properly, so it falls by the wayside.
This scenario is one we see all too often, but at least it’s an easy one to fix!
Enter, Agency:
Recently in our newsletter, we touched on how positive user experience (UX) on your website elevates your customer experience (CX). I won’t get techy here, I promise. Broken links, poor mobile response, missing information, and outdated content will ding your brand, weaken your SEO (search engine optimization) and possibly lose customers.
Think about it. How many times have you clicked on a website feature for more information only to find an “Under Construction”1 notice or something of the like? How did you feel when that happened? But more importantly, what did you do? Did you leave the website and search elsewhere? Probably so. Often, the most expensive click is the click away from your website.
At some point, there has to be a realization for some business owners and managers that they can’t do it all — particularly those tasks out of their expertise, and their marketing is suffering for it. Working with an agency to manage your website will improve your communication with users and convert them into customers. Hopefully, happy customers with a favorable CX who will recommend you to others.
Remember Strategy
Our process for total brand wellness includes a website strategy that acknowledges your customers’ needs (existing and potential) and the best way to keep them on your page and guide them to the information they are seeking. Having a website that is a conduit for your mission, a showroom (or a shop) for your products, and a helpful resource for your clients will be a strong link (pun intended) in your marketing chain, and that’s just scratching the surface.
Sitting down and talking with web and CX professionals can help you realize what you need to elevate your brand. They know all the moves to expand your market reach, and you can leave the technical stuff to them! Having an informational, up-to-date website that functions properly will widen your digital footprint and help you realize the success you initially were seeking.
Imagine…
You wake up, start your day, and head to work. It’s a typical day, but guess what? Your website never stopped working for you last night. While you were fast asleep, four new emails were sent through your site’s contact form, and three other people clicked over from Google and are considering you for services. Another has left a message because you carry a hard-to-find product featured on your site. A great website is like an employee that’s always on the clock and one that doesn’t need to be paid much. But you do need to equip your website with all the tools to get the job done.
Resources:
1-Another take on why you should think hard before putting an “Under Construction” page up for your site.
2-Continuing the CX conversation.
