Take A Look In The Mirror (Or At Least Your Computer Screen)

I bet you think your business is beautiful….on the web that is.

Have you ever looked at your business in the mirror (actually on the computer screen) – FROM THE CUSTOMER’S POINT OF VIEW?

You see, your business is not about you – and how pretty you look. Business is about getting people to look at you (your site) and then converting them in profitable repeat customers. Seems simple right?

Yet when you put yourself in a user ’s point of view you start to see some black holes and you begin to understand that a powerful marketing strategy is nothing without a high converting website. Here are 8 areas to use as a checklist to ensure your online presence has the largest possible impact on your sales. Keep track of where your strengths and weaknesses are and share your results in the comments when you’re done.

1) Logo and branding: Is it fresh, clean and in line with your field? Or is it old and musty and in serious need of a professional touch?

2) When a customer lands on your site can they understand what the brand is, the brand message and core offering within 15 seconds? Here’s what people see when they land on my coffee & smoothie site. It’s very clear that’s exactly what we offer:

3) Are you offering an attractive opt-in? And by that I mean is your offer of a free e-book, email course, product sample or discovery call attractive enough for your customer?

4) Is it easy for a user to navigate your page? Are there a million pop ups getting in the way, is there language or copy that doesn’t make sense? Are you trying to be too fancy (or the alternative, too simple?) Are there broken links, inconsistent branding and copy? Comb through your site and look at everything!

5) Are the graphics and images used clean, fresh and approachable, and do you have a good balance of white space? According to CrazyEgg, white space around text and title increases user attention by 20%.

6) Go through your check-out process as if you’ve not been there before. Better yet, ask a friend to do it and review the process. 46% of online shoppers said that checkout speed is the number one factor that determines whether or not they will return to a site.

7) Is the content up to date? If the blog hasn’t been used in 4 years, it will raise a red flag for a potential client. If you have out-dated images or information referring to events and promotions from spring last year, that will raise some red flags also. Look for anything that a potential client will look for in clarifying whether your brand is reputable, trustworthy and secure.

8) Is your website responsive? This is crucial as google is now penalizing sites that are not mobile responsive. Also, 4 out of 5 consumers use a smartphone to shop and research…so this is a no-brainer. A site I love to see how your site shows across all media is Responsive Design Checker.

Just enter you website and see how your site shows on a screen as large as a 27-inch monitor to as small as an iPhone in portrait mode.

How did you score? Anything pop out as an area your business needs to focus on? Share your ah-has in the comments below.

About Stacey Riska

Stacey Riska, aka “Small Business Stacey” is a serial entrepreneur who is passionate about saving small business and rebuilding Main Street. She helps small and local business owners #CRUSHIT by teaching them marketing strategies that get MORE: MORE leads, MORE customers/clients, MORE sales, and MORE money. Stacey is the founder of Small Biz Marketing Specialist, THE go-to place for marketing tips, techniques and strategies that get results. Stacey is also the creator of the Daily Deals for Massive Profits Training Program, an online video training program that teaches small and local business owners how to use daily deal sites like Groupon to skyrocket their business growth and get massive profits. In this program she teaches from experience, as it was the key strategy that transformed her coffee and smoothie business from being $500K in debt to a 7-figure profitable business. When not saving the small business world, she enjoys sipping red wine, eating chocolate (who doesn’t!) and spending time with her amazing husband.