Creating A Web Presence Part III

Up to this point we’ve discussed creating a strong web presence. I’ve said before that the entire point of having a web presence in the first place is to generate traffic to your web site. I should mention now though, that having a strong web presence does not mean that you have a strong web site, and the fact is that it is your web site, not your web presence that turns traffic in to a lead for your company. Having exposure all over the internet does not in any way guarantee the quality of your web site itself, and although you may have thousands of unique visitors on your web site every day, none of it counts for anything if you can’t convert that traffic in to a lead. So, how do you capitalize on the traffic that your web presence generates? We’ll be addressing that in this section.

Consistency

One of the first tips I can offer about your web site is to keep it consistent with your advertising. If on your web banners and print advertising, you indicate that you’ve got insider information about reverse mortgage loans, be sure that you do have that information, and most importantly, that it is easy to access. You have to assume that it was the promotion of your web site on various mediums that has brought traffic to your site, and if they don’t get what they expect based upon your advertising, they can very quickly leave. In general, you want to make sure you’re presenting a message that stays the same across all mediums; otherwise, your visitors may end up feeling deceived.

Accessibility

Accessibility is the idea that the most important or valuable areas of your web site are both easy to get to, and easy to understand. Your site design should be visually appealing and clean, and navigating through different pages should be simple. You want to make sure that you don’t overload any single page, especially your home page, with too much information, and the information should be easy to read. Areas that are designed to generate leads for you, such as contact forms, online applications, etc. should be especially easy to find and use.

Content Value

I cannot stress enough that if a visitor to your web site is not able to quickly find what they are looking for, they will leave. When a consumer visits your web site, they are looking for something. It may be information…it may be a product or service. Your content…in particular your home page content should immediately provide something of value. It should not just be empty words, because empty words don’t give your visitors anything. It should be information… or otherwise, (and sometimes most helpfully), and immediate service or product for their use. A mortgage web site can offer both; it’s just a matter of presenting it in a way that will appeal the most to your target audience.

Although you want to ask a visitor for their information, (which makes them a lead), your site content should all be phrased in the form of an offer. They are visiting you because they want something, not because they want to give you something. Your content should open up “offer mode” immediately. In the case of a mortgage website:

Offer Information

It’s never a good idea to overload your home page with too much information. Too much information right off the bat tends to make your site inaccessible. Instead, use your home page to link to other pages on your site, which may include all the information you want. Make it clear that you are offering the information as a free, no obligation benefit to them, for visiting your site…Again, offer, don’t ask.

Immediate Services or Products

It is important to make the visitor feel like they can obtain something by utilizing your site…in the case of a mortgage web site, other than the opportunity to apply for a loan, it may seem difficult to find things to “offer” your visitors. Mortgage calculators, informational articles, free consultations and the like are, however perfect examples of things that can be offered. Keep in mind that the less strings you attach to your offers, the better. I don’t even recommend requiring any information from your visitor at all in order for them to take advantage of the things you offer them, unless that information is required in order to actually render the service. If all they want is some kind of information, or access to a particular tool, give it to them… They’ll volunteer their information soon enough if they feel like they got enough out of their experience on your site.

Call to Action

As much as you must bear very closely in mind the above information about “offer, don’t ask”, you still want to turn visitors in to leads, and you must make this action both a priority for them, as well as easy to do. Keep in mind, first of all, that most of the traffic you receive, even if you have done an excellent job of generated targeted traffic, will be more inclined towards a “low pressure sale”. They may be interested in your product, but you should assume that it is a vague interest at best, and make sure that any suggestions you make that they get in touch with you be in the most low impact manner possible. Don’t force them to fill out an application or give you their information for something as simple as finding basic information, but do encourage them to contact you, with the offer of additional benefits if they were to do so.

You are aiming to give your visitors something they need, and something they want, in the most hassle-free way possible. Combining the above concepts in to the design of your site and your content is a sure way to do this, and in combination with a strong overall web presence, a well-designed site is the final component that will generate leads for you, and create the online success that you’re seeking by starting a web site in the first place.

In Conclusion

I truly hope that this guide has been useful for you, and that you now have some ideas as to how you would like to proceed with your own web site. Even after reading this, you should realize that there is a wealth of additional information about each of the topics I’ve discussed here, and further research on your part could be quite beneficial to you.