Your website is a “living” extension of your brand. When done properly, your website can breathe life into your brand. Handled improperly, your website has the power to kill your brand. When was the last time you took a good, objective look at your website? If you haven’t done so lately, now is the time. But, where do you begin?
You likely use Google Analytics (or some analytics software) and you are driving traffic to your website. But, you are not converting your visits into leads at the rate you’d hope. So the question you keep asking yourself is what can you change on your site that will convert visitors into sales development leads? Most of my blog posts focus on how to improve traffic to lead conversion. And, today’s entry is a first step to achieving this objective.
In 1960 Harper Lee wrote the groundbreaking novel To Kill A Mockingbird. The main character, attorney Addison Finch, attempts to teach his daughter how to evaluate a situation by looking at a problem through the eyes of the person being affected. He says, “You never really know how someone feels unless you walk in their shoes.” Good reading and good marketing advice, too.
Let’s apply that good advice to your website. When you wrote your website, did you write it from your customer’s point of view? Take another look. Look at your website while pretending to “walk in the shoes” of your website visitor.
Here are five key questions you should ask yourself during this evaluation:
1. What Are The Long-Term Prospects Of The Brand?
Prospects who are considering investments in a franchise have multiple financial options: competitive franchisors, real estate, private equity, equities, etc. Does your brand answer the long-term viability of the franchise system? Do you use testimonials addressing this question? Or how about a question and answer session with the President or Founder who can address the brand’s long-term plan.
2. Is Your Business Model Profitable?
How do you present the profitability of your brand? Do you make this point on the home page? Is it reinforced by the content throughout the site?
3. Does Your Brand Have A Clear Point Of Difference?
How does your brand position itself on the site? Is your unique selling proposition (USP) presented in a clear and impactful way? Is the USP reinforced throughout the site with pictures, content, video, and testimonials?
4. What’s Your Story?
Every brand has a unique story. How do you tell yours? Does it “connect” on emotional level so your visitors feel like they are getting to know you on a personal level? Do you show customers (fans) using the product or service? Do you post customer comments? How about linking to your Facebook and Twitter pages so visitors can see your brand from your customer’s point of view? Do you have content on the site from the founder focusing on “why” they launched the company?
5. Are You Building Trust?
Branding is more than a logo. It’s about communicating a promise between you and your customers and providing that again and again. The bottom line is that’s what franchising is all about. A successful delivery system of a unique selling proposition that is repeatable and scalable. When a prospective franchisee visits your website, will they say, “They get it! This is the company I want to invest in!”
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