Website design should be properly performed so that a website attracts traffic and increases rankings. However, if some of the most obvious sales rules are broken, even your best coded, well ranking website will not convert visitors into customers. Here are the top three Must Do sell points for a website that are also most often broken.
1: Website design should include your Physical Address – The idea that the Internet would all but exterminate the old door to door businesses was deflated years ago. If you are in business, you need a physical location where your customers can go, and you must tell them how to get there. A PO box address is not enough. You must give your actual street address and provide driving directions on at least one of your web site pages. This will also build confidence with the customer.
2: Provide Your Telephone Numbers, in bold, on the home page, were the eye first looks. This is like handing out your business card, but online. How else can your website customers contact you, your salespeople, or your service staff if they have questions about their vehicles? Keep in mind, too, that not all your customers feel comfortable in conducting business over the Internet. Many would prefer to hear a human voice on the other end of the phone. Include your local and toll free numbers. You should also include a fax number for those instances where a customer needs to send a document that they cannot email. Don’t include your phone number or fax number in text form on your website.
3: Provide Your E-mail Address – A basic “info@” e-mail address is good for general inquiries about your business. However, if you provide it you must have someone check it regularly and respond to or forward items that come in. Keep in mind also that each one of your salespeople should have his or her own e-mail address, as should the people in customer relations, and parts and service. Of course, those addresses should be on their appropriate pages in your web site. Two things to consider when you include e-mail addresses on your website: Don’t use single word email addresses, spammers who use dictionary broadcasts of emails will find you. Don’t use “Mail to” links in your website, spammers who use spiders to find email addresses will gather these and send you extra messages you really don’t want.
Never forget: even with a great website design presence on the Internet, you are still doing business with people who want your product and need to know how to reach and visit you. Having your basic business contact information displayed prominently on your web site shows your potential customers that you are open, available, and ready to serve. And this will help you increase your sales!