Is Your Website An Asset Or A Liability?

A decade or so ago, having a website was something every company felt that they needed and wanted. Websites were the wave of the future, and the dream of doing business online was an exciting one. A company could now economically reach clients, and interact with potential customers, almost everywhere. There were no geographical limits. A website added credibility and stature to even the smallest companies.

Today, this mindset has changed drastically. Now, we all know that we really need a website, but many of us think that simply having one is enough. The truth is that even though we believe it is important to have a website, a large percentage of firms with an online presence haven't touched their websites in years. They haven't spent any time improving its functionality and appearance. No wonder the site is lower in the search engine results, and the number of inquiries has dropped off.

Of course, we all recognize by now that having a website is an essential business asset, if it's done correctly. It's easy to see that if your site is an outdated eyesore, it becomes a liability that hurts you more than it helps. Conversely, a well-designed site can make all the difference. It's the first place users go to research your products and services, it serves as a lead generator, a customer help center, and a quick and easy way to make purchases.

We've all know that first impressions are the prime influence when visitors first come to your website. A well-designed, user-friendly website will showcase your business, and your products or services, impressing potential clients. An outdated and otherwise badly functioning website can hurt you far more than it can help you. Potential customers will eliminate you after interacting with a substandard website for only a few minutes, even seconds.

Consider how you feel when you go into a restaurant for the first time. You'll be immediately impressed if it's clean, well-kept, has a refreshing aroma, and is overall welcoming. But, if you enter and it’s dilapidated and falling apart with chipped paint and and smells of burnt food, you'll think a lot less of whoever operates the place. Are they lazy slobs? Or, maybe they just haven't had time to take care of the property. Either way, your first impression is less than positive. We all try not to "judge a book by its cover," but in the online world, a company's website is their "book cover", the digital face they present to the world, so in that case you have to judge the book by its cover. After all, that's all you have to go by.

Now is a good time to take a fresh look at your website. Look over the checklist below. It may help you find out if your site is an asset or a liability.

Home Page

* Can a visitor tell immediately who you are and what you offer?
* Is your site organized in a clear fashion that promotes easy navigation?
* Is your home page an information destination, or just a messy landing page?
o Does your home page give a good first impression that entices users to click through your links?

Performance Issues

* Do your images, videos, graphics and pages load quickly?
* Does your site utilize clean, un-bloated code?
* Have you performed quality assurance testing to ensure that your site looks the same across different browsers?

Content Is King

* Is your content written clearly and persuasively? Does it speak to your target market?
* Have you included useful and relevant resources like case studies, white papers, articles, testimonials or helpful links?
* Does your content effectively describe your products, services, and benefits?
* Are your content keywords focused to cater to users and search engines alike?

Links & Navigation

* Do all your links work?
* Are your links clearly marked?
* Do your links utilize descriptive and enticing anchor text?
* Is your navigation menu or framework consistent throughout your site?
* Does your navigation menu provide access to your entire site?

Critical Pages

* Is there a top-level page that describes your products and services?
* Do you have an "About Us" page to describe your company?
* Is the "Contact Us" page clear, informative, and thorough?
* Do you have a page where users can ask questions, or find answers to common ones?
* Do you show good quality photos?

Usability

* Is your site organized so that information is easy to find?
* Do you have a site map that links to all your pages?
* Is your site "user-friendly?"
* Is your text easy to read, and written for the web?
* Do you utilize bullets, headlines, and other stylistic elements to organize and present content?
* Do you have calls to action that prompt users to take desired actions?

Search Engine Optimization

* Is your site search engine friendly?
* Have you optimized your site for specific and relevant keywords?
* Have you acquired a network of high-quality, relevant links?
* Do all of your images and graphics utilize "alt text"?

Now that you've answered all of these questions, you need to decide what to do next. Start by looking at similar sites to see what your competitors are doing and what you need to do to catch up. You may also want to make a note of other sites that you like the way they look or function.

Now, make the changes necessary to improve your website, turning it back into a business asset instead of a liability, and watch as your web presence creates leads and ultimately sales that impact your bottom line.