Turning Browsers into Believers with Your Business Website

Ever wondered why some brand websites instantly hook you, while others have you hitting the back button? That's exactly what we're unpacking on the Home Business Success Show. Join me, Hank Eder, as we examine the ten must-haves for a website that doesn't just garner views, but truly resonates with your audience. From the power of a crystal-clear brand identity to the game-changing effects of a sticky header, this episode is your toolkit for digital mastery. Whether you're polishing your online presence or building from scratch, these insights will transform your site into a beacon for your brand's unique promise.

Strap in for a ride through the pivotal elements that will make your website a lead-converting machine. Discover the art of crafting calls to action that compel your visitors to click without scrolling, and learn why high-quality content is not just king—it's the entire kingdom. No guest, no fluff, just straight-shooting advice to propel your home business to the forefront of your industry. By the end of our time together, you'll have everything you need to ensure your website is not only seen but remembered and revered as the go-to within your niche.

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Transcript

Hank: 0:06

Welcome to the Home Business Success Show. Join us as we speak to home business entrepreneurs for tips, tricks, do's and even don'ts for running a successful home business. Hey everyone, and welcome to the Home Business Success Show on bizradious. All entrepreneurs, all the time, I'm your host, Hank Eater, and today I'm flying solo to take a deep dive into the essential ingredients for making your branded website truly shine. It's so important to remember that your website is your brand's online home. It's your virtual storefront, your hub for information and your platform to connect with your audience. But here's the challenge With so many websites out there, how do you make yours stand out and really reach your target market? Fear not branding a fixionados. I've got you covered. Today, we're breaking down ten key elements that every branded website needs to thrive. So grab your headphones, fire up your note-taking app and get ready to skyrocket your website from good to absolutely awesome.

Hank: 1:29

The first thing you need is a crystal clear brand identity. This is the foundation of everything you do online. It's the essence of your brand, captured in your logo, your colors, your fonts and overall visual aesthetic. When visitors land on your website, they should instantly recognize your brand and what it stands for. I'd also like to mention that you should carry this branded. I'd also like to mention that you should carry this brand into all your social media posts as well. But it's not just your logo, colors and visual appeal that speak to your brand. Your written content must reflect your brand too. It should reflect several key elements in clear branded writing. First and foremost, it needs to speak directly to your customer's pain point. In other words, what is it that keeps your customers awake at night? More importantly, it must address that pain point with a solution that will transform your customers' lives or their business. That's what they really want to know from you. What can you do for them? How will buying your product or service make their lives better? This must be at the top of your message. They don't care about all your fancy features or your credentials, your education, all of those things. It's good to have those things, but it's not really what your potential customers care about Really. What they want to know is what will you do for them?

Hank: 3:13

Number two is you must have a compelling call to action. Don't leave your visitors hanging. Tell them what you want them to do next, Whether it's subscribing to your newsletter, contacting you for a quote or making a purchase. Clear and concise calls to action will guide visitors along their journey and help you achieve your business goals. This needs to be at the top of your website, Above the fold, as marketers like to say. What does that mean? Well, in the ancient days of printed newspapers, the most important news on the front page went above the place where the newspaper was folded. While websites have no actual fold, you need to place your call to action above the place where customers would need to scroll down to continue. So keep your call to action high up and conspicuous.

Hank: 4:19

Number three is your site must provide user-friendly navigation. No one likes getting lost in a website maze. Thank you. Make sure your navigation is intuitive and easy to follow. Visitors should be able to find what they need quickly and effortlessly, whether it's browsing your products, reading your blog or contacting you. One easy way to do this is to be sure your navigation menu stays up at the top of your page. This can be done with what we call a sticky header. When visitors scroll down the page, your navigation header always stays at the top. It sticks up there. That's why we call it a sticky header. If you don't have a sticky header, put one in or ask your web developer to add one for you.

Hank: 5:14

Number four is high quality content. I mentioned in number one how your written content must reflect your brand. Content is king, as they say. Of course, you know the kind of things they say, but this time they are correct. Fill your website with engaging and informative content that speaks to your target audience. Blog posts, articles, case studies and even videos can all help tell you brand story and establish yourself as an authority, which will keep visitors coming back for more. Be sure your content adds value. If you're blogging, your audience must come away with something they can use. Same with video. Be sure you're adding value for the time they are taking to interact with your content. You can't just be all sales, sales, sales. You can repeat your call to action at the end of your blogs, podcasts and videos, but be sure to give valuable, engaging content and they'll keep coming back for more.

Hank: 6:30

Number five is mobile responsiveness. Everywhere we go, we see people glued to their phones. That's why it's essential that your website is optimized for mobile viewing. Responsive design ensures your site looks and functions flawlessly on any device, from desktops to tablets to smartphones. But even more important than just the way it looks and how it responds, is the growing amount of online retail business that's being done on mobile devices. Did you know over 70% of all retail website visits worldwide took place on smartphones in 2023? This means more people are browsing and researching products, comparing prices and even making purchases from their phones. More than half of all online sales about 56% comes from mobile devices. This number has been steadily climbing year after year, highlighting the shift towards mobile commerce. Mobile internet usage is steadily increasing globally. The number of mobile internet users is expected to reach over 5 billion by 2025. This trend is likely to continue, driving more online business activity towards mobile devices. Here's something important to note Younger generations are especially reliant on mobile technology. Millennials and Gen Z, who make up a significant portion of today's consumer market, are accustomed to doing everything from shopping to banking to socializing on their smartphones. So get with the program. The Google algorithms also deduct points for sites that are not mobile responsive. So be sure you're catering to mobile users, or you'll be left in the dust.

Hank: 8:39

Number six is SEO. Do you want people to find your website in the vast online ocean? Search engine optimization is your friend. Use relative keywords throughout your website content and meta descriptions and build backlinks to your site from reputable sources. From reputable sources. Remember that when peppering your content with keywords, be sure it flows organically. Don't force it, Just let it flow as a natural part of your content writing. And when it comes to backlinks, be sure you're dealing with reputable sources. Did I say that Reputable sources within your industry? For example, if you're in construction, backlinks from beauty parlors would carry little to no weight in the algorithms. So choose carefully, Never pay for backlinks and don't click on any offers that ask you to do that.

Hank: 9:44

Number seven is social media integration. Don't overlook social media as a powerful tool for building brand awareness and engagement. Integrate your social media channels with your website. In other words, be sure to display those little social icons to encourage visitors to follow you. Also, share your content across multiple platforms. Once you've created your content, it's easy to share across your social platforms, but be sure to make each post native to that platform. What I mean by that is don't just share links from other platforms. That will cramp your reach.

Hank: 10:32

Number eight is be sure you have a secure and reliable platform. Your website is a treasure trove of information. Security is paramount. Every day, at least 45,000 websites are targeted and damaged by hackers you know you'd think that people don't have anything else to do at their time then destroy your website. I don't know how they get their kicks doing that, but believe me, it's done, and it's not just for the reasons of stealing things from you like customer lists or breaking into accounts. For some reason, there's malware out there that just destroys your website. I don't get it. Also, be sure to choose a reliable web hosting provider and implement security measures like SSL encryption to protect your data and your visitors' information. These days, you can't have a site without SSL encryption or browsers will display a not safe message. If you have a WordPress site, be sure you install the WordFence plugin or ask your webmaster to do it. Even the free version of WordFence will go a long way toward protecting your site from malicious attacks.

Hank: 11:56

Number nine is regular maintenance and updates. Your website is not a static set and forget project. You just put it out there and leave it there. Pretty soon, you'll start syncing, syncing, syncing in the Google algorithms and you won't get anywhere near the SEO that you need to have. New content can boost your SEO results. Blogs, podcasts and videos are a great way to keep your content fresh. Stay on top of your site's functionality too. Fix broken links quickly and address any technical issues. The worst case scenario is a new visitor finds your website down and never bothers to visit again. A well-maintained website shows professionalism and keeps your audience coming back for more. Finally, number ten is track and analyze your results. Remember, data is your friend. Use website analytics to track your traffic, user behavior and conversion rates. One of the best of these is Google Analytics. It's free and the data it provides can help you understand what's working and what's not. That helps you to continuously tweak your message to improve your website and achieve your branding goals. So there you have it Ten essential ingredients for a branded website that won't get lost in the crowd. Remember, your website is a living, breathing extension of your brand. By incorporating these elements and continuously refining your online presence, you can craft and hone a website that not only informs and engages your audience, but also drives conversions and sales.

Hank: 14:02

Before I go, I want to tell you that there are some great resources available to home business owners. You are not alone in the wilderness in your home business. The Home Business Success Community has your back. We're an online membership support community of like-minded home business entrepreneurs. Contact me to find out more, or just go to bizradious. Click on shows. Then click on the Home Business Success Show where you see my photo for contact information. Thanks for tuning in today for the Home Business Success Show. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review. Remember you can achieve success, freedom and independence in your own home business. I've done it and you can do it too. See you again next week. This is Hank Eater, wishing all of you a fabulous day of home business success.