Here’s how to get the most mileage from your website

Do you view a merchant’s website, before doing business with the company? More often than not, the answer’s affirmative. Yet, when was the last time you considered what a visitor to your website will find? Will it be yesterday’s news, outdated product descriptions, and broken links? Or, will you offer fresh, compelling content that draws visitors back again, and raises your search rankings with Google? Consider these five ways to increase the effectiveness of your web marketing.

1. Refresh content every week. Websites allow your customers, (or potential ones), to learn more about your company after hours. Put simply, a website will allow your business or organization to market products and services 24-7, year round. Looking at it from that standpoint, a website is a wise investment, indeed. Increase the return by refreshing content each week.
2. Add widgets to your website. Linking your company Facebook or Twitter accounts to your site with a widget is an easy way to add sociality to the marketing mix. That’s what twenty-somethings expect. Give it to them.
3. Create fun profiles. Spotlight those who work for your company. Post, fun, entertaining vignettes about your staff, video clips, or interesting things your company has accomplished. This adds a personal touch that cements a connection with clients.
4. Add a blog. Many business owners cringe at the thought of adding yet one more task to an already full calendar. Yet, blogging doesn’t need to be a Herculean task. Add an inspiring “thought-of-the-day,” or share a fun story you found, while surfing the web. If you sell products, craft a visual blog. All that’s needed is a headline and a compelling photo supplied by your business. How easy can it get?
5. Enhance your reputation. A website is the public face of your business. Don’t slap something together. HTML is not necessarily user-friendly. To create an appealing interface, consider tapping the talent of a web programmer. A quality website enhances your company’s reputation, and it’s essentially window-dressing for a virtual business. So, deck it out!