Do you ever discuss your website?
What is with these companies that leave their website to rot for years never to be updated again since the last time in 2000, when it was first built.
Maybe that’s not you. Or maybe you know a business that sounds just like that.
For a lot of companies their website is merely just a commodity past around like some unwanted cold that ends up becoming some poor persons sole responsibility to look after. And yes I can’t actually believe I’m saying this in 2013!
The whole company should take responsibility for their website and not just one lonely member of staff.
You should be proud of it.
If your website stinks and looks like the rear end of a baboon’s backside then people probably aren’t going to take your company very seriously. I know I wouldn’t.
But even if your website looks pretty nice, is it usable? Can your website visitors actually find what they are looking for and use it easily?
I would argue that the percentage of companies who actually sit down to meet once a month to discuss their overall website strategy is very slim. Unless, they are multinational, and even then I’m pretty sure I’d find some shocking results.
What could meeting about your website help to accomplish:
Not only will the people involved with running the company have a clearer picture about their web presence, but I would like to think Directors and Managers would feel far more confident about the terms surrounding website marketing and have a greater understand of things.
Some of benefits include:
- Directors are more aware of the website’s value to the business.
- Marketing teams gain an understanding of the website performance, traffic and visitor figures.
- Action plans can be put in place to improve SEO rankings and content.
- Focus can be placed on customer surveys to improve website usability and relevance of the offering and engagement.
- More ideas from different departments. Moving away from just one persons opinions and decisions.
- Multiple ownership of the website. More accountability.
- Team learns together. Develop more staff skills in digital marketing.
- Able to react faster to technology developments online.
These are but just a few reasons for having a monthly discussion about your website could provide.
So what is stopping you right now?
Just add it on to the agenda and make sure it finally gets talked about. Your website isn’t something to be ignored, certainly not in 2013.
I do understand that not every business needs or heavily relies on their website for revenue, but even so that’s no real excuse to claim complete ignorance to the Internet.
As a business owner I’m not a big fan of accounting, and yet I take a keen interest in understanding it as it helps me run my business more effectively. Shouldn’t other business owners want to know what is happening with their website, just like they know what is happening with their books.
This is where I believe we’ve gone wrong thinking that the Internet isn’t that important, but what if you could realise that potential and bring in an extra 20% in revenue. You would probably jump at the chance.
Another miscalculation by many businesses is the cost and budgets placed forward for digital marketing and promoting their website. Effective digital marketing takes time and money – it can’t happen without a sensible budget being put forward.
A £100.00 to do a SEO campaign or social media strategy isn’t going to get you jack. You wouldn’t spend pennies on other areas of your business so why tighten the belt when it comes to your website.
You’d be wise to remember that the web is far more measurable than print or offline marketing (not that they don’t have value), but when you can measure activity with a 95% degree of accuracy over the assumptions and guesswork for offline marketing results. For me it really is a no brainer.
Yet, still many smaller companies heavily rely on Direct Mail, TV & Newspaper / Magazine adverts to generate business at a exponential cost. Even though we are starting to see a shift to digital advertising, small businesses still look at the Internet with reluctance and trepidation.
So let’s actually get talking about our websites they should no longer be the grey Elephant in the room. Heck, you might even learn some valuable golden nuggets about your customers and the products / services they buy from you.
Do you discuss your website in your company regularly with other key members of staff?
