Exciting website, is a word we never heard anyone say anymore. I mean when was the last time you visited Pepsi.com by the way it points to their Facebook page, there aren’t any actual website.
Websites to the user are means to an end. No one really cares for it anymore, and they are becoming that thing that every company must have it even though it is useless to them.
The functionality of a website is now reduced to that of a business card. It doesn’t serve its purpose anymore to most companies.
It’s like Email blasts, you know it’s there and it costs you money but what does it really do. Most likely nothing… Unless…
Unless your website serves a purpose other than being a business card, which by the way are also obsolete.
Your website must serve other purposes that still co-align with your brand strategy. Or to be correct, what are the changes you need to do to your brand strategy to add usable functions to your website. Order your website today!
First we must explore the website functions that are still usable nowadays, which aren’t many. We have E-commerce, discussion forum, service delivery, billing and invoices, informative content, and technical support, and this extra section, interactive account page.
That’s about it. These are the 6+1 functions that are usable in a corporate website.
And the journey of a customer to the marketing team is as follows , bait visitors to organically visit the website, reel them in and get them to stay on the website, nurture their need with data, build trust with your knowledge about their needs, provide a product or a solution that serves their needs, complete the transaction, provide support to keep them subscribed, and provide loyalty programs to allow users to advocate for your brand.
Now let’s match the journey of a customer to the 6+1 usable functions of the website.
- Build your website as search engine friendly as possible, and always have an active social media presence across all the prominent platforms. The proliferation of social media presence serves as a valid online verification tool as the blue check mark on Twitter. Your website design must also be as fast, clean and mobile friendly as possible.
- From the brand strategy already have, create a list of keywords that points to your brand.
- Generate the suitable informative content that you need to reel them in. And do not be afraid to reveal your secrets to success because nothing beats the experience and dedication that you provide by your product and solution (informative content)
- Build a community through your discussion forum and allocate time to reply to their enquiries with valid solutions that you present as an option to the enquirer or provide them with the steps allowing them to try to do it themselves. Because not everyone who asks a question is a potential customer, but every satisfied enquirer is a brand advocate. (Discussion forum)
- Provide easy yet completed e-commerce section where the customer can pay for your service or product with the least number of steps possible. And if possible allow the customer to download as many items as possible, the psychological effect of the download button is still unrivaled (E-commerce) (service delivery)
- A good technical support function is always your Brand’s unique selling preposition. The better customer support you provide the more sales you will create (technical support)
- Allow the customer to gain back their money by providing loyalty program and points system for referral and longevity of subscription. Also provide surprise gifts for their birthdays this always creates a better customer experience and a happy customer is a great advocate. (Account page)
