Happy New Year everyone! While we're all setting personal resolutions for the New Year, here are a few suggestions for e-Resolutions you can (and should) adopt for your business to make 2009 a year to remember.
Get blogging
If your company doesn't have a blog, now is the perfect time to start one. If you already have a blog, give yourself a pat on the back, and then keep writing quality content in 2009. I could go on and on about the benefits of starting a blog, but concisely, it allows you to display your authority and knowledge in your field, showcase your personality, engage your visitors, and offer quality content that will keep people coming back. But don't take my word for it - check out this short video.
Tell us a little bit about yourself
The "About Us" page. Practically every site has one, even if it goes by a different name. What does yours say about your company? Unfortunately, there is no single right way to make an About Us page (sorry). The best advice I can give, though, is to view this page from the perspective of your visitors. Because you have such a firm understanding of who your company is and what it does, you may think these details are too obvious to mention. They aren't. Once you've done this, you need to address the questions at the front of your visitors' minds: "Should I continue to look at this site, or hit the back button? Does this site/company have something to offer me?" Answer these questions with an engaging page or series of pages that establishes your authority and credibility. This is your chance to talk about yourself. Don't be modest!
Be social
The Web is no place to be shy. Make your mark on the Web by getting out there and being social. Participate on social networking sites, and submit content from your site (blog entries are great for this) to social bookmarking sites like Digg and StumbleUpon. It's a great way to build word-of-mouth, and get quality inbound links, too. Here's the best part: the only cost of doing this is the time you invest.
There's no place like home
Often, the first impression visitors get of your site will be from the home page. Does your home page make the right first impression? Web users have become extremely adept at judging webpages in an incredibly small amount of time. Does your home page convey the right message during this small window of opportunity? Our experts would be more than willing to talk with you about how you can make the right impression with your visitors. Drop us a line!
Track your site
If you're not already using a Web tracking or analytics service to measure the successes and failures of your site, please look into implementing one as soon as possible. You won't regret it. The truth is, without some way to monitor the traffic that your site receives, you have no way of knowing if your home page is doing its job or not, or if your About Us page is keeping visitors on your site. Analytics software gives you the wonderful opportunity to make changes to your site, see what works and what doesn't, and make additional changes accordingly.
Hopefully you've found some of these suggestions helpful. If you are already doing some or all of them, give yourself a big pat on the back. If not, they would be some great goals for your business in 2009.