Bizsuccess

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

By: Susannah Morgan

According to BIA Kelsey, 97% of consumers check online for local services before they make a purchase decision. Your online presence should include your Kudzu profile page, a website, a blog, and a Twitter and Facebook page, if possible. The more abundant your company is online, the more powerful your credibility becomes. Make sure your small business website includes the following:

1. An easily accessible contact page.

Have a section on your company website which features your business address, phone number, fax number, and email address. You may also include a sign-up button on this page that subscribes customers to your newsletters or enters them in giveaways.

2. An online photo gallery of your work.

According to OnlineGraduatePrograms, 1 in 4 people abandon a website that takes more than 4 seconds to load. Make sure your main homepage stays away from large photos that could cause slow load times. Instead, have a separate page which links to your Kudzu photo gallery or includes a slideshow of before and after photos. Seeing is believing; and customers want to see the work you do before they hire you.

3. An “about” page.

Solely dedicate a section of your website to the history and founding of your company. Include photos of current employees, and share the reason for starting your business. Giving the background of your company is a great way to showcase how passionate you are about your line of work.

4. Shareable content.

Run special offers for current or new customers, and make the content shareable on Facebook or Twitter. Getting the word out about discounts is a great way to convert prospects that are on the edge about trying your services.