Ten Key Website Elements for Marketing and Sales

Introduction

In order to maintain a successful business website, your sales and marketing strategy must be well-integrated with your site. Below are the top strategies that can make this happen:

Web Optimization for Marketing

Clear Calls to Action

You may sell beautiful products or perform an excellent service, but to truly drive business, make sure calls to action are on every page of your website. A call to action is often that little push a person needs to convert from an interested visitor to a loyal customer. Think of it as a simple, convenient way to direct them to the next step in the sales process; a call to action doesn’t need to be pushy or over-the-top. Elements like visible customer interest forms work great.

This may seem like an obvious point, but it’s worth emphasizing over and over again until people realize just how important great content is. Many business sites still attempt to bypass well-written content and opt instead for what they consider “SEO-friendly” content: usually a redundant combination of keywords they think will get their site traffic. There are two problems with this. First, great content is becoming more and more important in SEO as search engine algorithms become more sophisticated. Second, even if the keywords bring visitors to your site, they’re not going to convert into customers without well-written content. Don’t skimp on this one.

When used correctly, SEO is an excellent form of marketing that can draw visitors to your website and make the difference in your business’s success. When used improperly, SEO is at best ineffective; and at worst, it will impact your entire business’s reputation. Before embarking on an SEO campaign, learn about (or invest in someone who understands) best practices. Otherwise you’ll be pouring money down the drain.

We all understand by now that social media integration is an important form of marketing that isn’t going away. Integrate popular social media platforms, like Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), into your business’s website. This will amplify your voice and allow you to interact with prospective customers directly.

This one surprises some people. But think about it: how often do you click on the “about” section if you want to learn about a particular site you’re visiting? If you’re like most people, the answer is, “almost always.” The “about” section is usually one of the most-visited sections of any web page, and users have come to rely on it as a given. Don’t disappoint: make sure your “about” section is succinct, friendly, and answers the question, “what do we do?”

It’s important not to embark on any marketing campaign before being able to measure the success of it. Build analytics into your website, which will help you track visitors, trends, inbound links, and more. Google Analytics is free, and it’s a great place to start.

Web Optimization for Sales

Link to the contact Form on Every Page

Where will your prospective customers go when they need more information? Provide a visible link to a contact form on every page; and if you integrate a form that filters spam, you’ll thank yourself later.

When your customer places an order, it’s important to present them with an automated confirmation page. This page will contain important elements like a confirmation number and/or shipping number, further contact information, and a hearty “thank you” for the customer’s valued service.

How do you track leads, follow up with customers, implement email marketing campaigns, and troubleshoot shipping delays or other issues? With a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, which automates the process of tracking and communicating with your customers. When integrated properly, a CRM system can securely pull information directly from your website and streamline a multitude of business processes.

Similar to a CRM system, an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is designed to safely and securely use data from your website in order to streamline a number of important business procedures. Everything from shipping and manufacturing to accounting and payroll can be automated by an ERP system. You’re already a busy entrepreneur. Do yourself a favor and integrate an ERP system into your website.

Find out more about Clarity VenturesSee our Enterprise Web portfolio