Add These Components to Your Website for a Stronger Business

Imagine having the most flexible office space. You can bring in the photos from home, the cool artwork you found at the market, and some action figures. But soon, you drown in clutter. You lose notes, résumés, and even bills. It takes minutes, even hours, to sift through all of that junk, and you become so frustrated with the mess that you can hardly work in your own space.

That’s how websites are, too. It may be tempting to add things like falling snowflakes onto your website during the winter, but it only clutters the screen and makes the site slow to load, not to mention doesn’t always send the right message — which ultimately could annoy and drive away a potential customer.

Lucky for you, though, you can still have plugins for your website that not only make your company more visible in search engines, but increase business by creating an interactive experience with the potential client. Less is more, when it comes to widgets. Use these three suggestions to upgrade your website and your company.  

1. Site Metrics and Analytics

   

Metrics allow you to monitor many things about your site, including which pages people spend the most time on, where people are clicking, and how many people visit.

You get a snapshot of what’s drawing people in to your site and your company. Google Analytics is one free service that you can use on your website. Besides figuring out what’s working and what’s not, you can also see how your visitors view your site.

This is especially important for gaining a mobile audience. If you find that your mobile visitors spend less time on your site than your desktop visitors, for example, you may want to invest in a stronger mobile design so your mobile visitors will stay longer. No matter how a visitor is reaching and using your site, you want to ensure they are getting the best possible experience. After all, any visitor can become a client.  

2. Social Media Feeds

Websites may be updated at any time to reflect changes or p

rogress in the company. But the truth is, most company websites are rarely updated after the initial setup. With social media, you can update to reflect changes in your company in a timely fashion.

Let your website visitors know where else to keep up with you with social media feeds. Allow them easy access to follow your company’s posts. If you feel that your site has enough text already, use plugins that connect to your company’s Instagram or Pinterest to display some visuals.

Don’t forget, simply showing your feeds isn’t the only way to incorporate social media. Add share buttons on blog posts so that your website visitor can share content they like on their social media platforms. This is the best strategy for having you fan base share your message.

3. Email Marketing

   

One of your best friends in spreading news about your business is email marketing. Services like MailChimp allow you to provide a subscription field on your website.

When people subscribe to you, they get immediate mail when you send them something. Remember, though, that too much unwanted content or spam will make them want to unsubscribe. Make your email content exclusive.

A company newsletter may bore your subscriber, so think more of what they would need: tips or tricks that they could use in their daily life, or unique information that you know that they might not. Imagine that you’re the owner of a pet hotel.

Think of something unique and relevant to your clients, but that could also apply to their lives. You might consider something like: “The dangers of leaving your pets with a relative who has never had pets before” or “The truth about declawing your cat, and alternatives to doing so.”

Being able to customize something can be fun, but if you add too much, you’ll reduce the efficiency of whatever you’re customizing. Think hard on what widgets will best work to help you reach your business goals.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Hannah Alkadi is a digital marketing intern at Catapult Creative Media. She studies advertising and visual communications at LSU, and spends her free time informing others about micronations.

Work with Catapult Creative Media Inc. Catapult Creative Media Inc. is a digital marketing and design agency serving south Louisiana and headquartered in Baton Rouge. Founded in 2007, Catapult provides digital, social and mobile marketing solutions backed by relevant strategy and measurable results. Catapult works the web to their clients’ advantage, launching them to their next level of success.