5 Simple Steps to a Website that Makes Sales

By: Alicia Forest

Is your website producing leads for you or is it just sitting out there in cyberpace looking pretty? Obviously, you want your website to work for you to generate leads and make sales, not just be a pretty brochure for your business.

Here are 5 simple ways you can make your website make more sales for you.

1. A Professional Look

It needs to LOOK professional - which is different that it being created by a professional (although that is certainly an option). By looking professional, I mean that there are NO ADS, especially anything that flashes, jumps around, or otherwise looks like a casino.

2. A Way For Prospects to Contact You

You want to make sure you give your visitors a way to contact you, preferably in the upper top right corner or sidebar on the left - but still above the fold (no scrolling down to try to find out how to hire you!). Include your dedicated email address* and your business phone number. Add a physical address at the bottom of your page to solidify your existence.

*You need to have a dedicated email address - which means that your email is something like alicia@clientabundance.com and not allyoop@yahoo.com. A dedicated email address comes with your web host. Follow their instructions on how to set one up.

You don't want a potential client slipping away because he or she can't locate your email address or phone number.

3. Your Enticing Copy and Sign-Up Form for Your Free Taste

You need to have a way to capture your visitors. By this, I don't mean the number of people who visit your site (your web host's stats can tell you this if you want to know). I mean that you need a way to capture your visitors email addresses so you can continue to build a relationship with them.

Put a sign-up form to join your email list in exchange for a 'free taste' of what it is that you're offering in a prominent place on your homepage (and every other page, for that matter, as you never know where someone will "enter" your site first).

4. Connect with Your Visitor on Multiple Levels

Do this by adding a picture of you, if possible. This is not necessary, but it truly does lend credibility when people can see the person behind the text. You don't have to have a professional photo taken, but again, do try to look professional in it.

You can also add an audio welcome if you desire. This will appeal to your visitors who prefer to hear your voice and it adds to your credibility as well.

5. Your "yes" Questions Prominently Displayed...

...followed by your call to action, which is the offer to sign up for your Free Taste. Your yes questions are a way that your visitors resonate with what it is that you're offering. In other words, when they read them, in their mind they are answering "yes, that's me" and nodding their heads.

There's much more that you can do to tweak your website to make sure that it's giving you a return on your investment, but this will get you started. Take a look at your website today and see which of the 5 strategies above you can implement now to start creating more sales for you today.