A lot of behaviour theory is built on the assumption that we’ve learned all of the most important things as children. This acceptance of a pre-programmed way of thinking can cause us to make and repeat mistakes.
Isn’t it time we start thinking again, in a different way?
In the website design and online marketing world, ingrained patterns of thinking lead many established web designers and businesses to do the same things they did half a decade ago, which is either very little, or all the wrong things. I discuss this in my latest book, Building a Better Business Website. Believe it or not, a lot of businesses still expect their websites to be little more than online brochures. In fact, many of them aren't even surprised when their web presence doesn't generate quality leads. They have a website simply because they are told they should have one.
It's time they think differently about the web.
After all, if your website is just another piece of marketing fluff – or worse, an outdated disaster – why would you bother putting it online the first place? Shouldn't we (yourself included) be demanding more from our websites – not to mention our web marketing partners – and expecting to see new opportunities generated from that investment?
Moving forward on that premise, I'd like to present a few tips to help you (and your marketing partners) adjust that mindset towards a healthier outlook for your online presence:
1. Look past the ink blots.
As we like to point out, the aesthetic appeal of a website might be important, but having layouts and pages that look great isn't enough to attract buyers, much less move them to action. So, you need to learn to look and think past the visuals of web design, and make marketing (and especially lead generation) a top priority. Then look at aesthetics.
2. Explore your past relationships.
If you've been pouring big money into your website every few years without getting anything real in return, this is a good time to ask yourself why you should expect the results to be any different this time. It could be that you need a new set of influences – or in this case, a digital agency that's serious about helping you see real results.
3. Learn new coping mechanisms.
A large percentage of "online marketing plans" really amount to a set of search-optimized pages and an e-mail sign-up form. Realistically, those are not likely to help you make much of an impression on buyers, let alone challenge your online competitors. If you've avoided things like social media networking and content marketing in the past, now is the time to try something new. Really.
4. Talk about your hopes and fears.
Your website doesn't exist solely for its own sake; it should be a core component of your overall sales and marketing efforts. Think carefully about what kinds of buyers you'd like to attract online, and what you want them to do when they arrive at your website. The insights you gain as result of brainstorming this can help you create a smarter lead generation campaign, which is the real goal of having a great website in the first place.
In the same way that dysfunctional relationships can come to seem "normal" over time, far too many businesses have gotten used to getting nothing from their websites and have stopped expecting a return on their investment. The point of this therapy, like any other, is to break you out of that way of thinking and tune you in to future possibilities.
It might be tough to admit you've been crazy about your website in the past, but that doesn't mean you can't find better answers going forward, you just need to be willing to look for them.
Start your search here. Learn why it's time to say goodbye to outdated online marketing stratgies and start getting results by downloading KAYAK's EMA eBook now.
