5 days, 5 Tips: Pick the right content for your website

Three weeks ago we shared five tips to help you master the basics of your website. This week’s tips will help you refine what’s on your website already, or give you new ideas for helping your customers understand your products and services.

TIP #1 -- Make sure your customers can contact you. Do you include the basic information customers need to visit your store? An address and a map is a good start. Go a step further and specify whether your entrance is on the corner of two streets or around the back. Do you have the right phone number for customers to call you with questions? If you’ve included an email address, make sure it’s an account you check regularly.

TIP #2 -- Willing to travel...but how far? If you travel to your customers -- like carpet cleaners or massage specialists or pest control specialists do -- be clear about how far you’re willing to travel. Do you only service clients within the city limits? If you deliver, what’s your delivery area? Consider listing a neighborhood, postcode, or street boundaries.

TIP #3 -- Keep it fresh. What information can you include to keep your customers up-to-date about special offers, new products, or events? Consider featuring a new product or offer every week on your homepage so your customers keep coming back to your website. If you update Facebook or Twitter pages, include a link to these on your website. Sydney based Cakes by Nadia does this well.

TIP #4 -- Look your best. Photos help your customers see instantly if you have what they’re after. Show images of your business in action: a stylist cutting hair, a restaurant during dinner service. Keep in mind some basic photo editing tips. If you’re showcasing a product, make sure it’s well lit so your customers can see the details. Crop the photo to keep the focus where you want it. Consider what appears in the background. One restaurant took pictures of some fantastic looking main courses, but there was a dirty stove and a grease-splattered chef lurking in the background.

TIP #5 -- Write clear captions. If you’re including images on your homepage or in a product gallery, make sure you include relevant information in the caption, such as a description of the product with relevant dimensions or weight, how much it costs, and whether it’s available in store or for delivery.

And if you’re reading this but don’t have a website yet, visit Getting Aussie Business Online to get your own domain name and free website.

Posted by Kate Conroy, Product Specialist