Is Your Website Cheating on You?!

7 Classic Signs You and Your Website need to Talk

Ah, remember the rush you had in the beginning? The thrill of the first time you laid eyes on her and thought, "Oh yeah, just wait till everyone sees her…they’ll be so envious." You’d tell people at the gym or at a party about her – encouraging them to take a peek and check her out; it’d be worth their time. You put so much effort into courting her, making sure she had the right look and substance and that she’d say the right things. You put her on display for the world to see and sat back and waited for the customers to come knocking, begging for your products or services.

But after a few months the excitement began to fade. You thought to yourself, "Well, it’s only been a few months and it’s just a matter of time before the stampede starts." And then more time passed. You stopped listening to what she was saying and you stopped letting her know how you feel and what’s important to you.

Soon you began to wonder "How did it all go wrong?"

Sadly this is the state of many websites I come across on a daily basis. Does this describe your site too?

When I initially engage client the first thing I ask them to do is walk me through their website; the decisions behind its development, how much effort they put into it and what business objective it is supposed to achieve. I know the last point seems a bit obvious but you’d be surprised how many business owners view their website as merely a glorified business card or brochure.

Inevitably I get a sense of a broken relationship, a definite disjoint between what they hoped it would become and what it actually is. In reality, before I even speak with them I know what’s going on…and that would be a big fat zip, zero, zilch, and nada. To me it’s painfully obvious; they have a website, but beyond it being visually appealing (which is usually debatable too), it really is just an online brochure. So instead of having a tool that generates interest and leads 24×7, when their sales staff goes home for the night, so does their companies’ sales effort.

Sound familiar? As with any problem, the first step to correcting it is to recognize and address the issues. Here are the 7 classic signs you and your website are going nowhere fast:

1. Your driveway gets more traffic than your website.
   The true power of the Internet is the ability to reach someone who doesn’t even know you exist. Your website should be out there selling your product or service 24×7. If you give it the love it needs (i.e. search engine optimization), it will generate leads and close business for you while you’re eating, while you’re sick at home, and while you’re on vacation. And who, in their right mind, doesn’t want that? I mean, that really was your main business objective right?


2. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns make up a majority of your web traffic.
   Many business owners think they can just buy their way to the top of Google and that is enough. Being at the top of Google generates business and leads for them and they feel good about themselves. To them, $500-$5000 per month is a small price to pay and it justifies their web presence.
   
   Now, of course a good PPC campaign (the operative word being "good") does help drive traffic and it should be part of your overall web strategy, but it should never be in lieu of high rankings in the organic search results of the major search engines. A recent iProspect report showed that a little over 20% of click-throughs are paid search links versus a whopping 80% click-through rate for organic search results.
   
   Just think of how much traffic and business you’re missing out on!


3. The only web inquiries you get from your website are for prescription drugs.
   So which is it for you…do you get more inquires about your product or service or do you find that your site has been scrapped by an automated program and sold to spammers and other offshore vendors?


4. Your meta-tag title begins with your company name.
   The meta-tag title is the most important aspect of your website and sadly one of the most misunderstood and abused. All search engines use this tag to determine the content on the page. I typically see "Your Company Name" on the tag and that’s it. Bye-bye! Thanks for playing…please have a seat at the back of the class while your competitors run by you as if you were standing still.
   
   This tag needs to be aligned not only with your on page content but also your keyword objectives, your business goals and long-tail strategy to drive volumes of traffic.


5. Your website or website navigation is built using Flash.
   The coolness and wow factor of Flash has long since passed and if your website is using this technology for navigation or your entire site is Flash-based then you’ve got some issues you need to address. Some search engines are getting better at recognizing Flash content but why make it difficult for them? A search engine’s goal is to hunt and find original engaging content that their users want. I f you’re hiding it behind Flash you’re telling them to not bother showing your site to them.
   
   Have you EVER seen a Flash-based site listed on the top of Google?
   
   Me neither; in fact I’ve never seen a Flash-based site in a paid search advertisement either. That should tell you all you need to know.


6. The last time you updated your content was before Barack Obama became President.
   No one likes stale bread. Okay, perhaps my dog would take it but if your site content is old then my dog is the only one who’s interested. Original, fresh content is the name of the game. The more you have the more attention you will draw. However, that content has to speak to the search engines as well. It’s that blend of marketing and optimization that will propel your site to new levels.
   
   At Convergent7 we not only take an interest in your business but we learn what makes it tick. By doing this we can provide you with SEO content that will improve your Google rankings and drive new business to your front door.


7. You have no clue what your monthly volume of traffic is and how that compares to your competitors.
   As an owner or executive you need to love search engine metrics.
   
   The secret of improving your Google rankings is to know thy enemies…delve deep into what makes them successful, to seek what they’re missing and capitalize on their mistakes.

In essence, I’ve just revealed the entire SEO game and how it can change your business. It requires dedication, brains and tenacity…are you ready to move your website into the fast lane?

Good, let’s get started and Improve Your Google Rankings.