However, some level of relief is that the “About” page of a website isn’t about you; it’s about how you’re going to make your prospective customer’s life easier. It’s about them. At first, this may seem a bit counter-intuitive, particularly if you’re new to marketing. Here are some tips to get you started writing the “About” page for your website.

Show value to your potential clients

When someone visits your website, they’re interested in how you’re going to solve their problem. They are not interested in your life story. You only have a short amount of time to impress your prospective client and explain how you can help them. What will you do for them? What benefits you will provide for them? Use your about page to explain how you will provide value for your prospective market.

Identify your audience

Talk to your ideal customer. Mention their concerns and identify how you’re able to alleviate them. Yes, you get some visitors who won’t identify with your mentioned target audience, but that is all right. Trying to please everyone will end up pleasing no one.

Company Bio

Now you can start talking about your company. Generally, talk about your company history and how it could potentially help your client. The “About” page is your chance to add some credibility to your business. Is your company involved in the community? How did your company get started? When and why did it start? Are you filling a need that your target industry was having? Mention jobs that you’ve done in the past where you’ve solved similar problems that a prospective customer might have.

Personal Bio

Finally, you can now talk a bit about yourself. Mainly share how your life relates to your business. You don’t need to get too personal, and you shouldn’t. Keep in mind; you are always writing on how you can help your potential customer.

Call to Action

Remember to end with your call to action! What do you want them to do?

Your website’s “About” page is a perfect way to connect with your target audience, and to help them relate to you. The key is to find the balance between useful and interesting information, and explaining how you can help your customer. However, it’s important to still make it sound natural and relatable, but the fun part is finding the balance.

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A website is a vital part of your marketing plan. Regardless of whether you are a wedding coordinator, yoga instructor, or photographer, your prospective clients will most probably research your business before contacting you. Since your website is often the first impression of your business, it is vital that you create one that achieves your marketing goals. By being well planned, your website will positively impact your business.

Slapping together a website that has no plan is planning to fail. Consumers in today’s marketplace view about 20-30 sites a day. How do you make your website stand out? It would be best if you had a plan that targets your ideal customer. Design every piece of marketing for your ideal customer.

Do your research and get a plan!

Before designing your business website, you should understand how your user will use it, what they need, and why they have come to your site. By researching your users, you will be able to help them reach their goal as a result of coming to your website. Happy website user equals happy customer!

Plan your user journey

Plan how you want your user to move through your website. The user journey is the path a user travels through your website. It should be simple and allow them to achieve their goal. Providing your user with a simple and convenient journey through your website increases trust and keeps your prospective client happy.

Everyone has experienced websites that make them frustrated. I recently cancelled my subscription to a stock photo site because the website had a problematic downloading process, despite their photography being appealing. By allowing your user to attain their goal, you’ll make their experience with your website a positive one.

By devising a plan on how your website should flow, your users will have a positive experience and trust you.  Design the site with your ideal client in mind. The layout, content, and design elements should reflect your ideal client’s motivations and move them forward in your sales funnel.

The post How to build an effective website to increase your bottom line appeared first on WeBC.

IT’S ALL IN THE HEADLINE

The first line of text about your webpage in Google is your headline. The goal of your headline is to grab the searcher’s attention.
Here are some tips for writing a successful headline for your website:

1. Make it easy to digest. People usually scan headlines. Short and straightforward headlines convert to higher search results. Google will include ellipses after 70 characters.
2. Include keywords at the beginning of your headline. Google will favour headlines that use the keywords your searcher is looking for.
3. Use lists or questions in your title.

WHAT IS A META-DESCRIPTION?

A meta-description describes what your webpage discusses. It should be about 160 characters long.

ELEMENTS OF A GREAT META-DESCRIPTION

Meta descriptions are an excellent opportunity to connect people with your brand. Include these elements to increase the chances of a searcher visiting your website:

• Use the keywords that your webpage is targeting.
• Provide a compelling description.
• Be relevant.
• Be unique from other content descriptions on your site.
• Include your brand personality.

WHY ARE META DESCRIPTIONS IMPORTANT?

The main reason they are important is for your conversion rate. Having a meta-description that reflects your content increases your click-through rate. It will also help searchers understand whether or not your website will be helpful to them.

URLs

URLs are also crucial for gaining a high click-through rate for your website. They should be descriptive, and your website’s site hierarchy should be logical and “future-proof.” Add web pages in a logical order as your website grows.

By giving your headlines, meta-descriptions, and URLs thoughtful consideration, your click-through rate will increase. By optimizing your search results, you will improve your searcher’s experience as well as increase the number of visitors to your website.

The post Effective Ways to Improve Click-Through Rates for Your Small Business appeared first on WeBC.

A peer mentoring group is an excellent way to work through a new idea or help you choose which direction to take your business.

I recently attended a peer mentorship program through the Women’s Enterprise Centre for women in technology.

I launched my home-based web design company in 2015. A little uncertain of what my next move should be and, to be honest, a bit tired of the isolation, I applied to the peer mentorship program. I was hoping that it would give me the boost I was looking for and help me plan a new direction for my business.

The group consisted of six women in the tech industry with various levels of experience. Some were starting their businesses, and others had been self-employed for many years. Everyone involved had valuable suggestions.

Upon completing the peer group mentorship program, I can now say I’m pleased that I did it, and would encourage those looking for some guidance in their business to consider a mentorship program. There are several different setups for a mentorship program; I chose a peer mentorship program because I wanted the group dynamic since I work alone.

It helps to establish what you want from the mentorship program at the beginning. Create a specific goal for your business that you’d like to achieve. A goal will help shape your activities and conversations during your meetings and get the most successful outcome.

The benefits of a peer mentorship group are numerous. Hearing other people’s perspectives can help you make positive changes in your approach to your own business, and can be a confidence boost.

You don’t have to do everything from scratch, nor should you. It also saves time and frustration. Overall, I received many benefits from my experience with a peer mentorship group, and I think you will as well.

(Erin was a participant in the Discovery Foundation EM3 Peer Mentoring Program, offered through WeBC in 2018. To learn more about the Discovery Foundation and its TEP (Technology Education Program) partners, please click here)

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