Are Websites Sexy Anymore?
If Marilyn Monroe was still alive today, she would be 85 years young and we’d still be talking about how amazing she looked. I could even imagine the phrase “sexier than ever” coming out of the mouths of old timers that grew up with her posters on their bedroom walls.
Take a look at nearly any book on web marketing from the past few months and you will believe that business websites are just not important anymore, and soon to be extinct. The fact is, business websites today are just not considered “sexy.”
Social media, according to the authors of those books, is the place where a professional should spend all their time and energy. I find it ironic, however, that the minute you visit their facebook or Google+ pages, these same authors invite you to visit their websites. Why would they do this? The answer is that they know that, in spite of social media, the importance of a good website is greater than ever today.
If the hype of the social media craze has let you to believe that your professional website can be miraculously replaced, my request is that you open your mind to another more logical possibility.
Your website is the very heart of everything you do on the Internet. Through it, you receive traffic and send content of value; just like your heart uses veins and arteries to keep your body functioning. Your website will always be the most important thing on the Internet. And, that is very sexy!
Please don’t get me wrong, however. You will definitely experience more online success in proportion to your level of participation in Google+, facebook, Linkedin, YouTube and Twitter. The truth of the matter is, however, that the only thing you have total control over on the Internet is your own website. Your job is to manage that control to create as many leads, and eventually sales, as possible.
Your website should still contain these three non-sexy, old-school parts, which are often overlooked because they are just plain not sexy anymore.
1. Email – How many times have you checked your email today? I’ll bet at least once, if not every hour or so. We are still reliant on email. And building a list of quality email contacts is still gold for your business. It is critical to find a way to inspire website visitors to opt-in to your list, that way you can contact them later by email. If you provide quality content your followers and sales will be the result. This isn’t new information, by far, but after all these years it still works like a charm!
2. Giveaways – People still love to get something for nothing. Free information, coupons, discounts or bonus offers are all great giveaway ideas. The means to getting your website visitors to request a giveaway is to offer items that alarm them. As an example, I offer a whitepaper called “101 Realistic Methods for Getting Traffic to a Website”, and 15-20% of my website visitors fill out the opt-in form to get it. Why do they do this? Because it is simply alarming to think there are 101 ways to do anything. People want access if only to find out if there really are 101 ways to generate traffic!
3. Custom Design – It is more critical than ever to have a high level of originality and professionalism in your website design. Even search engines like Google are looking at your design and unique branding to make the decision where they will place your website in the search index. If you are treating your business as a fun hobby, then a free WordPress template is more than adequate. But, if you want to be considered a real business, don’t save your money by cutting corners on design. Your cost will just increase later when you realize you will need a re-design of your website.
It is easy to forget about the core components of a website that makes it perform when we are constantly barraged with “sexy” technology such as the latest and greatest iPhone app or QR codes stamped on t-shirts. But don’t let yourself get distracted with the hype. Don’t stop using email and gathering quality email contacts. Offer great giveaways and invest in design. Your business may not be a Marilyn Monroe, but at the end of the day when you see the results of your business strategy over the long term, only one thing will come to mind…SEXY!
Marty Dickinson has been a full-time internet marketer for 16 years and is the co-author of Web Marketing All-in-One for Dummies. He, along with his team at HereNextYear.com creates WordPress websites for motivational speakers and authors around the world. Add Marty to your circle on Google+ at MartyDickinson.com/G+.