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Your web site should clearly define who you are, what you do, and how to contact you.[/caption]
We live in a fast-paced world, with dozens of things competing for our attention at all times.
The prevalence of social media and the ever-increasing speed of the internet—along with the ever-dwindling attention span of most people—means you don’t have very long to attract and keep the attention of customers and potential customers.
In fact, no matter how much thought you put into your web site, studies show that it will be wasted if your customers don’t find what they want to know within the first 10 or 20 seconds of visiting your site.
Ten or 20 seconds goes by in a hurry; they had already elapsed since you started reading this blog. That’s why it is essential that your website must be built right. It has to be written and designed in a way that puts the most pertinent information up front and center.
Here are the five things your site needs to shout, as soon as your customers arrive:
- Who you are. This is more than just a name. Give a brief teaser under the name of your auto shop to tell what you specialize in.
- Where you are. Google is making it more difficult for local listings to show up in Search Engine Rankings. It won’t do much good to offer oil change specials to customers that will need another oil change by the time they drive back home, 3,000 miles away.
- What you do. This is where you can put in additional details beyond a line or two under your business name. Tell your customer why you exist, and what separates you from your competitors.
- How to get in touch with you. One of the biggest complaints we here from internet surfers is the lack of immediately identifiable contact information. Sometimes, people don’t want to peruse the specials or visit your blog. Sometimes, they just want to call you and ask a question. Include your hours of operation, too.
- What’s in it for them.If you have current specials, make them the main focus of attention. Put coupons front and center, or talk about an upcoming special event.
Above all, make it easy and limit the number of links your customers will need to click to get to the information they want.
Here are a few examples of websites we’ve created. Check them out, then give your website a review and let us know how you compare.