Online presence is a subject that is repeatedly hitting the boardroom across all industries. Organisations have realised that online presence can have a direct and positive impact on revenue, reputation and quality of service, when applied appropriately.
Effective online presence is about the fusion of web, social media, mobile and apps, with appropriate presence management and robust and flexible IT. The use of such online tools needs to be within the context and in alignment with an organisation’s vision and strategy.
Finding the right strategic balance on what and how to use the variety of online tools that are available is critical. Regrettably, in the last few years the advancements of social media platforms has overshadowed the importance of websites. However, a well constructed website can be more effective than social media at influencing consumer decisions.
While such a statement might sound absurd in today’s social virtual world, research has shown that while social media is widely used to research products and services, a company’s website has greater influence in purchase decisions than the company’s social media presence.
In a global survey carried out by KPMG, a third of respondents admitted that they were influenced in their purchase decisions by social media “fan pages”, while almost half said they look to company websites instead.
This can likely be attributed to consumers wanting to see the products and the technical specifications which are typically found on a company’s website rather than on its fan pages, which are predominantly used for brand building. This heightens the importance of building websites on functionality rather than just appearance, otherwise businesses run the risk of losing potential customers online.
If an online user hasn’t seen something that grabs their attention within eight to 10 seconds of visiting a webpage, they leave. Businesses overcrowding websites with content and complicated technical bells and whistles are shutting out potential customers.
A third of respondents admitted that they were influenced in their purchase decisions by social media ‘fan pages’, while almost half said they look to company websites instead
Businesses could better use websites to attract and engage online customers.
This could be achieved in the following five ways:
Keep it simple
The trick here is to keep your website as simple as possible. Website owners should avoid cluttered screens, long-scrolling pages and slabs of text. If a website user can’t find what they’re looking for straight away because of overwhelming content, they will leave. Flashing signs and advertisements will also deter them and force them to click elsewhere.
Understand your online customers
Online customers have choices on the internet – they don’t care about the vision of your business nor do they follow instructions carefully. They are impatient and want relevant content immediately. Therefore, it is crucial to find out what customers want in order to present content that suits them and your business. Be sure to engage them to create a dialogue.
Make it easy
The key message here is to make it easy for people to do business with you online. For instance, make important features easy to see and use. Provide easily accessible online forms, searchable catalogues and booking forms and offer safe credit card facilities. Above all, guide your website visitors through any process so it is as manageable as possible. Any feature that requires users to think too much or click too far with no perceivable end to it will put them off. Functionality wins over form every time.
Google ranking
It is valuable for any business to have a top search engine placement and high ranking in Google to best attract customers. Online visitors are more likely to discover your website through a link in Google search. More often than not, this won’t be your homepage but a link to one of the pages on your website. Therefore, treat every page on your website as a homepage.
Find ways to make your website save you time and money
Business owners could potentially save time and money by making more effective use of their website. Get website visitors to fill in forms online and allow them to order, book and download information online. You could also reduce phone and face-to-face contact enquiries and the length of each contact by providing the right information on your website.
Robert Farrugia is an IT advisory manager at KPMG in Malta.