5 Essential Tips to Make Your Website A Sales Machine

Introduction

With more people taking to the Internet to buy products and services, having a website has never been more important for small businesses. In fact, research shows that 62% of customers will ignore a business without a website. And if your business doesn't show up in a Google search for what you sell, customers won't even know you exist—which means you're losing sales to someone else.

How can you ensure customers are coming to your small business website—and, more importantly, giving you their money?

Let's dive into 5 essential tips to transform your website into a sales machine.

1. Set up a business website if you don't have one.

Today, websites have become so common that people are distrustful of small businesses without one. Setting up a business website will increase the likelihood that people can find you when they search on Google, which means you're less likely to lose customers to competitors that already have a website.

Now, you might be thinking... "I have a business Facebook page, why do I even need a website?"

Although Facebook helps with building an audience and can be a good starting point as your business grows, there are benefits to having a business website instead.

The biggest benefit is that you own your website, whereas Facebook owns your Facebook page. This means that if one day Facebook decides to stop offering business pages (or worse, decides they want to take down your content or page for any reason), they can.

Having your own website also gives you complete control over your website's content, look, and capabilities, regardless of what features Facebook may decide to get rid of in the future. With a website on your own branded business domain, customers will see you as more trustworthy (and so will Google, leading to increased likelihood you'll show up higher in search results). And more trust means it's more likely customers will choose to buy from you.

2. Make it easy for customers to get in touch with you 24/7.

Don't panic, we're not saying you need to be working literally twenty four hours a day, seven days a week to get sales! However, by having a website with certain capabilities (and using friendly neighborhood automations), you'll position your business as available 24/7 so you can convert customers even outside of business hours.

There are two essential features your small business website should have to achieve this.

First, install a Chatbot on your website. A Chatbot is a software-based chat element designed to mimic a human conversation and answer questions or reply to comments in real-time. With a Chatbot, the customer gets the satisfaction of instant response to their question, which in turn builds trust with your business. Fast replies also help boost conversion rates; studies show that responding in the first five minutes can 8x conversions.

As an added bonus, Chatbots can be set up to require customers to enter basic contact information (name, email address, phone number), which turns them into a lead you can follow up with later until they are ready to buy.

Second, setup an online booking system. An online booking system makes it super easy for customers to schedule time with you (even if your brick and mortar business is closed). And because it's easy and convenient, using an online booking system often leads to more appointments being scheduled. Bonus: use a tool like Reach Penguin to set up automated reminders for upcoming appointments to reduce the likelihood of missed appointments (translation: you won't miss out on those sales.)

3. Sell products and services directly from your website.

One of the best ways to boost sales from your business website is to... sell products or services from your business website. Online selling, or eCommerce, provides several benefits:

You can make sales while you sleep. Selling products online makes your storefront open 24/7, which means you can make sales all day, every day—even outside of business hours.

You can sell products to more than just the people in your area. Since your website is available to anyone with an internet connection, setting up eCommerce on your business website allows people from anywhere to buy your products or services, considerably growing your potential customer base.

You'll save on overhead costs. A physical storefront often comes with high rent and utility bills. Selling your products or services online can help cut down these expenses (and bring in extra sales that you wouldn't have gotten otherwise).

Selling your products or services directly from your business website is a great way to reach a wider customer-base, capture extra sales outside your normal business hours, and ultimately grow your business.

4. Show reviews & customer testimonials on your website.

Have you ever had a customer leave your business a rave review or a glowing testimonial? Include these on your small business website! This helps prove to potential customers that other customers have worked with you and had a good experience, which in turn builds trust with your business. And remember: more trust means they are more likely to buy from you.

Consider these stats...

• 95% of customers read reviews before buying a product or service

• Showing five online reviews increases the likelihood for a purchase by 270%

• Positive reviews can increase customer spending by 31%

If your business already has reviews on Google or Yelp, cross-posting them on your business website will build trust with potential customers and help contribute to closing more sales for your small business.

5. Add call to action buttons to your site.

A call to action (CTA) is a button on your website that prompts customers to take a specific action, like buying a product, contacting sales, or booking an appointment. CTA buttons make it easy for customers to do business with you and create urgency for someone visiting your website to take action.

Here are a few examples:

• Buy Now ➝ works well for online/eCommerce products

• Schedule an Appointment / Book Online ➝ works well for service-based offerings

• Start a Trial / Book a Demo ➝ works well if you're selling software products

Think of CTAs as virtual salespeople: they provide a friendly nudge that guides customers towards what you want them to do. Without a clear CTA, potential customers might feel lost and leave your site without engaging.

Remember, the goal is to make it as simple as possible for visitors to take the next step. Whether they're buying a product, scheduling a service, or signing up for a demo, your CTA should lead them right to the finish line.

Conclusion

Transforming your website into a sales machine is not only possible but also essential for your small business's success. By following these recommendations, you'll be able to attract more customers to your business website and start growing your small business.

Not sure where to start? Download our free eBook + Checklist for a deeper dive into how to make more sales from your small business website.