Some Of The Reasons Why Websites Fail!
Many times I have been asked – "what is a business website?" "What is the best example from the physical world that you can liken it to? A brochure? A sales presentation? A business card?"
I believe the best way to describe a business website is this … think of a business website as a ‘branch office’!
Setting up a website for your business is very similar to setting up a new branch office – except that the new branch office exists in a virtual land called the ‘Internet’.
So - if a website is like a branch office ... then really it is very similar to a business … and, by looking at how a business works, we should be able to get significant insight as to how a website works.
Read on – for you are about to embark on a fascinating journey into the mechanics and inner workings of a business website! Understand the concepts being presented here and you will have discovered some of the keys to fantastic online success!
Business Fundamentals
Every business on the planet follows a very simple formula.
Quite simply – the formula determines how much money the business generates. That formula is as follows:
Leads (Enquiries)
X
Conversion Rate
=
Number of Sales
X
Average Sale
=
Revenue
This formula shows us that the money a business generates is directly determined by:
- The number of enquiries or leads that the business receives
- The rate at which it converts those enquiries (the conversion rate) to sales.
- The amount of money the customer spends each time they buy from the organisation (the average sale)
Common Types of Websites
Before we discuss how these fundamentals relate to a website let's take a look at the two most common types of business websites:
Sales
This type of website is focused on generating sales for the company. You have probably seen many of these types of websites. The official name for them is an ‘E-Commerce’ website.
In this type of website you usually select products, add them to a shopping cart and pay via credit card etc. These types of websites are usually setup by retail stores or home-based businesses that are looking to generate more sales.
Sometimes the website is setup so that only a customer with an account can order or purchase off the website. Prior to ordering, the customer has to login to the website to confirm their identity. This type of website is usually set up by a wholesaler or distributor who is looking to automate the ordering process.
Some websites contain a mixture of both types of selling.
Enquiries
This type of website is focused on generating enquiries for a company’s products or services.
Many companies have a product or service that cannot be sold online due to the complexity of selling it, the price of it, the complexity involved in delivering the product /service and so on. In such cases, a company will often set up a website to simply drive enquiries for the product or service.
What Governs the Performance of a Website?
Let’s take a look at these two different types of website and the key “success metrics” that determine their success.
‘Sales’ Focused Website
The performance of a ‘sales’ focused website is governed by the following formula.
Website Visits
X
Conversion Rate
=
Number of Sales
X
Average Sale
=
Revenue
As you can see from this formula, there are three key ‘success metrics’ that determine how successful a website focused on ‘sales’ will be – those three things are:
- The number of visits that the website receives
- The rate at which it converts those visits (the conversion rate) into sales.
- The amount of money the buyer spends each time they buy from the website (the average sale)
‘Enquiries’ Focused Website
The performance of an enquiries focused website is governed by an even simpler formula.
Website Visits
X
Conversion Rate
=
Number of Enquiries
As you can see here, there are two key ‘success metrics’ that determine how successful a website focused on ‘enquiries’ will be – those two things are:
- The number of visits that the website receives
- The rate at which it converts those visits (the conversion rate) into enquiries.
So why do so many website fail?
“Why Do So Many Websites Fail?”
Most websites fail because people do not understand what drives a website’s results.
Make sure you completely understand this next bit – because it is extremely important! …
In order to have a successful website you need to understand:
- Website Visits – the importance of website visits and how to increase the number of visits to your website!
- Conversion Rate – the importance of conversion rate and how to increase the amount of website visits that are converting to sales or enquiries!
- Average Sale (online sales only) – the importance of average sale and how to increase the amount that people spend every time they buy off your website!
I cannot emphasis this enough! If you do not understand ‘website visits’ and ‘conversion rate’ and how to improve each one – you are going to have a very hard time generating any substantial level of success with your website!
If your website is failing to deliver results it will be because of one of the above reasons. That’s it!!!
Sounds pretty simple doesn’t it!
Improving Success Metrics
Many people understand the basics of improving these key areas in a physical business.
For example - if you want to increase the leads your business is receiving you might run a newspaper advert or make some cold calls. If you wanted to increase your conversion rates, you could increase the perception of your business by presenting a more professional image, or introduce a number of testimonials or success stories into your sales pitch, to enhance your credibility.
Similar principles apply on the Internet but they need to be implemented in an online way. A summary of *some* of the ways you might improve the success metrics on a website are as follows:
- Visitors
- Email signatures (automatic footer/sign-off)
- Search engine optimisation
- Promotion of website on business cards, brochures, letterheads, etc
- Promotion of website on physical advertising & promotions
- Email marketing
- Online banner advertising
- Directory listings, e.g., www.yellowpages.co.nz, www.ubd.co.nz
- Search engine advertising
- Affiliate marketing.
- Conversion Rate
- Fast-loading website
- User-friendly website layout
- Professional, personalised website design
- Strong sales proposition
- Compelling sales copy
- Clear sales process and pathway
- Great testimonials & references
- Guarantee
- Clear terms and conditions & privacy policy.
- Average Sale
- Cross-sells
- Up-sells
- Specials and Promotions
- Wish-lists
- Volume pricing
- Gift vouchers
- Best sellers
- New items
- 2-for-1 packages.
The Problem with most Website Companies!
Most website companies are focused on one thing. …
Building a pretty website that has lots of ‘bells and whistles’!
Makes sense doesn’t it?
Problem is – a pretty website with lots of ‘bells and whistles’ doesn’t necessarily deliver money into your bank account!
You need a website that delivers measurable results! A website that delivers sales or enquiries! …
The KMi Approach!
We have a unique approach created over many years for delivering to you a website that drives measurable results!
Instead of just delivering a great website we deliver to you an entire website program! A program that guides you through the end-to-end process of achieving a website that wins business!
Our passionate belief is that in order for you to be incredibly successful online we must provide you with four things:
- Fantastic Website – a website that maximises your chances of attracting website visitors and converting those visitors into sales or enquiries. A website that follows international standards and benchmarks for visitor attraction and conversion.
- Powerful Tools – a complete measurement and tracking system (normally only found on top corporate sites) that enables you to manage and improve the results delivered through your website plus a set of tools that allow you to structure and manage every single aspect of your website's content with a few clicks of a button.
- Expert Assistance – we will meet with you to plan out every single aspect of your website – right down to correctly structuring the website all the way through to the promotion and marketing of the new website.
- Ongoing Support – a regular meeting with us to review results and brainstorm strategies to continually increase ongoing website performance.
This program is called – ‘Solutions For Business!’ (SFB)
In Summary
So once more - you get:
- A high performance website that meets or exceeds all benchmarks to attract website visitors & encourage them to buy or make an enquiry.
- A complete measurement and tracking system, normally only found on large corporate sites that enables you to manage and improve the results delivered through your website.
- We will meet with you to plan out every single aspect of your website – right from correctly structuring the website all the way through to the promotion and marketing of the new website.
- Ongoing support through a regularmeeting with us to review results and brainstorm strategies to continually increase ongoing website performance.
So how much do you think it would cost to get a program like this – a program focused on achieving results? £5,000? £10,000? Maybe even £15,000?
Well the great news is this ….
The ‘Solutions For Business’ (SFB) program costs far less than this!!
You can register your interest right now by clicking here!
We will come out to you for a FREE one hour Consultation (currently available in Cumbria only - phone based consultation available everywhere else). Discuss your business, its products and services and their potential to be promoted and possibly even sold online using a website!