Your website is the nucleus of your digital marketing stack.

Yes we saw this all the time. Yes we repeat ourselves almost daily on this. No we do not have this tattooed on our bodies yet but maybe one day, just as a constant reminder to anyone who glances at it (sure, a t-shirt could be better and easier but it’s way less dramatic!)

Why do we keep talking about this, posting about this, blogging about this? Well it’s because websites are the most important part of your tech stack and often left alone if they are “good enough”, “fine”, “working just well” when they could be working FOR you, instead of against you. Yes, your subpar website is working against you. It’s missing key SEO terms, it’s hard to navigate and loosing potential customers, it’s not found high enough in search rankings, your own keywords are causing cannibalization in any paid ads, and so much more.

A website serves as a critical tool for any business, fulfilling numerous essential functions that drive growth, customer engagement, and operational efficiency. Here are the key roles a website should play for a business.

A website needs to do a few things for you:

1. Establish an online presence for visibility and credibility.

  • Visibility: Acts as a digital storefront, making your business accessible to a global audience 24/7.
  • Credibility: Enhances credibility and professionalism, showing potential customers that your business is legitimate and trustworthy.

2. Showcase products and services.

  • Detailed Descriptions: Provides comprehensive information about your products or services, including features, benefits, and pricing.
  • Visuals: Uses images, videos, and infographics to visually represent what you offer, helping customers make informed decisions.

3. Generate leads and sales, conversions, contacts.

  • Contact Forms: Includes forms for visitors to request information, quotes, or services, capturing valuable leads.
  • E-commerce Functionality: Enables direct sales through online shopping carts and secure payment gateways.

4. Encourage and enhance customer engagement through things like content.

  • Interactive Features: Offers features like live chat, forums, or comment sections to engage visitors and answer their questions in real-time.
  • Content Marketing: Provides valuable content through blogs, articles, and resources that educate and inform your audience, building trust and loyalty.

5. Support your marketing efforts through SEO optimization and seamless integration with marketing tools.

  • SEO Optimization: Optimizes content and structure for search engines, improving visibility and attracting organic traffic.
  • Integration with Marketing Tools: Integrates with email marketing, social media, and CRM tools to streamline marketing campaigns and track their effectiveness.

6. Build brand awareness.

  • Consistent Branding: Ensures consistent use of logos, colors, and messaging to reinforce brand identity and recognition.
  • Storytelling: Uses the About Us page and other sections to share your brand’s story, mission, and values, connecting with visitors on a deeper level.

7. Collect and analyze data and data trends to make marketing, sales, and discovery easier.

  • Analytics Tools: Utilizes tools like Google Analytics to track visitor behavior, traffic sources, and other key metrics, helping you understand and improve website performance.
  • User Feedback: Incorporates feedback forms and surveys to gather insights on customer satisfaction and areas for improvement.

8. Supporting business growth, as a central hub for information that your audience can find and easily digest.

  • Scalability: Offers a scalable platform that can grow with your business, accommodating new information products, services, and markets as needed.
  • Partnership Opportunities: Facilitates partnerships and collaborations by showcasing your business to potential partners and investors.

A well-designed and functional website is essential for establishing an online presence, showcasing products and services, generating leads and sales, enhancing customer engagement, supporting marketing efforts, providing customer support, building brand awareness, collecting and analyzing data, enhancing operational efficiency, and supporting business growth. By fulfilling these roles, a website can significantly contribute to the success and expansion of a business.

These 8 things are what a well thought through and optimized website can do and support your business in. Don’t continue letting a subpar website hinder your marketing and sales motions.