Why isn't my website reaching its target audience?

It’s not you, it’s me...

In business, you need to adapt to what clients are looking for; and not the other way around. On the web, you may have the biggest budget, the best design, reputation, and information but people may still not reach it or may reach it and immediately drop off. 

Does it explain at first glance what you do?‍

Most people decide if a webpage will give them the right information in about 3 seconds or less. That’s why it’s important to be very clear from the start about what product/services you’re offering from the start. This is especially true for pages people have entered for the first time or aren’t very aware of the brand. Their low loyalty and brand awareness makes them easier to abandon and look for easier alternatives.

Do you understand what people are looking at and why?

Throughout our blog, you may have noticed we focus a lot on this question: are you sure you know your customer and their needs? Are you looking at and do you fully understand their problems? Are you focusing on their needs or only on your selling strategy?

People are looking for value in your solutions: they know they can be sold to, but they mostly need reassurance. They need to know you are a reliable source of knowledge and information, that you are specialized in your field of work. 

What are some ways to know and focus on what your leads are looking for?

• Looking into website traffic and searches.
• Creating surveys asking the right questions.
• Testing and documenting selling processes.
  

Are you giving people a reason to come back to your website?

Many institutional webpages are thought out like a digital brochure, where people access standard information and may need to reach out to get more in-depth and personalized information to make sure they find the information they are looking for. 

The problem with this approach is that you’re not giving your lead a reason to come back to your webpage or interact with you, you’re not adding any value to their buying process. So after they’ve consumed all the information you’ve provided to them, they may never return to your webpage. With no new information on valuable resources for them, the level of interaction drops and so does your brand awareness.

Are you paying attention to branding?

Popular brands receive more organic searches because a brand is positioned in the segment’s top of mind. Branding is fundamental to the awareness stage of your brand. But that doesn’t mean that it is exclusive to it. In this digital era, digital marketing ROI is easier to track. But when it comes to branding advertisements, their ROI is usually harder or not possible to obtain. 

Don’t forget to create a memorable brand. A webpage that is consistent will help stay in your lead’s mind.

Are you paying attention to your website’s design?

Website design may not be the core component to attracting leads, but it may influence their decision-making process. A website that looks old and forgotten, that doesn’t seem to have any investment may end up being forgotten, or may not make the impact you’re looking for.

Is your site SEO optimized? 

SEO or Search Engine Optimization is the process of adapting your webpage to rank higher in search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. Though there may not be a silver bullet solution to reach first position in these rankings, there are strategies that are known to generate more organic traffic. Some of these don’t even require much programming knowledge! Make sure you’re meeting these guidelines.

Are you leveraging other channels? 

Social media is a great way to earn traffic to your site. Manage your different pages in order to earn organic traffic from them and to appeal to people looking for your product or service. This will also create organic links to your site that’ll help boost your link quality score.

Conclusion

Gaining traffic to your website is not an easy task, especially at first. In the early stages and when your new site is just released, browsers need to find and index your site, and learn about how much relevant traffic it is receiving. 

Once your site has been indexed and is gaining traffic, it’s important to analyze what the traffic does on your site. If you’re not getting the amount or quality you need, it may be time for you to consider doing some social media, digital marketing and/or SEO efforts to change that.