Need a New Website? 5 Things to Convince Your Boss.
Each time you look at your company website, a little piece of your soul dies.
That’s because:
- The content’s all wrong
- It takes waaaay too long to load
- There’s no mobile responsiveness
- SEO is MIA
In short, the website sucks. You know it. Your customers know it.
Your boss doesn’t, though.
Sadly, you can’t put if off any longer. Your organization needs a new website in the worst possible way.
That’s the easy part.
The hard part? Getting your boss on board with it.
1. Show your boss….out-of-date information
Scour your website and jot down things like:
- Is there a coupon on your website….from 2012?
- On your team page, are there pics of employees…who no longer work there?
- Does your events page mention you’ll be attending…a 2008 trade show?
- Are there products on your catalogue…your company no longer offers?
Once you have your collection of expired info; go to your boss and casually ask things like:
- “Are we still offering that discount from 2012?”
- “Does so-and-so still work here?”
- “Will we be attending the 2008 trade show?”
- “Do we still sell such-and-such a product?”
After your boss looks at you like you have three heads, they’ll probably give you the most annoyed “no” answer you can imagine.
That’s when you turn on the charm and calmly explain this out-of-date information is still prominently displayed on your website and that it:
- Gives a bad impression
- Annoys people
2. Show your boss…how bad it looks on mobile
As a savvy marketing expert, you already know more people surf the web on mobile devices vs. desktop or traditional computers.
And you also know that Google penalizes websites which aren’t mobile-friendly.
Now, your boss needs to know that.
Have him or her call up your website on their mobile device and have them perform a simple task, such as:
- Visit your product catalogue
- Click on a particular item
- Submit a contact form for additional information
While they’re doing that, secretly time them.
When they’re done, ask them about their experience. How the site looked on their device? How long it took pages to load? Could they complete the task?
Chances are, it was frustrating to them.
Now explain that, for customers, they would have given up less than 3 seconds in and gone somewhere else if they felt annoyed by your mobile website.
Then, explain that Google also finds it frustrating and punishes your website by making it harder to find.
3. Show your boss…it’s not on Google
When was the last time you did any significant search engine optimization to your website? We’re talking things like:
- Keyword research
- Fresh content
- Fix duplicate H1 tags
- Upload fresh videos and pictures
- Incorporate a linking strategy
Well, if your website is woefully out-of-date (as mentioned earlier in this blog), you probably haven’t.
Do a bit of keyword research and find the terms people would associate with your company and its products and services.
Then, enter those terms into Google. When your company doesn’t appear, take a screenshot.
Show that screenshot to your boss and explain that these are the terms our customers are using when looking for us – but they can’t find us.
You can also tell him/her that:
- 65% of prospective customers use Google as their primary search engine
- 91% of people look for something else if you aren’t on page one of Google
In short:
Almost everyone uses Google (which we’re not on) and almost everyone bails on page 1 (which we’re also not on).
4. Show your boss…some analytical data
Now, if your boss isn’t a numbers person, inundating him/her with charts, graphs, and other mumbo-jumbo won’t help your cause.
But you do need to measure results; the trick is communicating that information in an impactful, easy-to-understand way.
For example:
- Bounce rate as: they came (to the website), they saw (the content on the website), they left (because they hated it).
- Conversion rate as: how many people did the thing we need them to do on our website (fill out a form, download a guide, etc.).
- Traffic as: how many people actually arrived at the site.
Now, Google is full of fantastic analytical data. To get your point across, though, you really only need the three listed above.
5. Show your boss…the competition’s websites
Nobody wants to have the worst anything; and that includes websites.
Find the websites of your top competition and show your boss what you’re up against, such as:
- A library of helpful videos
- Case study success stories
- An easy-to-use navigation menu
- Strong CTA buttons
- Emotionally based, customer-centric content
Digital marketing moves fast. What works one day can be passé (or even detrimental to your business) the next.
If your website looks old, then it probably is.
And if your competitor’s website looks cool, modern, and relevant, then it definitely is.
Things you shouldn’t say
Your company needs a new website. That’s obvious.
And you’ve collected evidence that it’s a good idea, too.
Before visiting your boss and making your pitch, here are some things you shouldn’t say:
- Our website sucks and I’m embarrassed to send anyone to it
- Let’s find a cheap redesign company on Kijiji
- You know, we can build and run it ourselves
- Whoever built our website is an idiot (especially if it’s the boss or one of his family members)
Boss, we need a new website…
Your website is the #1 destination people visit when they want to learn about your company.
Not the yellow pages.
Not making a phone call.
Not social media.
Your website.
And if it has the issues mentioned above, it’s hurting your business.
Now, when your boss asks “how much is this gonna cost”, you can say that you booked a FREE consultation with WEB ROI to review your website, identify areas of opportunity, and eliminate the frustrations you have with it.
Your boss will love that. Schedule your FREE website consultation today
Download your FREE copy of 6 Guaranteed Ways to Drive More Qualified Leads.
