6 minute read
Time for a website refresh?
TIME TOrefresh
YOUR WEBSITE
Is your website still bringing in new clients? If not, it’s time for a refresh…
WEBSITES, like many other things in life, can sometimes look a bit dated or old-fashioned and lose their appeal. You may not need anything as radical as an entirely new design or completely new copy, but a few updates can make a big difference. Think of it as being like having a mini-makeover because your old relationship has run its course and you’re ready for something new. Just as a new hair colour, or some new clothes can make you feel more confident, so giving your website a quick refresh can help revitalise your business!
Start with a long hard look
When did you last look at your own website? Really look? Start at the home page and work through the entire site. How does it make you feel? Do the words and images accurately portray the key messages you want to send to potential customers? Does your authentic voice come through? Are you telling prospective clients what they want to know quickly, or do they have to wade through paragraphs of your life philosophies before they find what they are looking for?
Start by making a list of everything that is no longer accurate or that could be better. This might include updating straightforward things like your practice opening hours, services offered, staff member details or session prices. It can also involve more subtle changes when your business has evolved, but the website doesn’t reflect this. Perhaps, for example, you now specialise in certain treatments, no longer practicing others, or you have higher demand for some services that should therefore be given more prominence.
Consider your customer base and your competitors
One of the keys to getting your website refresh right is to realise that it’s not your website, but it’s your customers’ website. You need to look at things through their eyes. How do they feel about your website
and what do they feel could be better about it? The simplest way to do this is to ask them what they think, but remember that many people prefer to be polite rather than offering constructive criticism. You can also ask friends or family members for their critical feedback, but you should also try to look at your site as if you were a potential client.
Another useful exercise at this stage is to look at the websites of some other holistic therapists. This can be a mix of your local competitors and also some therapists you admire. These may be therapists who have more experience but you can also discover the latest website looks by checking out sites belonging to new therapists. Make a list of what you like and don’t like.
Changing expectations
If you haven’t refreshed your website in the last couple of years, you may need to make some tweaks to optimise the user experience.
One thing to keep in mind is that the majority of people now access websites from mobile devices. This means that your website needs to be optimised for mobile usage. People also have incredibly short attention spans, staying on a page for just six to ten seconds, so you have a very limited time in which to captivate a potential client and get them to read more and contact you. Anything that is slow loading or difficult to navigate will simply be cast aside in favour of another option.
Similarly, people have come to expect instantaneous gratification, such as online booking and payment, video consultations and chat functionality, so you may want to incorporate these as part of a bigger website project.
Creating the right image
Images sell services. It’s important to use images that convey your expertise and integrity. Potential customers often connect more readily with images of the actual therapists and surroundings than stock photography, so using a photographer can be a worthwhile investment. Good angles and lighting make a huge difference.
If you’d rather stick with stock images, then there are many sites and many price points to choose from. Consider the diversity of your customer base and reflect this in your image choices – not every image needs to be some blissful-looking young white woman lying on a massage couch with an orchid tucked behind her ear.
Changing colour themes can also help refresh your website. Greens are associated with all things natural, dark blues are professional, pinks are thought of as fluffy and feminine. So, if you deal in Angel Readings, you may not want to adopt a black and grey colour scheme or use images with a threatening aura. Fonts and layouts, too, convey meaning about professionalism so choose wisely. You may want to purchase a site template where you can simply drop in suitable images and copy.
Mind your language
Aside from obvious things like spelling errors, there are three main considerations when it comes to the words used on your website. The first of these is complexity, the second is effectiveness and the last is tone of voice.
Language complexity can be measured using the Gunning-Fog index. For example, a commercial magazine is said to be likely to fail if the Fog index is over 14. The Sun Newspaper is pitched at 7.5, which means the average 7 ½ year old can understand it. The scale goes up to 15. Normally only academic journals or textbooks have scores higher than this. The complexity of this page so far is just under 12. You can copy the words from your web pages into the free calculator at http://gunning-fog-index.com/index.html to check this. In the UK, somewhere between 16 and 20% of adults have problems with reading and writing, with levels increasing according to the National Literacy Trust. This means it’s important to keep your website copy simple and easy to understand. Your website also needs to be persuasive, so the choice of words matter. Focus on the problems people experience and the solutions you offer. Use descriptors to help set a mood and convey benefits. Check that your words match the services you offer. If most of your clients come for sports massage or to deal with chronic pain, dial back on words like relaxing and luxurious in favour of effective, targeted, deep muscle, relief and similar choices.
In fact, other people’s words can be more powerful than your own. Using testimonials builds credibility in the eyes of potential customers.
In terms of tone of voice, aim for copy which is friendly and accessible, but which conveys your expertise and authority. Strip out anything which isn’t needed from your home pages and store it elsewhere. The best way of testing for tone of voice and persuasive language is to ask someone to read the copy aloud to you or do so yourself.
Lastly, if you find that you want to make a great many changes, then it may be time to redesign your website from scratch. n
