Fist, don’t panic. Getting a new website affects all kinds of factors, and there can be a lag time before your new site starts picking up the same traffic and making the same kind of sales you had on your old site. Here are typical problems to look for and what to do about it.
1. Your traffic has decreased. It’s important not to look at traffic in terms of quantity only. Quality leads are what will improve your sales. If your new site has a reduction in quantity, but the keywords are more appropriate, and people are staying longer, you’re going to have a better chance at converting more–even with less traffic. Be sure to look at your web site stats to quantify and qualify your traffic.
If you decided that you needed a new domain name to go along with your new website, make sure everything is pointing to the new site correctly.
2. No one is contacting you. If the traffic is there, but you’re getting a low response from your contact form, you’ll need to double check these items:
- Calls to action: It sounds basic but calls to action summarize what the person should do next if they want to move forward.
- Weak web design: Do your contact buttons stand out clearly or do they get lost? Are your clickpaths confusing?
- Weak copy: Is your copy persuading people that you are the right choice for them? Does your copy answer their pre-sale questions?
A great tool for determining the cause of low conversions is to find out how people are using your site. Google Analytics is a good start, but also adding an application like Crazy Egg http://www.crazyegg.com/ (click mapping software), or Clicktale http://www.clicktale.com/ (let’s you watch actual user sessions).
3. Your search engine rankings have slipped. Again, make sure all your old pages are being re-directed properly. Also, qualify your past rankings. If you were ranking for keywords that miss the mark of what your company does, then going down for those keywords might not be a loss. If you have gone down for important keywords, then check to make sure your new copy and meta tags have those keywords. Have your web designer create a Google sitemap to help the robots pick up on new pages sooner.
If you need help doing any testing or troubleshooting contact us. We’ll be happy to do a website assessment and consult with you to improve your website’s performance.
About the author: Jeune Ortiz is VP of Marketing and Creative Director at future-ink. With more than 20 years of experience in graphic design and marketing, Jeune brings extensive knowledge and creativity to each website and internet marketing solution to grow your business.
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