Got a website?

Of course, you do. Every savvy, successful business owner, entrepreneur or professional knows that without an online presence, you’ll be hard-pressed to grow a profitable business.

The question is, does your website do its job?

Is it presenting the best “first impression” of you and your brand?

Does it confidently proclaim your expertise?

Do visitors instantly know what you do and who you work with?

If you can’t answer those questions with a resounding “Yes!” then your website could use some help.

Here’s what you might not realize about websites and how readers see them. If you don’t capture your visitor’s attention within a few seconds, they’re very likely to click off the page—never to return. Even worse, if they land on your site and are not immediately aware of what your business does—if they’re confused at all—you’ll have to work harder to earn their trust.

Clearly, your website has a big job to do, and it has to do it quickly. Some say in three seconds or less.

Three seconds.

We all know the power of first impressions and how long lasting they can be, so you simply cannot afford to waste those precious few seconds with a new visitor.

The benefits that come with a well-planned, beautifully executed website are numerous and vary based on what it is you or your company does. However, some of the perks you can anticipate are things like better name and brand recognition, more partnership opportunities, increased sales and profits, being able to charge higher service fees, and more opportunities for speaking engagements.

And best of all, your website will present the professional, polished image you want the world to see.

In order for your website to accomplish the many jobs, it has to do, it needs to be planned out properly.

Some of the planning essentials you’ll need to make sure you cover in the beginning include defining your primary website goal, mapping out your website flow, establishing your branding, determining how to let your personality shine through your content and how to attract the right traffic.

Once you get the right balance of these elements, you’ll find that your website will be ideally suited for your business, your products and services, and your visitors will happily take advantage of your offers resulting in business growth, which naturally, you’ll love.