First – take a deep breath.  We understand what’s on your mind…

You have your fancy website up and running, and it’s not doing the job for you.  But rather than fork out another wad of cash to get someone like us to fix it for you, you want to know if there is something you can do yourself to increase the traffic to your business.

We’re happy to say, “Yes, you can,” and so here are 3 very basic tips below that may help you optimize the effectiveness of your site without resorting to professional assistance.

Please don’t let the simplicity of these items put you off, they are important!

Keeping It Clean

Now, it may seem obvious, but it is surprising how many website Landing Pages/Home Pages we come across that are just way too stuffed with graphics and words and different fonts and colors that make the whole thing look totally confused and muddled and basically unattractive.

A messy Landing Page is a huge turn-off. Keep it clean, spacious, with nice bold type and selected images that convey exactly what it is you are offering.  In addition to the ultra-important title tag, a good banner headline is very important and helps too.

Whatever you specialize in, you must ensure that the first page your visitor sees tells her immediately what you do and why you should do it. The theory is you gotta let her know within 5 seconds, or poof, she’s gone).

Get A Tagline

You may already have a tagline (phrase or statement or motto) that summarizes what your practice does…but it is possible it isn’t really doing the job for you effectively enough. And yes, even a top-flight medical practice ought to have a tagline.

Again, a tagline that doesn’t flow nicely or isn’t punchy enough won’t do your business any favors. Now, it’s possible you have dreamt your tagline up yourself and you’re proud of it and think it’s absolutely fantastic, clever and in fact a piece of genius – but you may be the only one who thinks so!

Obviously that’s no good for your business. So check your tagline out amongst your friends and colleagues and ask them for their honest opinion.

Or if you know it is horrible – take the time and change it!

Hit ‘Em Square Between The Eyes!

What we mean is – when your visitors land on your Home Page and they have decided to stay because they like the way your website looks, they want to start reading a few words to see if the look of your website is matched by the content.

Again, you want a few well-written paragraphs (200-300 words is fine) that tell people precisely what you do and how well you do it.

It’s basically an introduction and a prequel to what lies in store further on in your site. It’s a kind of foreword in a book that should entice your visitors to continuing exploring and venturing deeper into your world.

But in order for them to be enticed they need to be reading some great words, words that excite them and instill in them a feeling that they may have stumbled upon the exact thing they are looking for. You want them feeling like they’ve just struck gold!

So there it is – 3 proven steps to guarantee the effectiveness of your practice’s website that you can do yourself.

Or at the very least, bear these tips in mind, take a look at your site, and ask yourself if your site is doing the things it should be…then seek help!

But how do we know these methods are proven, you may be wondering?

Well, it’s simple. Website marketing has been our business for the past decade. We know what works and what doesn’t…because much of our knowledge has come from being in exactly the same boat as other website owners. It is only through experience and constant testing that we have acquired the expertise we have today.

The way we see it, given these difficult economic times not only in the U.S. but all around the world, a healthy business helps everyone in business, wherever they are.

Sharing can only be a good thing…even when you’re in competition.

Scott