If 95% of people who visit your website aren’t ready to become clients, then what’s the point of having a website when it comes to marketing your business online? After all, isn’t the point of a website ultimately to get you clients?
Yes, it is. And, no, it isn’t.
As I pointed out a couple of weeks ago, you don’t want to try to attract visitors who are ready to become clients. You want to attract leads. Over time, those leads get to know you, trust you, and want to work with you. It’s not an overnight process.
Your website serves a purpose within that process: It generates authority.
What is Authority?
Authority can mean a couple of things. If you Google “how to increase website authority” you are probably going to get flooded with a ton of articles about search engine optimization (“SEO”). But that only gets people to your website. What about after they arrive?
Visitors need to ask a couple of questions about you when they land on your homepage. The first question is, “Does this person have what it takes to help me?” If you are a roofer and they are looking for a mechanic, then you can’t help them, and there’s no reason for them to stay. So the first two questions you have to address are:
- “Is this what I’m looking for?” and
- “Can you help me?”
The third question is, “Can I trust you?” Remember, you are ultimately going to ask them for money. That means giving you a credit card number. This is not something people give out easily.
And finally, “Do I like you?” People don’t buy from businesses, they buy from people they like. Just ask yourself this: If you come across a business website and determine that they can help you and you can trust them, but you anticipate working with them to be painful, do you really want to start working with them in the first place? Probably not. After all, the internet should be full of people who can help and are compatible with your personality.
So, now, let’s look at important things to include on your website to build up your authority.
How to Build Website Authority with SEO
When Google compares websites to see which ones are most relevant for searches, there are certain triggers that get its attention.
Keywords and phrases are first. When you design your website pages, you want to optimize each page for a single keyword. If you sign into your Google Ads account you can access their Keyword Planner. That will help you pick the keywords according to popularity (and price if you use paid ads). Two other SEO tools I love are Ubersuggest and Answer the Public. Once you pick your keyword phrase for a page, look at variations so that you can add those in as well.
Google also looks at visitor time on a page. If you have a page that is extremely short, visitors will land and move on. Make sure you have content that keeps attention and moves them down the page. Then, make it easy to move to another page and continue the experience.
All your images should have alt tags. The alt tag is the text that describes what the picture is about. If possible add your keyword into the alt tag to show up in Google search They also make your website more user-friendly for those who have difficulty reading and use text-to-voice programs that read to them.
Google likes fresh content. This is where the power of blogging comes in. If you continue to create new content that engages your audience, they will continue to go to it, spend time on your blog, and let Google know that what you have to offer is important enough to rank well.
Good Website Design Also Builds Authority
“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” You’ve surely heard that before, and it’s just as true for your website as it is for your interpersonal life. After all, your website is your online persona that meets visitors 24/7. Their experience of your website will transfer to their anticipated experience of you. You want them to like the experience.
Design for clarity and avoid clutter. Don’t try to fill up all the nooks and crannies with text or images. Clean website design makes reading easy and avoids unnecessary frustration. Whitespace is your friend.
Make sure you use high-quality images that reinforce your message. You want beautiful and relevant. Also, make sure you keep them under 200 kb. Larger images slow down load time, which is a major factor in the user experience.
Let’s put a face to your business with high-quality headshots. You want people to have the sense that they are talking with a person. If you happen to have appealing pictures of you working with clients that you can scatter around the site, even better. This will help them to imagine what it would be like to work with you.
Display your memberships, certifications, and awards proudly. If you are a member of an official group, it shows you are connected to a reputable organization. Certifications show that you have achieved the expertise visitors need. Awards reveal accomplishment and exceptional ability. The visual impact these have cannot be overstated.
Build Authority with Content
When people arrive on your website and they are wondering, can you help me, it’s best not to beat around the bush. Be clear. State directly the need that you meet. Visitors don’t have the time or patience to sit around all day and listen to you talk around the issue. If you are a financial coach who specializes in building for retirement, got that on the table immediately when they land.
As your website speaks to your visitors. You want it to demonstrate empathy. You want to show people that you truly get where they’re coming from. If you don’t understand their problem and their needs, odds are good you can’t help in the way that they expect. They know this, and they will be looking for this.
Every visitor who comes to your website is going to have some questions and some concerns. Don’t hide from these. Anticipate and address questions and concerns right up front. the sooner you can work with their objections and move them beyond those, the closer you move them to become a client.
Build Authority with Social Proof
Leverage social proof by adding testimonials from previous clients. It’s one thing for you to say that working with you is awesome. It’s completely different when you have several people with whom you’ve already worked saying that working with you is awesome. That tells potential clients that you can get the job done.
A spin-off of testimonials is case studies. These are also called success stories. In a case study, you have a short description of the journey itself. You describe your client’s crisis, how you addressed the issues involved, and reveal the amazing outcome. Because this is you writing about a business rather than someone writing a testimonial, you need to get permission to use it first.
Build Authority with Experience
One of the best ways you can earn authority in the mind of your ideal client is by actively helping them overcome a problem. That way, they know you can help them because you already have.
This is where a lead magnet comes in. Remember, most visitors aren’t ready to become clients yet. You need to nurture that relationship until they are. Then, once you have provided value by giving them a quick win and won them over, they will turn to you when they need help.
It’s All Interrelated
Building authority isn’t a matter of making this tweak to your website and everyone will push through the line to get on our calendar. It takes time because it’s about building relationships.
In fact, every aspect of your marketing strategy should ultimately be about building up authority in the minds of your audience.
Want to learn how to build an authority website that gets more leads & clients?
Watch the Get Leads & Clients Masterclass!
If you want help getting leads and clients, check out Heather’s FREE Get Leads & Clients Method masterclass. In this free training, Heather will walk you through three simple steps to build an automated marketing system that gives you more independence, generates more Income, and helps you make a bigger impact in the lives of others. By the end of the masterclass, you’ll have a detailed blueprint to follow to build yourself an authority website that generates 2-5x more leads.
Karyl joined our Get Leads & Clients Online Marketing Academy and is in the process of building her website and funnel. Here’s what she had to say about the training so far: “Thank you again for everything. It truly is the best thing I have done for myself as an entrepreneur, and for my business so far!”
Bo is the community manager for Wise Owl Marketing. He also helps with email marketing and content creation. Outside of Wise Owl, Bo owns his own dog-training business. When it’s time to relax, he prefers to simply spend time with his two dogs, Loki and Lugh, aka the “#McBuppies.”
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