How many times have I visited a website and had to hunt for the contact information or an event location? More than I care to count!
Ask a friend or colleague (a new user) to start at the home page of your website and track how long and how many clicks it takes to find your telephone number or contact us form. If the website serves an event, ask them to find the dates, times, and FULL location including venue, street address, city, state and zip code. I am surprised when I find event websites that list the street address and city but not the state or zip code. Sure, many event attendees are local but how do out-of-towners find you?
With the Internet today, companies can work worldwide, however, many of us still bring in a large portion of our revenue from the local economy. Large companies purposely omit telephone numbers - which is appropriate for their size. However, I assume if you are reading this blog you are not from Verizon or Home Depot or similar corporation.
If your website is for a business, include your logo and telephone number at the top of every web page and your Company Name, Address, and territory at the bottom of all web pages - in html. Simple concept but often overlooked... If you work from home, for safety reasons, you probably don't want to include your street address. Use a local PO Box instead. Looks similar to this:
Your Company Name, Your Street Address or PO Box, Your City, Your State Your Zip
If you provide services in a local economy include the following:
Serving the cities of xxxxx, xxxxx, xxxxx and the zip codes of XXXXX, XXXXX, XXXXX.
Users often search local zip codes and city names for services and products in their area. "hair stylist 99999" or "hair stylist springfield" Put it all together you get:
Your Company Name, Your Street Address or PO Box, Your City, Your State Your Zip
Serving the cities of xxxxx, xxxxx, xxxxx and the zip codes of XXXXX, XXXXX, XXXXX.
If your website is for an event, then clearly indicate Dates, Times, and Location at the top of every web page in or just below your masthead. Remember to include your state for out-of-state guests and zip code for gps searches. If appropriate, clearly indicate how to register or buy a ticket.
If your website already contains the full contact or event information, CONGRATULATIONS! Your people can find you...
Posted on August 16, 2011 | Permalink | Join email list