Is Your Website Set Up for Success in 2021?

2020 forced all of us to adapt to a digital lifestyle, whether we were ready or not.

That goes for our businesses as much as our personal lives! Whether you had to whip up a new website or shift some of your offers to work online, you probably had to take quick action in 2020 to support your business.

You did it! Congratulations.

Now that we’re entering a new year, though, what should you have in mind? How can you make sure that your digital presence — especially your website — helps your business grow?

Is Your Website Set Up for Success in 2021?

1 | Set specific goals you want to accomplish

The first step to assessing your website is to ask yourself: What do you want to achieve in 2021? Maybe you want to increase your site traffic or sell more products in your shop. Maybe you’d like to see more calls booked for your services or higher engagement on your social media pages.

Whatever your goals are, write them down and get specific with them! If you want, you can even break larger goals down into mini-goals. Reaching your main goal will seem less overwhelming, and you get to celebrate little wins along the way. 

Here’s a quick cheat sheet for writing out your goals:

• Choose one big goal you want to achieve
• Break that goal down into 3-5 mini goals that will help you get there
• Describe how you’ll measure your progress
• State how long you’ll be tracking your goal

So, your overall goal to sell more products in your shop may turn into smaller goals like getting 20% more subscribers on your email list or boosting sales by 30% for a particular product in Q2.

Related post: The Straightforward Way to Make Sure You’re Running a Business, Not a Hobby

2 | Check the functionality of your site

You have your goals set. Now, is your website helping you reach those goals? Or could it be holding you back? Spend some time at the start of the New Year updating your website, especially if you can’t remember the last time you gave it a refresh! 

Check on the pages and functions that will help you reach your goals first. For example, if your big goal is to increase product sales, make sure the checkout process for your online store still runs smoothly. Look over every product page to see if anything needs tweaking or updating — product description, pricing, links, shipping info, and so on.

From there, look through the rest of your pages to make sure they’re up to date for 2021. Adjust your landing pages, CTAs, and links. While you’re at it, back up your website to protect your content! 

Related Post: How to Prepare Your Website for the New Year 

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3 | Make sure you’re mobile-friendly

“Doom scrolling” was a real thing in 2020. Say you snuggle up on your couch, ready to wind down at the end of the night, and you bring out your phone to check Instagram or Twitter or the news just one more time. Hours later, you realize you’ve been on your phone reading worrisome or scary news about the pandemic. So much for relaxing.

We’re not advocating the practice of doom scrolling at all, because it’s definitely not great for your mental health. We bring this up to mention how much time people spent on their phones in 2020. Not just to worry about the news, but also to escape. Shop online. Connect with loved ones.

Your site has to be mobile-friendly to meet your audience where they are. If it’s not, you’re missing out on potential loyal customers and new sources of revenue. After all, over 75% of internet users in the U.S. go online via mobile, and that number probably increased in 2020. 

4 | Remember your audience

You’re probably not the exact same person you were in 2020. That means your target customer may have changed, too! 

Your website should always be tailored to your target audience for the best chance of success. You should know basic details like:

• How old they are
• Where they live
• Gender or preferred pronouns
• Education level
• Typical career or industry
• Their marital status

But don’t forget to look at factors that may have changed, like their values, needs, behaviors, or interests. You may have noticed that the pandemic has increased or decreased their shopping frequency. Maybe the items or services they shop for have completely changed while in quarantine. 

Make note of how your audience may have changed — or not changed. Adjust your site content to cater to those changes. Part of knowing your target audience is knowing what they respond to, what moves them to take action, which will help your business.

Related Post: How To Figure Out What Your Audience Wants To Read

Final Thoughts 

I hope this helped you prepare your website and your business for success! No matter what happens in the months to come, you’ll find that being mindful of your audience and checking in with your website frequently is always a good idea.

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