You want your website to be working for you 24/7, especially when you're a small business owner. Your website can be welcoming visitors, selling, answering questions, taking appointments, collecting emails, and anything you can think of that will save time for you—and reduce your to do list.
I'm going to show you 5 automate website hacks that will save you much needed time:
Have an FAQ page
Talk about your prices
Use an online scheduler
Add a chatbot
Set up an automated email sequence
Have an FAQ Page
In talking with clients and prospective clients, you've probably found that they often have the same questions. Creating an FAQ page, or an FAQ section on your pages, not only saves you time, but it can weed out the serious buyers from the tire kickers.
For example, on my Audit My Website and Done For You pages, I have a small FAQ section that answers common questions I get asked, such as the cost and how long it will take. When I get on a call with a potential client, they're more likely to already be aware of the cost because they had to go to my website in order to schedule time on my calendar. No surprises!
Which leads me into my next suggestion...
Talk About Your Prices
I'm a firm believer in showing your prices on your website. It's usually one of the top 5 questions on people's minds, so why not answer it?
Marcus Sheridan, author of They Ask, You Answer, devotes an entire chapter to this topic.
In it, he recommends answering the question by explaining the factors that dictate the cost, what the buyer can expect to see in the industry, and where your company falls in relation to the pricing and what they get for the price.
The chapter is called How One Article About Money Generated More Than $6 Million in Sales. That title alone makes a pretty good argument to talk about prices on your website.
Use an Online Scheduler
I recall a business owner who was very much against an online scheduling tool because she preferred to have a high-touch business. Being able to communicate with people was very important to her. There's nothing wrong with that. However, she also had an assistant who took care of the back and forth communication required to coordinate a day and time that worked for her boss and the potential client.
If you don't have an assistant and it's more important to you to protect your time, an online scheduler is one way to do it.
My Contact page as well as my Get More Leads button both link to Calendly so people can book a time that works for them. Calendly is linked to my Google calendar so that double booking is never a problem and I don't have to go back and forth coordinating a meeting. Time saver!!
When someone books through Calendly, it generates information that tells that what to expect when we meet, and asks them to answer three questions that helps me to prepare for our meeting.
Because of these automated business processes and responses, I've yet to have a potential customer NOT show up for our meeting. Love it!!
Add a Chatbot
This sounds complicated, but it doesn't have to be.
Many businesses, especially small businesses, don't have a chatbot set up on their website. If you have one set up, you're already ahead of the game.
You can add a chatbot to your website to simply greet visitors and ask them if they have any questions. That's it. You don't need to set up a complicated if/then sequence of responses.
You can also program the chatbot to collect customer information. For example, my chatbot gives visitors the option to fill out a form when I'm offline.
Adding a chatbot not only can help your website be more friendly, but it can help generate new leads, collect valuable information, and you can use the conversations to clarify your message, spark ideas of new products or services to offer, or content to talk and write about.
Set Up an Automated Email Sequence
All this means is that you have a free offer, or lead magnet, in exchange for a first name and email. As part of your sales process, the delivery of your lead magnet should be automated, along with a series of emails that they receive afterwards. When you have this set up, your website is doing the job of selling, collecting, welcoming, and educating your visitors—and you don't have to do it over and over again!
I have my lead magnet on different pages on my site, but this is the landing page offer. Once the button is clicked, I have an email sequence set up that delivers the freebie as well as adds the new contact to receive 5 Minute Website Reviews every week.
Implement Business Automation on your Website
Why continue to do time consuming tasks when you can save time by setting up automated processes and business information on your website?
Try out one, two, or all five of these ideas and see how much of a difference it can make to your business.
Psst... If you need help getting your website to convert web visitors into leads, let's find out how I can help you by booking time on my calendar.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
As a published children's author, StoryBrand Certified Guide, copywriter and marketing strategist, Sandra Beatty helps service-based business owners convert web visitors into leads by implementing a website and marketing strategy, and getting clear on their messaging.
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