By Todd Jamieson, special to Overdrive

A website is an essential business tool, but it can be even more powerful than we think.

Instinctively, we always seem to focus our efforts around driving more sales or getting more website leads. But your website should be doing even more. When visitors come to your site, they are there to accomplish at least one of the following things: (1) To Buy from you, (2) To communicate with you, (3) To connect with you or (4) To learn from you.

Keeping this in mind, here are ten ways you can use your website (besides getting more leads).

1. Build your team.  Tell people what it is like to work for you in a section that really sells your work/life balance to new prospective employees. Provide an easy-to-fill-out form to make it easy for candidates to apply.
2. Show off your work.  Create a photo gallery showcasing some of your past work to give people a true sense of your capabilities.
3. Teach people what you do. Create a blog and share information about what you do and why you are so good at it. You can keep the posts short like Seth Godin or if you feel your audience wants more, make them a little longer.
4. Connect with prospects.  Under each key staff member’s bio, add a link to Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest.
5. Spread the word.  Encourage people to “Steal Our Stuff!” – share your images and content via social sharing tools like Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter.
6. Speak more directly.  With a simple newsletter signup tool, you can build an online email database of prospects and customers who want to hear what you have to say. Make sure to sell it, though, and write a page about what they can expect.
7. Build trust.  Brag about your successes – dedicate a page to quality client testimonials. Use their names if at all possible and trim them down as required so they really stand out. Think big box movie quotes.
8. Become a broadcaster.  Use your iPhone and iMovie to make a short video or create a slide show online.
9. Share useful information.  Write an original report or white paper for people to get free information (for sharing their email address).
10. Encourage online support.  Integrate a tool that allow people to ask questions and get help anytime they need it.

 

What are some innovative things you are using on your site that allow visitors to communicate, connect or learn from you?