6 things every business owner needs on their website

So you’ve got yourself a shiny new website and now you’re ready for the world to see it. But before you go shouting about it from the rooftops and updating your social media profiles, slow down, take a deep breath, and make sure your website is ready to turn those visitors into subscribers and clients.

Here’s the thing: you can have the prettiest looking website in the world but if you don’t have a way of getting people onto your list or booking your services, your website is not doing its job.

Some designers and coaches will tell you your website is your most valuable employee. I like to think of your website as your new, favorite business BFF. When you have a strategic and smart website, it will always have your back. Your website will work behind the scenes to sell your services and programs automatically so you don’t have to.

It will help you build your credibility, position you as the expert you are, and make it easy for your dream clients to book your services. Plus, it will save you time from having to spend all your time networking or worse, cold-calling/emailing.

With that in mind, there are 6 things that every boss babe should have on her website. What’s even better, you can add all of those things today, without hiring someone to do it for you. So without further ado, let’s tackle those 6 things, one by one!

**Heads up! This post contains affiliate links but I only recommend products and tools that I absolutely, truly, madly, deeply love and use on a daily basis! If you sign up with my link, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.**

1. Email optin

One of your website goals should most definitely be to grow your email list. Not everyone will be ready to hire you right out the door, but if you have a way of getting their email information, you can stay top of mind by sending a weekly newsletter packed with your awesomeness.

But…

Don’t just ask people to sign up for your newsletter. That’s not very interesting or exciting and you want people to hand over their email address with enthusiasm and invite you into their inbox.

Instead, ask them to become a part of a VIP club or download a freebie. If you’re asking them to be a part of the VIP club, make sure you’re not sharing the same content as you do on social media or your blog.

If you’re offering a freebie, make it super valuable AND easy to implement. Give them a quick win they can implement in 5 minutes or less and feel accomplished.

Your email optin should be included on your homepage and you can also include it in your blog posts. Squarespace makes it super easy to add an email optin form to every blog post and page on your website. All you have to do is add a Newsletter block and connect it with your email service provider. Another way to add an optin form with Squarespace is to use their Promotional Popup if you’re using the Business Plan.

When it comes to WordPress, you’re spoilt for choices. There is no shortage of plugins that make it easy to add different types of email optins. In fact, there are so many options that I’ll cover them in another post, otherwise we’ll be here forever.

2. Share buttons

Adding share buttons to each and every post is a must if you want to get more eyeballs on your content. After all, your awesome content deserves to be seen and the best way to spread it around is to have your loyal followers and readers share it with their own circle.

I’m a big fan of Sumo Share buttons and you can see them in action on the left-hand side of my website. You can easily add them to your website by adding a small snippet of code if you’re using Squarespace or install their plugin if you’re on WordPress.

Sumo makes it easy to add the share buttons both above and below your blog posts and the share buttons are optimized for mobile so even if someone is reading your post on mobile device, they can use the buttons to share your post. The best part? The share buttons won’t interfere with the content on smaller screens.

3. A way to book your services

I mentioned earlier that your website can be your best salesperson because it makes it possible for your dream clients to book your services automatically (and while you’re asleep or binge-watching Netflix).

That’s why you need to have an easy way for people to book your services. A Service or Work With Me page alone isn’t going to cut it. You need to make it super clear and super easy for people to book.

For example, you could use a scheduling tool like Acuity (Squarespace users get their Emerging Entrepreneur for free!) and embed the scheduler into your homepage or your services page.

If you need something more robust, you could use Dubsado, embed their lead capture form on your website and create a whole automated workflow and a smooth onboarding process your clients will LOVE.

4. Your Photo

If you’re like most solopreneurs, you are your own brand. When you take into consideration that most people prefer to deal with HUMANS, you can start to see just how powerful a personal brand can be.

So… that leads to tip #4 which is make sure your website includes your photo. Ideally, a photo of your smiling, beautiful face should be above the fold on your homepage but you should also include it on your about page.

When people see your photo, they will be able to connect with you and see that there is a real life person behind the brand which instantly makes you more likeable.

Now, that doesn’t mean you have to go and have a professional photoshoot. You can easily add a pro-looking photo to your website yourself. Grab your smartphone, your bestie or your husband (or even your kid!), find a solid color surface in your home and go to town.

5. Social Proof

Your website helps you build credibility. In other words, it should tell other people that you know what the fuck you’re doing which is what makes them want to hire you. There are two ways to get that trust factor going.

1. Include testimonials from your past clients.

If you haven’t asked for testimonials yet, you’re missing out. If you’ve had clients before, then you should definitely reach out to them and ask them to share their feedback and in a few sentences describe what was it like working with you. It’s even better if they are willing to share their photo.

2. Include logos from places you’ve been featured.

If you’ve written a blog post, reach out to the website owner and ask them if they have a copy of their logo you can use on your website to link back to the guest post. Chances are they can pull their logo from their media kit and will be more than happy to give it to you as everyone loves free traffic.

6. Contact Form

Lastly, your website needs a contact form. Or your email address. Or social media profiles. You get the point - you need to have a way for everyone to get in touch with you. Whether they want to ask a few more questions about your services or ask about potential collaboration.

If you want to be all super fancy, you can even embed Facebook Messenger on your website like I have done. This makes it easy for visitors to start a conversation with you and you can even pre-write a few messages or questions to help them get started and point them in the right direction.

So there you have it, those are the 6 things every boss babe should have on her website. While those things are easy to implement on your own, I totally get if you don’t feel like doing it yourself. But, hey, I’d be happy to help.

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