Is your website turning clients off?

One of the first thing a prospect does is look up a company's website online. These days, it is primarily through Google.

The basic checks you need to do as a company are:

1. If someone Google's your name or puts it in any search engine, what comes up? Can they find you? If they can, are your details and company description correct and up-to-date? When they click on the link, is the page still active? Are there any broken links? Are the key messages on the page up-to-date with what you do and your positioning in the market?

2. Is your business listed on any business listing websites? If so, is this information up-to-date? Scroll through at least the first 20 pages on Google and any other search engines that your prospects may be using to find your company. Update them as a matter of priority.

3. Does your social media engagement reflect your brand? Are you communicating on facebook in a way that represents your brands best interest, or on Twitter? Is your Facebook page just for social reasons and if so, do you have the appropriate security measures in place so others outside your inner circle cannot see posts or pictures of you partying like there's no tomorrow?

Does your website represent your brand and position in the market?

4. When you look at your company website, do you cringe? Is it so out-of-date that you cannot look at it anymore?

5. Do you have the correct logo identity mark on your website and does it showcase your products and services in its best light?

6. Is the design modern and as good, if not better than your competitors?

7. How easy is it to navigate through your website? Does the page download fast? Can your prospect find your contact details easily?

How you can fix your website

8. If you have a content management system in place, then you should make it your top priority to update information on a regular basis. Put a note in your diary to look at your website at least once a week. If you don't have a content management system in place, then invest in it immediately. Your livelihood online depends on you staying up-to-date and as the economy continues down a path of uncertainty, your website may be your only weapon.

9. Fixing the look and feel of your website may only mean a few tweaks. For as little as $500, Marketing Eye refreshes company website's. Find a web design company or marketing firm in your local area that is able to help you modernize your website so you don't look like your website has been not touched since the 90's.

10. Start again. It's as simple as that. If your website needs a complete overhaul including design, copywriting, calls-to-action, interactivity, content management system, search engine optimization, branding, pictures that mean something and more - then consider an investment of $1,990 as being one of the best investments you can make this year. Imagine if your website was working as it should be and driving your business? Monetarize your website and set key performance indicators around its performance and ability to connect with prospects and engage with them, creating the forum for sales to occur.