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Is Your Website Helping Prospects Move Forward? By M. H. "Mac" McIntosh, President, Mac McIntosh Incorporated Is your website helping prospects move forward in their consideration and buying process? Here’s a checklist of questions to ask yourself.

Does it clearly spell out

• The products or services your company sells?
• The most common applications for your products or services?
• The types of businesses or institutions you serve? business? education? government?
• The size of organizations your company serves? large? medium? small?
• The geographies you serve? local areas? states? countries? regions of the world?

• Are there clear, consistent and well-organized menus?
• Is there a functional search mechanism?
• Are text links to related or in-depth information included?
  
• Are graphics clickable?

Does your website quickly communicate your company’s unique selling proposition? 

• Explain why your company is a better choice than the competition?
• Address your prospective customers’ needs from their point of view?

Does your website explain the additional resources you can bring to bear for your customers?

Does it give details about

• The pre- and post-sales support services you offer your customers? 
• The companies you partner with to bring value-added solutions to your customers?
• Does your website contain lots of offers designed to engage prospects and start sales-winning relationships?

Are there multiple offers

• For each stage of the prospects’ buying cycle? early? middle? late?
• Being made on every appropriate page of your site?

Does your website make it easy for your prospects and customers to take the next steps in their consideration or buying process?

• Does every page of your website include strong calls to action?
• Is your company’s contact information easily found on every page?
• Does your website make it easy to place an order?
• Is entering orders as easy as it should or could be?
• Does the shopping cart work as smoothly as it should?
• Do your ordering processes and forms avoid making the customer start over if they make a mistake?
• Do you allow visitors to save shipping and payment information for future visits?

Are there multiple ways for prospective customers to request assistance or additional information about your company and its products or services? 

• Phone?
• Text chat?
• Email?
• Requesting a callback?
• Downloading  a document?
• Filling out a form?