In conversations with search engine optimization experts in Chicago, the consensus is, it’s not just about the traffic but what happens once you get it.  Do your visitors stay or go? Do they return and connect?  Are they compelled to pick up the phone, buy something, sign-up for something or even walk through your door?  The ideal result from SEO (search engine optimization) is that your visitors do what you intended them to do.

But if you don’t make it perfectly clear what you want people to do …how are they going to know?

Take for example our newsletter.

It lets people know what’s going on with events and classes, occasionally has a word of wisdom, and last week it included a Crain’s media opportunity.  It’s become a central way in which we connect and communicate with our community.

So why is there absolutely no copy on our website that reflects how important it is to sign-up for the newsletter? And why is there only a tiny sliver in the center of our home page that whispers, “sign-up for the newsletter”  when it should be a big honking space?

Because business is always in a learning process.  When the newsletter was envisioned, it didn’t seem all that important so it didn’t get the provenance on the site it deserved.  Now it plays a bigger role and should get a bigger place on the home page.  You adjust as you go.  In SEO (search engine optimization) it’s called analytics and it’s an ongoing and important part of success.

While an overall strategic plan is very important…so are small steps taken wisely.