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Many people make basic mistakes on their websites, which we covered in the ‘Let’s Fix Your Website’ webinar, hosted by the San Francisco Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and the San Francisco Public Library.
In recent years, growing your business online has become increasingly complex, making a solid website essential for people to find you. I’ve conducted a few audits, and I’m confident that many of these insights will benefit you and enhance your business’s online presence.
Table of Contents
Alroundr
Alroundr is a skincare company, owned by Sajana, with a website that lacks clarity on its product offerings. The current greeting feels impersonal and resembles a chatbot.
The existing greeting prioritizes scheduling appointments over addressing visitors’ immediate skincare concerns. The homepage doesn’t communicate the primary service: one-on-one consultations for skin issues, which leaves visitors confused by navigation and messaging.
The target audience includes people dealing with skin problems, particularly acne and hyperpigmentation. It’s essential to highlight users’ emotional struggles and self-esteem issues related to their skin.
Recommendations
Introduce herself as a licensed aesthetician through a personal welcome video to build trust.
Clearly explain the remote consultation service. Avoid leading with a sales pitch before visitors understand Sajana’s background and expertise.
Tailor messaging to address common user concerns, such as confusion about products and self-esteem issues.
Add interactive elements for users to share their skincare concerns, creating a more personal experience.
Highlight testimonials and before-and-after stories to humanize the brand and enhance credibility.
Drive traffic organically through social media before investing in Google Ads.
Create content with tips for product usage and insights on common skin issues to establish Sajana as an expert.
Use tools like Tolstoy to create video interactions that guide users based on their concerns (e.g., self-confidence vs. product confusion).
Revamp email collection by offering personalized skincare advice in exchange for email addresses.
Ensure high-quality audio and video recordings to maintain professionalism.
Correct any spelling mistakes (e.g., “recipes”) and ensure all links and sections function properly.
Implementing these recommendations will create a welcoming, informative website that resonates with users, enhances their experience, and builds trust in the services offered.
Art By Renee Switkes
The website https://www.artbyreneeswitkes.com for Art By Renee Switkes | San Jose lacks functionality and is built on Wix, which isn’t ideal for artists aiming to attract traffic through search engines. The current design resembles a business card and doesn’t effectively drive visitors beyond personal connections or referrals.
Although the art pieces, like a painting of a heart locked in a cage, tell a compelling story, the website fails to connect these narratives with a broader audience.
Renee’s audience primarily includes people she knows through social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, where they connect with her art and its backstory. The site doesn’t rank for any keywords, indicating a lack of traffic. Although visually appealing, the website’s effectiveness is limited by its poor search engine optimization and narrow reach.
Recommendations
Move from Wix to WordPress for improved visibility and search engine friendliness.
Use storytelling to connect with potential buyers. Short videos and personal stories about the art and Renee’s experiences will help create an emotional connection, including inspiration behind each piece and personal anecdotes.
Include images of Renee on the website to foster connections and help visitors engage with her story, enhancing interest in her art.
Identify and understand the target audience. Research what drives people to buy art and use these insights to inform marketing strategies.
Prioritize marketing efforts, as art sales often depend on storytelling and emotional connection rather than technical aspects.
Explore cross-promotional opportunities with related businesses, such as the Magnolia company, to enhance visibility.
Utilize Fiverr for affordable website development to keep costs low.
Regularly produce content that tells stories about the art, personal experiences, and behind-the-scenes insights to engage the audience consistently.
By following these steps, Renee can enhance her online presence, foster connections with potential buyers, and drive more traffic to her website.
Donaji
Donaji is a MICHELIN restaurant in San Francisco. Its website https://www.donajisf.com currently lacks a strong online presence, with a low score of just 14%, indicating insufficient data. The website consists of a single large, low-resolution image. On mobile, it renders poorly, looking distorted and difficult to navigate.
Social media efforts remain underdeveloped, limiting their visibility. Built on Wix, the website isn’t mobile-friendly and lacks essential information on platforms like Bing.
The restaurant currently has 36 reviews on Google with a 4.7 rating, which is a strong start but needs improvement to stay competitive in the Mission District.
The restaurant has been reviewed by prominent local outlets, including SF Chronicle, Mission Local, and Eater, and was ranked 18th on the ‘Hottest New Restaurants in San Francisco’ list. These high-authority mentions should be actively promoted to boost credibility.
Recommendations
Move the site to WordPress for enhanced blogging capabilities.
Ensure the site is mobile-friendly, loads quickly, and is easy to navigate for ordering.
Add dedicated pages for each menu item to improve search engine visibility.
Use high-quality images across the site, especially in blog posts, to increase appeal and shareability.
Feature a homepage video showcasing the ambiance and signature dishes to engage visitors.
Prominently link to Yelp and Google with clear calls to action, like “Find us on Yelp” and “Find us on Google,” to give customers easy access to reviews.
Regularly post blog entries about menu items, events, and customer stories with links back to the menu.
Share updates and track engagement on social media to refine strategies.
Promote the restaurant through engaging posts on Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram, focusing on Mexican cuisine lovers in San Francisco.
Use Instagram Stories and TikTok to create 15-second customer experience videos, fostering community and word-of-mouth marketing.
Post a high volume of photos and videos on Google Business Profile to showcase dishes and the restaurant atmosphere.
Run targeted Twitter ads for individuals interested in Mexican food within San Francisco, using specific demographics to increase visibility.
Implement the Dollar-a-Day strategy to boost social media content visibility.
Claim and optimize listings on Google Business Profile and other platforms like Bing for better visibility. Encourage positive reviews on trusted sites to strengthen credibility.
Track engagement, website traffic, and audience feedback to continually improve marketing efforts.
Bao-Khang Luu
Bao-Khang Luu, an artist, has consistently posted on Instagram and Facebook. Previously, his posts lacked a narrative, but he’s now shifting toward storytelling. After completing the Dollar-a-Day program, Bao gained insights into targeting and audience segmentation. Observing drop-off rates, he found that people lose interest when content focuses too much on medium and process rather than personal stories.
Since applying the Dollar-a-Day strategy, Bao’s website traffic has grown significantly, primarily from Facebook, with increased engagement and conversations.
Recommendations
Continue prioritizing storytelling over technical details, as data shows higher engagement with audience-centered content.
Repurpose content across platforms like YouTube Shorts, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok to expand reach without extra content creation.
For future ads, segment the audience with clear objectives to streamline the sales process. This approach will avoid missed opportunities and convert engagement into leads.
Keep engaging leads through regular content and timely responses to improve conversion chances.
Continue using the Dollar-a-Day strategy to align content with audience interests, a highly effective method for artists.
Bay Harvest Catering
Bay Harvest Catering, launched last year, focuses on locally sourced ingredients and offers services for corporate and private events. The website https://bayharvestcatering.com features attractive food images but lacks deeper storytelling or client testimonials. While the visuals are appealing, they don’t communicate a strong sense of who the team is or the unique personality behind the brand.
Recommendations
Add video testimonials or powerful one-minute video clips of satisfied clients. Featuring happy customers in brief videos builds credibility and adds a personal touch.
Replace the generic “Call Us” with “Call Andre” to establish a more direct connection with potential customers.
Set up Google Analytics and Facebook retargeting to gain insights into user behavior.
Consider merging menu categories under a single “Menu” section for simplicity.
Emphasize reliability, timeliness, and catering versatility in messaging to address event organizers’ common concerns.
Share added videos and behind-the-scenes content across social platforms to extend reach.
By focusing on storytelling, building a personal connection, and adding tracking systems, Bay Harvest Catering can become a trusted choice for event catering.
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Dennis Yu
Dennis Yu is co-author of the #1 best-selling book on Amazon in social media, The Definitive Guide to TikTok Ads. He has spent a billion dollars on Facebook ads across his agencies and agencies he advises. Mr. Yu is the "million jobs" guy-- on a mission to create one million jobs via hands-on social media training, partnering with universities and professional organizations.You can find him quoted in major publications and on television such as CNN, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, NPR, and LA Times. Clients have included Nike, Red Bull, the Golden State Warriors, Ashley Furniture, Quiznos-- down to local service businesses like real estate agents and dentists. He's spoken at over 750 conferences in 20 countries, having flown over 6 million miles in the last 30 years to train up young adults and business owners. He speaks for free as long as the organization believes in the job-creation mission and covers business class travel.You can find him hiking tall mountains, eating chicken wings, and taking Kaqun oxygen baths-- likely in a city near you.