Your website is the backbone of your business. It is a way to position yourself online as an authority through a strong and professional destination. Sure, you may have your social media accounts but they are rented space. At any moment, these social media accounts can be shut down. In order for your business to succeed in the online marketplace, you’ve got to have a professional website. In this episode, we delve into the importance of a website for your business and understanding what your website is for and where it sits in your marketing process. We also dive into the mistakes that a lot of business websites make and how to optimize your website for growth. Without a strong website, you are missing out on opportunities for customers to identify who you are.  WHAT YOU’LL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE: How important is a website for your business? (2:20) You don’t own your social media accounts (3:23) Understanding what websites are for and where it sits in your marketing process (4:43) Websites for authority positioning and lead generation (5:39) Turn traffic into inquiries (6:05) Collecting email addresses (6:55) 75%-96% of people will never go back to your website (7:10) Lead magnets in exchange for your prospects email address (7:46) Are you making the 3 biggest mistakes?(9:06) Do you need a contact form on your website? (13:09) Not positioning yourself as an authority and not collecting leads (15:57) Single-page vs multi-page sites (16:33) Essentials of your business website (18:23) Your services and programs (21:22) Blog or podcast? (22:13) Contact page (22:50) Join the discussion thread for this episode over at The Thought Leaders Business Lab Community Facebook Group. For full show notes and links visit: Samanthariley.global