When you started your recruitment agency chances are creating a website was pretty high on your to-do list.
However now your business is established, are you giving your website the attention it needs?
Though building relationships within recruitment is more than just someone clicking on your website, don’t underestimate the importance of your digital presence.
Below we’ve summarised 10 things to think about, as a recruitment agency owner, when it comes to your website:
1) Are your specialisms made clear to clients and candidates?
When a client or candidate lands on your website it should be instantly clear the areas your recruitment agency specialises in.
The reason?
Research shows that consumers take just half a second to form an opinion on your website that will determine whether they stay or leave.
Let your visitors know they’re in the right place by communicating the industries you work within clearly. This doesn’t just come down to the text, but also to your overall branding and whether it’s relevant in the marketplace.
2) Is it clear from your website what you want clients and candidates to to do?
Take a look at the calls to action that you have on your home page, is it clear what you want your clients and candidates to do after they’ve visited.
Are you pushing them to a number to call or requesting more information by email?
Do you have a tailored contact form that makes it clear the information you need to take the relationship to the next level?
Your website should be customer-centric, built around the needs of your clients and candidates.
3) Are you telling visitors what other people think of you?
Never underestimate the power of testimonials — especially in recruitment.
People feel safer if they can see someone has used the company before and had a great experience.
Depending on the design of your website, display them prominently or dedicate an area that people can explore if they want to read more.
If you don’t currently have any testimonials, then reach out to the candidates and clients you work with for some great words!
4) Have you optimized your website for mobile?
Every time new statistics are published about the recruitment industry, they identify the increasing number of people using mobile devices in job search.
It’s not just when searching for jobs, but also when applying for them.
Ensure your website works as effectively on mobile as it does on desktop. It doesn’t need to look the same, but it should offer the same user experience.
5) Are you offering valuable resources?
This one is more important for candidates, though there are resources for clients that you can make available on your website.
For candidates, are you offering basics such as CV and interview tips, as well as commentary and opinion pieces on the latest industry news?
For clients, are you sharing salary surveys or white papers to provide valuable information about the market they operate in?
Offering these resources gives prospective clients and candidates a reason to visit your website and positions you as an expert.
6) Do you appear in the right search results?
Optimizing your website is essential, so you have the right keywords and phrases to appear in the searches that matter.
However it’s more than just stuffing keywords here and there, you need to think about the overall language used on your website to enable Google to see you as relevant for a specific keyword.
Carry out some keyword research to understand the terms people are using, and the volumes of those searches.
Also understand where you appear for certain searches right now. Could adding relevant blog content help you climb the rankings?
7) Does your website reflect your brand values?
You know what your brand stands for, and the values that have helped you grow your business.
When someone lands on your website, would they feel that those values are communicated?
Look at the language you use, is it light and casual or professional and informative?
What about the imagery? Is it bold and contemporary or stylish and minimal?
Every element works together to tell the visitor about your recruitment agency, so make sure both the design and wording are doing you justice.
8) Does my website offer something different to my competitors?
This is a tricky one! But recruitment is a crowded market so anything you can do to stand out from the crowd will be beneficial.
Make sure you do your research to understand what they’re doing well, and areas for improvement.
Think about what you could do differently online and carve a unique space for your agency online.
9) Are you telling visitors your story?
If a client has heard about your agency, or maybe you’ve reached out and made contact, then they may do a little research before taking things to the next stage.
Ensure that your website tells the story of why you started your recruitment agency and the vision that sets you apart from the rest.
If you’re a recruitment start-up then detail your previous experience in the industry and what drove you to go it alone!
It might seem a little dull to you, but it really helps the visitor understand you, your thought process and your vision for your recruitment agency.
10) Do the pages of my website load quickly enough?
Google reports that even a one-second improvement in site speed can increase the number of conversions by up to 27%.
If your clients and candidates are waiting for your page to load, chances are they’ll quickly give up and move on to one of your competitors.
Reducing the size of images, changing the page layout and checking how each of your website plug-ins functions can make a big difference.
