Does a Notary Need a Website?

Like all entrepreneurs, notaries put a lot of time and effort into building a successful notary business. Deciding which tools are worth investing in can be difficult. There are some items that you simply can’t function without, like a printer, your notary stamp, and a journal. Besides the essentials, what other investments do notaries need to make to succeed? 

One common question from new notaries is: “Do I have to have a website?” 

The short answer is no. It’s possible to establish a notary business and get referrals without a tailored online presence, but a website can help you reach more people, provide valuable information to your prospect, and drive revenue goals. If you’re serious about turning your notary business into a long-term and successful career, a website should be part of your plan. 

Modern notaries need a website

Even in smaller communities, consumers look online to learn more about their purchasing options. A website with the right keywords and vital business information will help notaries make a good first impression. Your website should tell people who you are, what you do, and why it matters to them. 

Benefits of having a notary website 

1. People can find you 24/7
2. Control over your brand
3. Easily promote your services 
4. Gather customer feedback and insights
5. Low-cost marketing opportunity 

People can find you 24/7

People conduct multiple online searches every day. People use the internet to discover new businesses from product reviews to which restaurant to choose for dinner. This is true for notary services too! 

Having a website is an opportunity for people to find you easily without having to invest in traditional marketing like advertising or cold calling. Google and other search engines will also tailor the search results of certain queries based on location. This is known as local SEO. 

In order to rank high on certain search terms for users in your area, you’ll want to make sure that you have also set up a Google My Business account. Creating key business pages in tandem with your own site is an important part of a notary’s digital marketing.

Next, you’ll want to make sure that your website is easy to navigate. Good site structure means that users will easily find the information relevant to them. Google rewards well planned and organized websites. Behaviors of users, like time spent on a page and conversions, will signal that your site has valuable information, leading to increased search rankings. 

At first, you can start with a small site featuring the five pages every website needs, including: 

1. The home page
2. About page
3. Services page
4. Blog page
5. Contact page

So before you publish your site, spend a little time planning out the hierarchy of your pages. You don’t need to have every blog post or page ready to publish today, but be sure to plan for it in the future so it’s organized as your site grows. 

Control over your brand

Good branding goes beyond a cool logo and fun business name to encompass the entire customer experience. Your website is the best place to develop the messages that resonate with your target audience and define your company’s personality.  

Most people searching online are looking to solve a problem. As a notary, your website should communicate how your services cater to the needs of potential customers and add value that competitors lack. For instance, if you’re a notary signing agent hoping to connect with more real estate professionals and increase your number of signing, you’ll need to understand the working dynamics of these professionals and their unique needs to write an effective value proposition. 

Three tips for developing your website branding include: 

1. Create your value proposition – This isn’t a slogan or a catch-phrase. Instead, this is a headline accompanied by a statement explaining how your services are relevant, beneficial, and better than the competition. 
2. Use keywords – Your value proposition and other page titles should use the keywords your target audience enters into the search bar. Using SEO will help boost your visibility and rankability. Integrating keywords into your headers and subheadings also reinforces that your business has the right solutions for them. 
3. Be consistent with the style – use a template to keep the same look and feel of each page. 

A well-structured site with good branding and clear communication will encourage visitors to take important actions like filling out a form for a quote or requesting specific services. 

Easily promote your services 

Promoting your business is the main point of having a site! Once you lay the groundwork of organizing your site, you can shape the kind of actions visitors take. A call-to-action (CTA) is any prompt used to elicit a response. When writing the value proposition, sub-heading, and beneficial points, you’ll want to add a clear and decisive CTA. 

Calls-to-action to add to your site:

1. Join my newsletter – if you enjoy writing about your professional experiences as a notary, consider gathering the emails and names of potential clients by creating a newsletter relevant to them. Not only is this an opportunity to build content on your site and improve your rankings, but it also gives you a reason to reach out and entice past visitors to come back to your website and take action. 
2. Contact me – People who visit your site may have additional questions. A contact us form helps them reach out to you easily for more information.
3. Get a quote – If your pricing fluctuates due to things like mileage or specialized services, this is a good CTA to use in place of a pricing page. 
4. Schedule an appointment – users ready to buy want an obvious CTA to start the process. There are also many online appointment scheduling tools that you can add to your site to make it easier to manage. You can even embed your Google Calendar into your website.
5. Try a unique service offering – If you have a unique offering, be sure to feature it. For instance, remote online notarization is becoming more popular. If you are certified to offer RON, make that part of your value proposition and provide a CTA to notarize documents remotely. 

Your CTA should reflect your goals, and whatever goal is your main priority should be the most prominent CTA. If scheduling more appointments are your number one goal, this CTA should be featured on your main navigation as well as the home page’s hero banner. Sometimes, visitors may not be ready to start working with you right away, so giving them one alternative CTA with less commitment can help you capture a lead to nurture. 

To create a powerful message that converts visitors into leads, avoid vague terminology or overly-branded jargon. Website visitors are impatient, so be sure to use language that is quickly and easily understood. 

Gather customer feedback and insights

Not only can you use a website to promote your services, but it’s a great way to understand better what your clients need, want, and do. 

There are two ways to gather feedback from your customers on a website: 

1. Ask – provide on-site surveys to get it straight from the horse’s mouth. Tools like Hotjar let you add short surveys to any page to get quick results. 
2. Analyze – tracking behaviors on your site with tools like Google Analytics can help you understand what people do and what hurdles may keep them from completing CTAs. 

The feedback you get from clients can provide you with ideas on how to improve your site, topics for educational blogs and social media posts, or additional services that are needed. 

Low-cost marketing opportunity

In the 21st century, websites are a critical follow-up piece of marketing collateral after handing someone your business card or listing your notary services on an online directory. People interested in using your services will usually want to know more, and your website is the perfect place to do that. 

There are many cost-effective website-building tools available to small businesses today, so it’s worth considering. Purchasing a domain name, website hosting, and website builder usually runs between $100 and $500 a year, depending on what add-ons you pick. 

It’s a small investment to demonstrate your work as a notary is more than a hobby. Getting the attention and business of key professionals you hope to turn into repeat clients is easier with a professional, organized, and well-branded website. 

Want more tips to grow your notary business? Subscribe to our blog and get weekly updates on best practices, technology like remote online notarization, and more!