If you think the winning business is all about personal relationships, consider this…. What would you do if an organisation was trying to work with you or perhaps sell you a product or service? Most likely, one of the first things you would do is review their website, research their social media presence and in general, see what others are saying about them.
Your prospective clients are no different. In fact, 4 out of 5 service buyers review websites before considering a particular firm and a whopping one-third of these buyers reject firms with an unimpressive web presence.
Therefore it is fairly obvious that your website can make or break a deal for you, so focusing some attention on your site to make sure it is client-friendly is a must. It is all part of any successful inbound marketing strategy.
Here are 4 steps to consider when reviewing your website and revamping it to improve the impression it gives to consulting leads.
Convey Your Knowledge and Credibility
Assuming a lead is probably going to check out your website, you should consider it a fantastic place to demonstrate your organisation’s credibility, to educate them on what you have to offer and of course, gain more positive visibility. Traditionally, sales people either met with potential clients face-to-face or perhaps they designed a brochure or some other type of paper medium to hand out. Now, all the professionalism, knowledge and expertise you would have shared by these more traditional methods can add tremendous value to your website. Include as much valuable information as possible without giving away all your trade secrets.
Distribute a Valuable Lead Magnet
If you want your business to stand out from all the others, offer a valuable lead magnet such as an email course, whitepaper or eBook. As a general rule, make your offering worth about $100 and ask for an email address in exchange for this exclusive content. Giving away something of perceived value in return for contact details is an important part of the online sales process.
Work the Follow-Up
Email has the best conversion rate, about a 66% return, so take advantage of it. Of course, don’t send out spam emails. Instead, send out positive, upbeat emails about recent successes and case studies. Or share some quick tips and strategies and encourage email recipients to respond with questions. Keep providing value and you’ll keep gaining trust.
Make the Offer
Complete the journey with potential clients by offering your services or products, just as you would with any other type of sales interaction, such as a phone call or face-to-face meeting. With enough trust built through all the online interaction with potential customers, your website becomes just another route for completing a sale. Test different calls-to-action to find the most compelling offer or approach.
Getting people to your website is just the start of the journey. By following this tips you’ll begin converting more visitors into customers and growing your business faster.
