Take the “no-header test.” Go to your website and scroll down so that the header is out of view of the browser window. Now take a look at what’s left. Is it easy to tell what your company does? Will a first-time visitor to your site know what you do, have any sense about what makes you unique, or care? Now put the header back in. Uh-oh, that might not help either?! Here’s the point: you have about six to eight seconds to make an impression, which means you need to give visitors something to latch on to right away so that they will continue to learn more. If they can’t even discern what it is you do, there’s a problem.
We work with many consulting and professional firms who are trying to build brand awareness, generate leads and expand their customer base. And, there are a lot of businesses out there in need of an overhaul — not just to their website, but to their overall brand — aesthetically, strategically and in how they communicate. We so often run into generic positioning or mission statements like: “we provide the highest quality solutions, technical expertise, senior-level experience that is value engineered to meet our clients’ unique needs. And we strive to maintain the highest professional and ethical standards.”
It’s a nice sentiment, but really, anyone in business today had better be providing these things. The language is vague and it uses the expected jargon (and eyes start to glaze over). Your web visitor (i.e. potential prospect/partner/customer) has little understanding of what you do, what your true capabilities are and most importantly how you might be able to help them. And worse, your site pretty much looks like every other service provider in your sector.
So, what to do? Short of overhauling your entire brand, focus on your positioning statement and make it the most prominent part of your home page. Develop a clear and easy-to-understand statement that tells what you do best and differently than anyone else. Rather than list everything you do and all the markets you want to reach, focus on honing in on your true strengths.
In what way do you really help clients? Get right to the bottom line. It may seem counter-intuitive, but the more you are able to pare down and simplify, the more you are able to emphasize your true strengths.
Now that doesn’t let you off the hook for the rest of the home page. If you want to be able to hold a visitor’s interest and capture leads, you must provide compelling content and make it visually welcoming and distinct. Your potential clients are looking for reassurance that you are the right company to help them with a particular challenge. Potential clients like to get a feel of what it is like to work with you before they engage.
Valuable content like blog posts, white papers, newsletter articles, videos, case studies, and e-books are key. Do you have a blog? That should be apparent on your home page. Do you have a regular e-newsletter and sign-up form? This is one of the best ways to capture email addresses and get more valuable information to (and from) a potential client. Can they get information that will help them now? Consider giving away a white paper that addresses the most compelling issues your ideal clients are challenged with. Is there a “safe” or nonintrusive way to get information from you? Have a Twitter, RSS feed or Facebook link available. Do I need to be on Twitter? The short answer is, probably yes. But that’s a topic for next time.
— Wendy Baird, principal and president
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