By Michael W. McLaughlin
After decades of experience with the web, you’d think consultants would have mastered the intricacies of using the web to attract new clients and retain existing ones. Apparently, that’s not the case for many consultants.
In our survey of 900 consultants about their web sites, only 38 percent responded “yes” to the question, “Has your site been effective in generating leads for your practice? 29 percent said “no” and 33 percent were “not sure.”
And less than half of respondents (41 percent) reported that their web sites have helped them build relationships with existing client.
A successful web site delivers results for your business. To help you use the web more effectively, here are six simple steps that can improve the marketing ROI of your web site.
1. Make the Web a High Priority
There’s truth to the saying that the results you achieve—in most any activity—are directly proportional to your level of effort and attention. So it’s no surprise that the consultants who value their web sites the most as marketing tools are the ones whose sites are most productive.
Of the consultants who reported that their sites have been successful in improving their businesses, 66 percent said their sites are a “very important” part of their marketing strategy. In contrast, of the consultants whose sites are off target, only 37 percent rated their sites as “very important.”
This message is clear: If your web site is low on your marketing priority list, expect lackluster results. Focus attention on making your site work for your practice, and you’ll take great strides toward achieving your marketing goals.
2. Keep Your Stuff Fresh
The term “benign neglect” comes to mind when looking at many consultants’ web sites. Consultants put up their sites, but let the content languish. Web guru Vincent Flanders tells us that, on the Internet, “content is king.” Keeping content fresh and engaging is at the heart of a great web site.
In our survey, 73 percent of the consultants with productive web sites had updated their sites’ content within the last thirty days. Only 24 percent of consultants with unproductive sites can make the same claim. In fact, the content on more than half of those sites (54 percent) had not been updated for more than two months.
Your web site must be dynamic, not static. Save your static advertising for the yellow pages and professional directories. Stay on top of your site content so it remains relevant and valuable to clients. It won’t improve with age.
Once you’ve made the investment in a web site, you’ll do more harm to your marketing program by neglecting it than if you had never created it in the first place.
3. Give up the Goods
When prospective clients search for a consultant, it’s because they need to solve a problem. Even with a referral in hand, they will look at your web site before calling. What makes them pick up the phone? Compelling and specific evidence that you can help them is the key.
To demonstrate their capabilities, 80 percent of consultants with successful web sites offer proprietary information for clients to read or download—at no cost. That isn’t the case for consultants with less successful web sites, as almost 50 percent fail to offer any proprietary content to site visitors.
With minimal effort, any you can make case studies, research findings, whitepapers, and articles available to prospective clients. And when clients print out your material and pass it on to others, they are helping to market your services. Don’t miss this easy opportunity for low-cost exposure.
4. Look at Who’s Looking at You
Do you know who visits your web site and how they use it? You should if you want your site to realize its potential.
86 percent of consultants with successful sites monitor visitor traffic patterns, and 59 percent monitor that visitor activity very carefully. Those consultants know who is visiting and what they’re doing on their sites. Compare that to consultants with sites that are missing the mark: Only 44 percent of those consultants monitor traffic and less than 20 percent watch web traffic carefully.
Keeping an eye on your site traffic will help you understand what clients are looking for as they navigate your site. Your site visitors can be a great source of new marketing insights and service ideas, so pay attention to visitor stats and behavior.
5. Don’t Create in a Vacuum
Visitors to your site expect a fast, easy, and valuable experience. Too many sites fail to paint a picture of what consultants can do to improve clients’ businesses. Instead, their sites are full of vague, generalized claims that lead the prospective client to the next consultant on the list.
A great web site is built around the needs of your existing and prospective clients. How do you find out what clients need? You have to ask them.
Consultants with successful web sites are nine times more likely to have asked five clients to look at their sites and provide input before the sites went live. This simple step—the five client test—will help you adjust the site’s content, design, and navigation so site visitors will find exactly what they’re looking for.
6. Balance Promotion with Value
Clients don’t care about our businesses. They only care about their own—and our marketing must reflect this reality. Your web site should promote your practice, but remember your most powerful promotional tool is demonstrating that you understand your clients’ issues.
Of the consultants with successful web sites, 67 percent balance site content equally between education and promotion. Clients quickly realize the value of a site with a balanced approach to content and tone, and they often stay to read more about what you can do. If they like what they see, a phone call or an e-mail will follow.
Consultants with off-target web sites take almost the opposite approach. Instead of balancing content between education and promotion, 63 percent reported that their content is purely promotional.
By including educational material, you demonstrate your grasp of the issues and build credibility. If there’s enough valuable information on your site, prospective clients will be more receptive to your marketing message.
It’s Not Rocket Science
Making a web site effective isn’t rocket science, but common sense. These six steps are also common sense—supported by data. If your web site needs fuel for a lift-off, think about these six ideas and find one or more you can apply now.
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