I was having a conversation with a colleague the other day and we ended up discussing why people should bother having a website. It’s a question that falls right into the gap between website developers and marketing gurus. Why have a website? You should have a website site for many reasons.
First reason: Support your sales staff – Arm the troops!
You have a website because you can be precise with what you want to say and how you want to say it. Even the best sales training does not turn green salespeople to seasoned professionals. Getting your salespeople to say the message right is important; giving them a website work from is simply arming your sales staff for success.
You have a website because you can be precise with what you want to say and how you want to say it. Even the best sales training does not turn green salespeople to seasoned professionals. Getting your salespeople to say the message right is important; giving them a website work from is simply arming your sales staff for success.
Second Reason: Avoid repetition and overly detailed information.
A salesperson can’t say everything about everything in one conversation. Your company is more interesting and more capable than one offering or dimension. Your website covers the topics you don’t get to, are tired of talking about, or are to specific to discuss in person.
A salesperson can’t say everything about everything in one conversation. Your company is more interesting and more capable than one offering or dimension. Your website covers the topics you don’t get to, are tired of talking about, or are to specific to discuss in person.
Third Reason: The customer browses what’s interesting to them.
A website is particularly great because it lets people consume information by interest. People can bounce around to topics they want to know more about, and I’ll tell you a secret: if you know more about what people want to read then you can write more about what they want to know, and by extension what they may want to buy. Letting people drink in your messages, be they sales, opinions, or attitudes, gives them a chance to do it in a low-pressure, self-directed way. This lets them sell themselves on you and your content rather than you trying to tell them what is important about your prouct or service.
A website is particularly great because it lets people consume information by interest. People can bounce around to topics they want to know more about, and I’ll tell you a secret: if you know more about what people want to read then you can write more about what they want to know, and by extension what they may want to buy. Letting people drink in your messages, be they sales, opinions, or attitudes, gives them a chance to do it in a low-pressure, self-directed way. This lets them sell themselves on you and your content rather than you trying to tell them what is important about your prouct or service.
Fourth Reason: The customer never sleeps, neither does your website
A website is online 24/7 – a fact that even the most motivated sales team can’t compete with. Your customers may be working on a late night project plan or a 2:00AM flash of creativity. Having a website that can meet them wherever they are whenever they are is something a salesperson simply cannot do. You would need at least three sales people working 8 hour days seven days a week to match the availability of your website.
A website is online 24/7 – a fact that even the most motivated sales team can’t compete with. Your customers may be working on a late night project plan or a 2:00AM flash of creativity. Having a website that can meet them wherever they are whenever they are is something a salesperson simply cannot do. You would need at least three sales people working 8 hour days seven days a week to match the availability of your website.
Fifth Reason: A website has few resource limitations
A website is information that can be passed from friend to friend without any loss. A business card is limited in number and informational content – a website link can be passed with no loss to either party. This encourages sharing of relevant information in a way that is authentic to both parties. Even better, a website can handle over 500 customers at a time!
A website is information that can be passed from friend to friend without any loss. A business card is limited in number and informational content – a website link can be passed with no loss to either party. This encourages sharing of relevant information in a way that is authentic to both parties. Even better, a website can handle over 500 customers at a time!
Sixth Reason: A website holds hands with your customers
An effective website takes customers through most, if not every step in the buying process. This enables people to become your customers without you having to walk them through the process. The time savings on this alone should be significant enough to warrant the expense of a website.
An effective website takes customers through most, if not every step in the buying process. This enables people to become your customers without you having to walk them through the process. The time savings on this alone should be significant enough to warrant the expense of a website.
Seventh Reason: Customer Resources are not infinite
Customers facing cost or time constraints may not be able to get to your brick and mortar or have the time to chat. Having a website helps people decide what they want to buy pre-qualifies them. If your website supports e-commerece then they can even make the transition from potential customer to paying customer with no intervention on your part.
Customers facing cost or time constraints may not be able to get to your brick and mortar or have the time to chat. Having a website helps people decide what they want to buy pre-qualifies them. If your website supports e-commerece then they can even make the transition from potential customer to paying customer with no intervention on your part.
If you have a brick-and-mortar facility, having a salesperson is absolutely critical they can do things a website can’t. However, using the web can both enhance their effectiveness and provide a new way to communicate with potential cleints. There are hundreds of ways to build a website into your business model, and even more reasons to do so depending on your plans.
Many internet marketers will tell you that thousands of dollars await you with careful web strategies – and they are right. Get started today building or re-building your website with these reasons in mind and begin taking advantage of the benefits a website has to offer.
