If Your Prospective Clients Are Searching For Your Offering…You Are Missing Out On Additional Business
A small twist from the classic movie “Field of Dreams”. No, Kevin Costner is not in the web development business. With that said, if you are going to build a new site, or give your current site a new face-lift, you need to follow best practices when it comes to web development and design. I speak to many CEOs at MSPs who struggle with the following. Do you own an MSP and does this apply to you?
- Messaging is weak at best
- Web design is dated
- Web development was done by a one man show
- SEO best practices…what is that?
A great marketing firm will tell you if your website will generate business for your firm. There are businesses out there that have a website just to display company information. There are some verticals that have determined that there is not enough online traffic to justify a PPC or SEO campaign. Ask any reputable marketing firm to do keyword research, once you determine that there is plenty of traffic to drive to your site, you can start building an online presence.
Let’s first start with “messaging”. This is a constant struggle with everyone, including me. YOU are not alone, this is not easy. I remind CEO’s I speak with each week that they are too busy running a business, solving technical problems and managing their staff. Marketing and messaging is not their strong suit. Every leader will recognize their weaknesses and partner with someone who can help with this current challenge. Let’s backup a little and start at the home page, when someone arrives at your site, can they determine within 3 seconds what you have to offer? Do they see the value in the title? If they do not, they will bounce. Messaging and the story you tell will be your biggest challenge when converting a visitor. Here is an example of a web site that hits the target right smack in the middle; https://gsuite.google.com/features/
Review the “story” Google tells on this page. This is about their G-Suite product. It gives you a comprehensive overview of what Google has to offer, the value and the images alone tell a powerful story. It’s clean, to the point and I don’t need to read a novel to understand their offering. Each product has a title and a short description. Google has a great site that illustrates what its G-Suite has to offer.
Next topic, “web design”. Web design is critical when telling a story, if you follow the Google format, you are good to go. The design must be up to date and easy to navigate. Remember, your website is going to be one of the most important marketing components for your firm. DO NOT skimp on web design and development. Your goal should be to drive traffic to the site and give your audience what they are looking for. Your site is exactly that, a representation of your “corporation” or does it represent a “mom and pop” shop. Only you can answer that critical question.
“Web development” is another critical component. Why? It’s the back-end that tells Google you are built on a “Google” approved format, you are following best practices and all the other goodies Google searches for. This portion is equally as important as your messaging. This is the main reason you need to locate an expert in this area. There are too many web developers who are detrimental to your brand. If you rely on a developer who makes it look pretty on the outside, but the foundation is a complete mess. Be careful who you hire to build your store front. The foundation is just as important as the UI.
SEO best practices are part of web development. Get accustomed to hearing that term. It’s critical that your developer follow best practices. Organic SEO is the coveted spot everyone strives for. The number 1 organic spot is a tough challenge, but it can be done. We are proof of that.
If you have questions, email me at [email protected] Happy to schedule a call.
