Want to set yourself apart from competitors? Here's how.
Most small businesses have a "brochure" Web site, basically a simple site that says who you are, what you do and how you do it. That may help you keep up with the competition, but why stop there? A little creativity and Web-savvy will let you leapfrog your peers with a site that provides valuable information and engages your visitors. A Web site like this, one that raises the bar, can make your company the obvious choice for your target customers.
1. Prove that you are better
Nearly every Web site says something about quality, people, value and service. While these are important, they make virtually no impact anymore because they are said so often we either take for granted that they are true, or we don't believe anyone who makes those claims.
Instead of generic platitudes, offer proof. Rotate customer testimonials throughout your site. Include photos, even video clips, to make these testimonials real to your visitors. It's one thing for you to claim you've got a great company; when real customers are saying it right there on your Web site, it's far more believable.
People are also reading…
For more proof, let your employees share their enthusiasm and passion in a company blog. Be sure to let visitors post comments, and have your staff respond to create an open, active dialog.
Post live statistics, such as McDonald's "over 1 billion served" signs, to illustrate you have a long track record of success. For ideas on what to post, think about how much you've sold, how many dollars you've saved, how many minutes of a service your customers have consumed or how many people are benefiting from what you do at this very instant. Real-time updates make these numbers believable.
2. Let your prospects run the numbers
Can you help your buyer understand what you offer, how it compares to alternatives and how it will pay for itself in benefits? Calculators can be handy tools to help shoppers make purchasing decisions.
There are many excellent examples of calculators online. If your product pricing is complex or flexible, look to mortgage companies for inspiration. They let you calculate loan payments for various loan types and rates so you can see how payments compare. Do you have many different options? Insurance sites are a great example: Many help you determine the type and cost of coverage based on what you need to insure. For another angle, some software companies offer licensing calculators to estimate costs based on number of users and add-on products. Perhaps you provide a service that could be done by internal staff? Temp agencies help you compare contract services to employee expense, which can help shoppers see that what might appear expensive, at first glance, is actually quite cost-effective.
3. Give away a
'free sample'
Sometimes, all it takes to close a deal is to let someone see for themselves how great your product really is. Ice cream stores know from experience that those little sample spoonfuls lead to more ice cream sales. Can you offer a free trial online or simulate the experience of using your product or service with some sort of demo?
It's easier than ever to add video demos to your site, or perhaps you can come up with an irresistible offer that entices visitors to sign up online for a great real-world experience. Make sure your sales staff are set up to respond quickly, within an hour, to any leads that come in through your Web site.
4. Encourage visitor interaction
People like to participate, so here's food for thought: How can your Web site visitors add useful information to your site? To encourage interaction and show off how great you are, consider letting customers submit testimonials online, maybe as part of a contest so they've got reason to visit your site.
Another popular option is to add a poll, so people can vote and see what their peers think. Rotate these out at least once a week.
Amazon.com sets the bar for visitor interaction, with product feedback, recommendations, tagging, lists and more. Add a few of these features, like product reviews, to your own site. Be aware that if your visitors suspect you of censoring comments you will lose all credibility.
5. Allow customers to use services themselves
Online account management is taken for granted on e-commerce sites, but even brick-and-mortar companies can offer online services to their customers. Post quotes and proposals for review; allow online order acceptance and payment; archive order and transaction history; list service tickets; offer online support resources and product documentation; provide reports of useful information. If you use software packages to handle key business processes (order processing, accounting, customer relationship management, etc.), ask your vendors if they offer Web site integration. Many have turnkey solutions that can add sophisticated customer portals at minimal cost.
Need more ideas? Not sure what makes the most sense? Let your customers be your guide: Call a few, and ask what online features they would find helpful. While you're at it, talk to your sales people and whoever answers your phone to uncover the most common prospect and customer questions. Make sure these are clearly answered on your website.
Why stop there?
We've barely scratched the surface of innovative ideas for your Web site, and as technology improves, even more will be possible. If you think these ideas are too ambitious, you're thinking small. You might be surprised how many of these suggestions can be rolled out, even on a shoestring budget. Consider this an experiment, and add just a few features at a time. Use online and traditional marketing efforts to communicate what you've added and how it can help people, so you can build traffic and awareness in your community. Then add a few more and see what happens. If you still feel intimidated, remember this: Amazon.com used to be small, too.
Wendy Gauntt is president of CIO Services LLC, a technology consulting company that specializes in small business solutions. Visit her Web site at www.cioservicesllc.com for more information, ideas and free resources. Copyright © 2009 CIO Services LLC
