Your Website – Your 24/7 Sales Rep

 

In today’s market, a solid website is key to any company’s sales efforts, and in essence, it is really your 24/7 sales presence. A solid, functioning website should include relevant, fresh content and should also be integrated into all of your social media channels. Other items like, calls-to-action and downloadable assets are also essential. A useful technique is asking visitors for their contact information before giving them access to downloadable assets. This information can then be tied into your sales CRM which acts as a great sales and marketing tool. A website like this is not free but it does not need to be expensive either.

There are many firms out there, typically older ones – you probably know the know the ones I am talking about, that haven’t invested in their website in the last decade. In fact, one survey indicates that more than half of small businesses don’t have websites. These businesses rely solely on word of mouth and in many cases, only have a few core clients. For the owners of these firms, they will tell you that a website is not required for their business and that they have gotten this far without really investing in one. Who can argue that point? They have obviously gotten to this point with no real web presence. The real question though is depending on their goals or even market dynamics, how long will their business continue in this manner?

As firms age, so do buyers and relationships. Eventually those relationships end and new people come in to fill the roles of buyers and relationship managers. Buyers today will not necessarily stay with a supplier simply because they have in the past. No, they will most likely explore their options and how they are going to do this is via the web, at least to start. If your competitors are amping up their web presence, you can bet they will be found.

In today’s market, a great website leads to a solid perception of you as a company. A sub-par website, leads to the opposite. If you want to do more sales, put your website to work for you. Thinking anything less means you are leaving money on the table. I would be careful to not consider your website a cost but rather reframe it as an investment in your sales and marketing efforts. Obviously, it will cost you money, but the return if executed well and consistently, will drive a substantial ROI (return on investment). Ultimately your website should lead to sales.

A few key items to developing your website into your 24/7 sales rep are:

Content Marketing

One of the hardest things to do is invest in relevant content on a consistent basis. Blogging is a definite must to keep your website fresh. Ensure that you are developing content on a regular basis.

Social Media

It is important to establish, manage and post content on relevant social media properties consistently. Be sure to not only put your content on your blog, but share it via social media platforms relevant to your stakeholder audience (Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter); in addition, share relevant content from reputable third parties

Calls-to-Action

This can include things like downloadable assets such as, white papers and guides as well as newsletter sign-up prompts. You want to have information available on your website that is interesting enough for the prospect to download and provide their contact details in exchange.

CRM

Be sure that your sales CRM is integrated with your website. As leads come in from your website, you want to capture those details in your sales CRM for follow-up.

If you are in need of assistance converting your website to a 24/7 sales rep, feel free to contact me. I would be happy to see if we can help. Alternatively, if you are simply looking for a source of excellent sales and marketing information, please feel free to sign up for our newsletter (https://vapartners.ca/about-us/newsletter/) or follow us on Twitter.

Your Website – Your 24/7 Sales Rep