What’s the purpose of your website ?
The Internet presence
Almost all companies have a website.
At the very least your company should have an Internet presence.
Ideally when people Google your company name they should be able to find your company even in case they just need the contact details or to know how to get to your offices.
Let’s face it: B2B businesses without a website yet are stuck in the dark ages. Moreover the image your company will get is filed as old fashioned.
If someone searches your company name together with county or city and your website doesn’t show up on the first page, it’s as if your company no longer exists. No website then you might be out of business.
The purpose of having a website ?
Why do you have a website ?
- Internet presence ?
- To convert visitors into leads ?
- For branding purposes ?
- As an online brochure in order to explain your products or services ?
- For customer support, providing faqs or a knowledge base ?
Or a combination of the above ?
The website for trust and removing risk
One of the most important roles of a salesman is to take away the risk and build trust. The risk of buying a product or service from a company without trust is not done.
The role of the salesman is not so much explaining the functions, features and benefits of your products or services, but to take away the risk factors and to build trust.
Similarly your website should also take away the risk and build trust with you potential customers who are visiting. The functions and features of products or services are of a secondary importance.
Of course explaining in depth and listing out all the functions and features can help to build trust and take away fear, but is is just one of the many building blocks to build trust.
References, the quality of information on the website, the look of the website, the contact details (address, telephone number and email), case studies and the findability of your website are other aspects to build trust.
Gone are the days when a company just put the office building on their website. In those days the findability and the important building were enough to build trust.
Nowadays the competition has increased thus more is needed to stand out, to build trust and to take away the risk of the decision and the purchase.
Converting visitors into leads into customers
Should you provide just enough enough information, hoping that the visitor gets in touch with your company ? Allowing your sales team to take over the nurturing of the lead ?
Or should your website be a bastion of relevant, up-to-date content and insights with the goal of establishing your company as an authority on these matters or in this industry ?
How far can the website go in the process of conversion from visitor to customer ? When does the salesmen need to take over from the website or can your products be sold entirely completely on the website ?
What’s the purpose of your website ?
Just to explain functions and features of your products?
Or to take away the risk and build trust ?
Or to convert visitors into leads or even into customers ?
These questions need to be answered before starting to develop and design the website and the content.
