Whether you’re a lighting representative, an electrical distributor supplying product information to electrical contractors, an integrator, a lighting designer or contractor, or an A/V professional, there’s a big difference between just having a website and having an effective online business presence.
Although your potential clients may still want price lists and technical specification sheets, they’re looking for a lot more. They want information and expertise, and your website can be a powerful tool for delivering that—and generating leads—if you set it up right. There are a couple of keys to ensuring that your online presence will be effective in driving your business success.
Your Web Design: The design of your website needs to keep your potential clients’ needs front and center. That means it needs to be more about them than it is about you. Of course you’ll want to talk about what you have to offer—but you need to do that in terms of how it will help them accomplish their objectives. Look at your current website. What does it promise potential clients? Is the focus on how great your company is or is the focus on solving their problems?
Is the information your clients want easy to find? If you have different kinds of clients (who need different kinds of information) is it clearly distinguished on your website? Can prospects quickly and easily find what they’re after—or do you make them jump through hoops and read unnecessary information first?
And what about language? Do you list things on your site according to the way you refer to them, or do you use the language that your clients and prospects use?
Your Content: A well designed website is essential, but you need to ensure that your prospects can find it. That’s where the content—and in particular the content of your blog and other social media—is so important. Are you continually posting information that will help potential customers succeed? Are you addressing the problems and issues they face on a regular basis and helping them make the right decisions? Do your posts provide a way for potential clients to interact with you? Do you offer additional information (white papers, eBooks, special reports, etc.) that will help them answer questions they have?
Your website can be a powerful tool for generating leads—but you need to make sure it’s designed in a way that your prospects can easily use it. And you’ll want to make sure that the content on your site and in your blogs and social media is addressing the things they want to know about. If you’d like to explore that concept further, please contact us. We’d be delighted to help you make sure those two keys are in place.
