Does your website engage your prospects and provide the information they need to want to reach out to you and learn more about your company?
Over the past few months, I have talked to many business owners about their sales and marketing efforts, and I am seeing a common theme with these businesses - the old way is simply not working anymore.
As people switch positions or change jobs, relationship selling is not as prominent as it was in the past. The data out there clearly supports this thinking.
The B2B buyer is different today. Before they engage with your company, they are checking you out online. Though it’s important to maintain a presence on online sites like LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook, the number one source of information for prospects continues to be the company website. And if they don’t see what they like or what they need to make a decision, then they are going to focus their efforts on other companies on their list.
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So ask yourself, “Does your website engage your prospects and provide the information they need to want to reach out to you and learn more about your company?”
Equally important, “Is your website set up where once a contact is made with a prospect, are they in a system to nurture them to become a customer?”
In the case of the five businesses I talked to in the last few weeks, all with sales of $14-120 million, the answer was clearly no!
Research shows that not only are B2B buyers checking companies out prior to reaching out to them, in fact, 93% of all B2B buying decisions now start online. In addition, it takes between 6-10 “Touches” before they become a customer. So not only is it critical to have a clear, compelling website that delivers your company story and what’s in it for the end buyer, you must also have strategies developed to nurture these prospects.
Keep in mind there is an average of 6.8 stakeholders involved with any one deal, so attention and materials need to be developed not only for the person checking out your company, but others that will be involved in the decision-making process.
First and foremost, your website must deliver your key selling proposition to your potential prospects. And this MUST be created from the customers’ perspective, not your company’s. The proposition must be unique, differentiating and compelling, or you will look like every other company in your category. It also needs to make the next step – of learning more about your business extremely easy. Sales teams are relying on high-quality, marketing-produced content to help them tell the story that resonates and helps close deals
Can you say that your company, or one you consult with, is set up to do business in today’s ever changing environment?