So someone Googles for an IT support company in your area. They click onto a website, scan it for a few seconds, then click the back button.
Click the next site, repeat. And again. And then go back to one of the sites and choose someone to call.
It really is as simple as that. We give clients far too much credit for thinking about how they pick IT support. For those who aren’t acting on a personal recommendation, they don’t overthink it… they Google, find one they like and they call them. Simple as that.
So the trick is to grab them the second they get onto your website, and give their heart and brain an abundance of evidence that yours is the business to trust. You need to be the no brainer.
This is what I mean by ticking the marketing tickboxes
In growing your business, there are a thousand boxes to tick. A thousand things to get right. You don’t need to get them all right; just make sure you have ticked the 20% of boxes that give you 80% of your results.
Here’s my list of the ten most important boxes you must tick when attracting new clients.
✓ 1) At the top Google presence
It’s become more important than ever before to be at the top of Google. That means an investment in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Pay Per Click (PPC). Otherwise you’re simply not getting the traffic you need. Low traffic = poor results.
It’s annoying, but Google controls the traffic and you have to pay in some way to get it. Think of the end results more than the investment… £200 in PPC charges to get a 30 user client who will stay for 18 months or longer. That’s a good return on investment
✓ 2) Highly active on social media
Daily Facebook as a minimum. If you saw the Panorama in Facebook a few weeks ago, you’ll know that Facebook knows more about us than our mums do. You can leverage that with Facebook advertising. But you need good content on Facebook too.
And don’t be fooled into thinking Facebook is just for reaching consumers. Facebook is a great way to reach bored decision makers during the weekend… when their guard is down and they are away from their gatekeepers. The trick is to then send them to your website, and use data capture to find out who they are, get them to volunteer their contact details, and start a relationship with them.
✓ 3) Demonstrate relevance
What makes you better than all of the other MSPs? Address this question from the prospects’ point of view, not your own point of view. And don’t tell me, show me. This is what makes video your secret weapon.
✓ 4) Demonstrate convenience
Support hours up to 7pm on weekdays makes you very convenient for hard working business owners and managers. So make sure people know straight away, from your home page. People are increasingly being driven by convenience over other factors. I can buy a 4k TV in my local Asda at 3am on a Tuesday morning… so why can’t I access your support services?
✓ 5) Demonstrate perceived specialities
What are you really good at? What are the sectors and specific problems you have the most understanding of, and experience of fixing? The best clients love buying the greatest expertise… and they expect to pay more for it.
✓ 6) Show accreditations
Put the logos of every organisation you belong to on your website. And every supplier, that your target prospects might have heard of. Make the logos greyscale and the same size in the website footer. These are known as trust badges. Use media logos too when you’ve had PR. Nothing beats “as featured on the BBC” (unless it was Watchdog, of course).
✓ 7) Abundance of social proof
You should have testimonials on every page (ideally relevant to the service you’re promoting), plus a testimonials page with hundreds of them. Use real names and locations, never the dodgy-looking “Mrs B of Bradford”. And consider using case studies. These are stories about someone who had a problem, found your solution, and now has a better business because of it.
✓ 8) People to connect with
People buy from people, not businesses, nor buildings. So don’t show me pictures of your premises, stock images of American models pretending to be in IT, or pics of network cables. Show me professional photos of the most pleasant looking people; or those with the greatest authority in the business. Just make sure they’re smiling.
✓ 9) Easy contact (and follow-up)
Use data capture, and a follow-up campaign using email and out-bound calls. Plus a phone number at the top right of the site; an email address and contact form.
✓ 10) Killer offer for new clients
Make it really easy for new clients to get a great deal just by making the sensible decision of choosing you.
