8/20/2021
BY: ANDY NICHOLS
A few years ago, any commercial enterprise that didn’t have a website accessible on the internet might not have noticed if a web presence would impact sales growth or not. Today, some websites are not only not helping to generate sales growth, but they may be actively driving prospective buyers away and undermining the best efforts of the sales staff. And the company is paying for that! It’s like “Daylight Robbery.”*
Having a digital presence isn’t simply about creating a company website with good-looking graphics, eye-catching colors and visually exciting drone videos of your factory. Commonly, web developers will take your existing marketing materials and make a composite website from that, including:
- When the company was founded
- The generations of family ownership
- Affiliations to the region or markets served
- Testimonials from customers
- Photos of key members of staff
- “Request a quote” buttons
- “Click here to view” videos
The shocker is that prospective buyers have zero interest or time for this type of information and it’s doing nothing to leverage an opportunity to sell! Typically, a buyer is on a mission. Often what they are required to purchase had little to no planning – for many reasons, most of which are beyond the control of the Purchasing Department representatives – leaving buyers in a time crunch to find exactly what they need.
At the time of this writing, the COVID-19 pandemic still has many purchasing professionals working from home without some of the resources they enjoyed at their work office. They are, however, still under pressure to find suppliers and source whatever commodities or products are being demanded – quickly and efficiently.
If you consider how, as buyers, we all are looking for a product, something to fulfill a need, we always want to see it first – either in a store/shop window or on a website. Most, if not all, of us have spent time in a store browsing the products available. Those of us of a “certain age” will recall walking down the main street of a town gazing in the windows to see what wares were on display to entice us inside. Sometimes there may be pricing details displayed, or there may even be offers to “Buy One, Get One Free” to hasten the entry to the store. Buying could be defined as the shortest route between identifying a need and satisfying it. Pure and simple.
When a buyer visits a company website, they’re essentially window shopping. They usually don’t want to know how long the company has been in business. Similarly, they are rarely looking for a specific store name – unless you’re in that enviable situation of having great brand-recognition. Today’s buyer, more than ever, needs to easily see what your organization can provide within a click or so. This means making product photos and details front-and-center, in addition to displaying any relevant certifications for those customers who require it. Understanding what motivates a buyer is key to a sale: They are seeking a solution (on behalf of their organization). Offering details of solutions provided to (existing) customers, through videos, success stories, key benefits, etc., is what will attract attention.
Your website needs to be up to the job of catching the eye of the buyers you want to hear from. If your current website isn’t shining a light on your capabilities as well as you think, now is the time to act and to let your company’s best offerings shine through.
If you are looking to improve your online presence, The Center’s website experts can help. Contact us at inquiry@the-center.org to learn how.
*“Daylight Robbery” is a term thought to come from the UK in the 1690s, when taxes were levied based on the number of windows a house had – effectively taxing the rich. To avoid paying this tax, owners bricked up windows which made the rooms dark and, therefore, less livable. The tax became known as “Daylight Robbery.”
MEET OUR EXPERT
Andy Nichols, Quality Program Manager
To The Center’s clients, Andy Nichols, CQP MCQI, brings 40 years of expertise in a wide variety of roles and industries, with a particular focus on quality management systems in manufacturing organizations. Prior to joining the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, he was the East Coast Regional Sales Manager for NQA, a “Top 5” Global Certification Body, responsible for significant sales growth in a highly competitive marketplace. He has authored two books, “Exploding the Myths Surrounding ISO 9000 – A Practical Implementation Guide” (published by ITG in April 2013) and “A Guide to Effective Internal Management Systems Audits" (published May 2014).
Since 1991, the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center has assisted Michigan’s small and medium-sized businesses to successfully compete and grow. Through personalized services designed to meet the needs of clients, we develop more effective business leaders, drive product and process innovation, promote company-wide operational excellence and foster creative strategies for business growth and greater profitability. Find us at www.the-center.org.
Categories: growth,
Sales & Marketing