Effective web design isn’t something many managed service providers (MSPs) have perfected, but 88% of website consumers don’t return to a page if they have a bad experience. A website should be updated regularly and provide a seamless experience from start to finish.
Developing a website takes time, commitment and a lot of resources. Here are a few reasons why MSPs may get stuck while creating a website and some ideas to ensure the website effectively represents their brand.
The website is lacking brand identity
The first step is to ensure you stay on brand. Your website should include your brand’s logo, colors, personality and voice. Your business has its own identity, and your customers and prospects should be able to recognize its attributes across all your marketing assets. This is what we in marketing call strong brand recognition. Create a brand guidelines template for your team to follow when developing your website. Your website is often the first thing prospects come across. Your brand should be front and center when prospects or customers arrive. Your website shouldn’t look and feel like a competitor’s. Make it your own and unique to you.
You’re talking about your solutions, not how you address business challenges
Knowing your audience is key to developing any marketing asset for prospects. The average business owner isn’t interested in your technology solutions. They’re typically not interested in technology at all. Instead, they want to know more about how you can help them solve their business challenges. For example, businesses are aware of the growing cybersecurity threats they face but are unsure how to protect themselves from malicious threats. Your website should cater to those needs. While your solution may have a technical component, prospects don’t need you to explain how it works and why your endpoint detection and response (EDR) software is better than a competitor’s. They’re more interested in knowing whether you can protect them and their customers from the ever-increasing IT threat landscape. Connect the dots between their business challenges and your answers by providing your prospects with solutions, not more puzzles to solve.
You’re not leveraging your website’s features
Your website isn’t only a place for your prospects to learn more about you. You should also use your website to generate interest and collect leads. Having a clean and efficient website will help you accomplish both. Is it easy to navigate? Does it keep the user engaged? A website with a positive user experience keeps the user on the page. Users have bad experiences when websites have broken links or receive the dreaded 404 error.
Can a prospect effectively find your contact information or chatbot to schedule an appointment with you? Is there a newsletter they can subscribe to if they want to learn more about what your company provides or receive free advice or tips? Try to make it as easy as possible for prospects to connect with you.
Remember: Your website isn’t your business card; it’s an experience. It should showcase your brand, help prospects identify potential solutions and generate leads.
