5 Elements Your MSP Website Has To Get Precisely Right
By Nate Freedman, Tech Pro Marketing
About a year ago, I wrote a piece about a topic that I still believe in every bit as much as I did then - the fact that you don't need a new website to reflect your niche offer if you want to succeed as an MSP.
My point was that you shouldn't dive right in, start building a website, and creating all these enticing offers as that's putting the cart before the horse, so to speak. What you need to do is get out there and talk to people in your niche and learn as much about your business drivers as possible. If you don't take that critical step, the best website in the world can't help you.
But what I've found is that since I wrote that article, people took that message a bit too literally. Some thought I was arguing that your website is an afterthought of your marketing when that couldn't be farther from the case.
Your website is a central piece of your marketing and you want to make sure that core is as strong as possible. In my experience, I've found that the following five elements - if accounted for - go a long way toward guaranteeing exactly that.
Element #1: Clear And Enticing Messaging
Marketing is about nothing if not communication and if you truly want your website to convert, your site needs to do this as eloquently as humanly possible.
This means you not only need clear and engaging messaging on your homepage - you need to come right out and say exactly what you do, who you help, and HOW you help them, specifically.
At Tech Pro Marketing, for example, we pride ourselves on our ability to "help MSPs book more meetings with qualified prospects." You'll see this idea reflected again and again and again on our homepage.
Element #2: Establish That Credibility
If someone arrives at your website, obviously they're looking for products and services like yours. But what they really want to be convinced of is why they need those products and services from YOU, in particular. That's where credibility comes in handy.
You can do this in a lot of different ways. You can include as much social proof as possible with testimonials and case studies. You can show off the fact that you're a Top 5 percent Microsoft partner. You can display the articles that you've had listed in a business journal or can tout the fact that you've been around for 25 years.
More often than not, you'll do a combination of these at the same time. Any step you can take to build as much credibility as possible is a step worth taking.
Element #3: Focus On The Value Of The Problems You're Solving
The fastest way to make your prospects' eyes glaze over is to hit them with spec sheet after spec sheet after spec sheet.
All that stuff may be important, kind of - but it's also endlessly boring. Instead, you need to focus on what those technical specifications translate to in terms of raw value for your customers.
Talk about the importance of making sure that your clients' most important business documents are backed up and what can happen if they're not. Don't spend time talking about how impressive your collocation servers are or the technology you used to set that up.
Focus on the value of the problem you're solving, not the solution itself. If you're able to master that, you WILL go far.
Element #4: Focus On The Customers
In the highly competitive modern era, you need to SHOW, not TELL, your customers that a better future is right around the corner. This means framing your website not around your business, but around the people you built that business to serve.
You can do this in a lot of different ways, like through testimonials and emotional first-hand customer stories that celebrate the successes you've already had. Show people what their own business - and their lives - could be like if they move forward to working with you.
Never under any circumstances allow yourself to forget the phrase "what have you done for me LATELY?" because I guarantee it's one your prospects won't forget anytime soon.
Element #5: End With That Call-To-Action
If you want someone to take a particular step, it stands to reason that you need to let them know exactly what it is and show how easy it is to do. That's why your call-to-action will be the best friend you've ever had in terms of a website that actually converts.
Tell your prospects what the next step is and make it effortless to fill out a contact form and get in touch with you. You could even automate your contact form to the point where it fills in the offer, they're taking advantage of for them. Whatever the step you take, the easier it is you make to take it, the more people actually WILL.
Again - none of what we're talking about is rocket science, here. The difference between an MSP website and an MSP website that converts is as simple as:
- Writing clear and engaging messaging.
- Establishing as much credibility as possible.
- Focusing on the value of the problem you're solving.
- Putting the emphasis not on you, but your customers.
- Hitting them with that call-to-action at just the right moment.
Provided that you're able to hit all five of those markers, you won't just have a website that is armed and ready to make an impact with your target audience - you'll have a steady stream of prospects beating down your door, exactly as it should be.
About The Author
Nate Freedman is the owner and founder of Tech Pro Marketing, an organization dedicated to helping MSPs and other IT-related businesses get more out of their marketing campaigns than ever. Click here to schedule an appointment for your consultation or click here to follow Nate on LinkedIn.