More enquiries are not always better.
Ask any busy sales team.
Twenty messages saying “how much?” from people with unrealistic budgets can be considerably less useful than three enquiries from businesses that already understand your service and are genuinely considering buying.
That means an effective website should do more than generate leads.
It should pre-qualify them.
Be specific about what you do
Broad claims produce broad enquiries.
“Complete solutions for businesses of every size” says remarkably little.
Good website copy helps somebody recognise themselves.
Explain:
- the services you actually provide
- the types of organisations you work with
- problems you solve
- typical projects
- geographical coverage where relevant
- what makes your approach different.
Being more specific may discourage some visitors.
That is not necessarily a problem.
If somebody is clearly unsuitable, discovering that before they contact you saves everybody time.
Create a page for each important buying decision
Your homepage cannot answer everything.
Somebody searching for a website redesign has different questions from somebody searching for bespoke CRM development.
Strong websites therefore create meaningful pages around individual services and customer needs.
Those pages can explain the service properly while also giving search engines a much clearer understanding of what the business offers.
Answer the awkward questions
Buyers rarely contact three companies completely at random.
They research first.
Your website should help answer questions such as:
- Is this suitable for my business?
- Have they done this before?
- What is the process?
- How long might it take?
- What do I need to provide?
- What happens afterwards?
- Is this likely to fit my budget?
- What makes them different?
You do not necessarily need to publish every price or commercial detail.
You do need to give somebody enough information to decide whether a conversation is worthwhile.
Show evidence
Assertions are easy.
Evidence is considerably more persuasive.
Use:
- case studies
- testimonials
- project photography
- before-and-after examples
- measurable outcomes
- recognisable experience
- genuine team expertise.
The objective is not to cover the website with badges.
It is to reduce the perceived risk of choosing you.
Give visitors an appropriate next step
“CONTACT US” does a lot of heavy lifting on some websites.
Consider the customer journey instead.
Someone reading an in-depth service page might be ready to request a consultation.
Someone reading an introductory article might want to view related projects first.
Someone comparing software may want to request a demonstration.
Calls to action should match the level of buying intent.
Ask useful questions
Your enquiry form can perform some initial qualification too.
Do not make it a 47-question interrogation, but consider asking for information that genuinely helps your team respond.
For example:
- organisation
- service required
- project overview
- target date
- existing website where relevant.
It makes the eventual conversation considerably more productive.
Design for the enquiry you actually want
Conversion optimisation isn't about making every visitor press a button.
It is about helping the right visitor confidently take the next step.
A successful business website therefore combines messaging, content, design, SEO, usability and trust.
Traffic gets someone through the door.
Good positioning helps make sure the right people walk in.
Strategy. Creativity. Technology.
