I was talking with a new client who says he says he gets at least one, usually several, client prospects a week from his remodeling/contractor website and blog. He was contacting me as his web designer got a day job, and was no longer available to work on his site. He really wants to get some changes done, although he and his wife had figured out some things on WordPress, but they wanted a professional to come in and make some updates. I still hear so many small business professionals who resist spending the time and money to create a professional website. Why…I think it’s because they just don’t get that it can really benefit their bottom lines, and they it seems hard to do.
When was the last time you looked up a business in the phone book? A long time ago.
- We go online to search for companies on our computers, tablets or smart phones
- We ask our friends on social networks or in person
- We check Yelp or Angie’s List or other directory sites
- Sometimes we are searching for a type of company that has an office or store near us, or that serves our town
- Other times we met someone who gave us or we picked up a business card somewhere and we want to know more about them, so we type their website address online….if they have one.
Personally I want to check your website before I call or send an email. I want to see a professional looking site that gives me a clue about how you do business and that you understand your customer’s needs. Or I want to find your business hours, location, phone number, email; or I want to search and select from your products and buy for retailers. That’s why you need a professional website, and it doesn’t need all the bells and whistles. It just needs to represent your business in a positive light.
What’s all the Fuss about a this Blogging Stuff?
The contractor I mentioned in the first paragraph gets several inquiries a week from his site. He says his blog is what drives most of those inquiries. Blogging about things that are of interest to your customers, helping them solve problems they have, providing them tips, ideas and becoming a resource helps people find you. It brings you up in search engine searches that your customers are doing online. It gives them a feel for how you are to work with, if you are a service biz. There is hubspot.com research – websites with active blogs bring more traffic to your site – that means more potential customers:
- 61% of global Internet users research products online.
- 44% of online shoppers begin by using a search engine.
- 46% of people read blogs more than once a day.
- 57% of companies with a blog have acquired a customer from their blog.
- B2B marketers who use blogs generate 67% more leads per month than those who do not.
- B2C companies that blog generate 88% more leads per month than those that do not.
Those are compelling statistics. Tip – if you only blog once or twice a month that still helps. 500-600 words – this post is 570 words or so. And there are people out there who can show you how to do it.
And with WordPress, the software that runs this site, it’s not hard to have a professional web site that you can update your self, without knowing any code, and a great blog to help keep the customer leads coming. Let me know if I can help!