Question

Topic: Customer Behavior

Client Says-never Gotten A Lead From Website

Posted by online on 1/25/2012 at 2:03 PM ET 500 Points
I am an Online Marketing/Web Developer. I have a new client. I was contacted by the New Biz Dev Manager - he really wants to leverage the website to market the company's SERVICES (lead generation, branding, social, etc.)

But the owner of the company says - "Why waste time/money on website. We've never gotten one lead from it. Our business is strictly word of mouth."

(Owner is aged about 65 - built his business from scratch. Started around 1977. Now has about 30 Fortune 500 customers. The company is an Image Consulting Company - NO KIDDING! ).

I will give a presentation on 1/30/2012. New Biz Dev Manager wants me to explain to owner why they should redesign, SEO and leverage their online presence.

The old website was built on old CMS platform with no attention to marketing - either aesthetics or structure. The old site looks very unprofessional. I think it is one of those old MS FrontPage Designs.

I looked at the analytic log - No other sites link-in. Half of their traffic is repeat - probably their own office workers. The rest of their traffic comes from actual typing in of URL, or on an exact Google search of the company name.

No wonder they get no leads. And I'm sure their current customers are none to impressed when they visit an outdated site.

I KNOW I double their traffic. I know I can quadruple the visual impact; and deliver their unique selling proposition via a website. I am willing to do this for a very low fee. Like $3,000 (long story - I've been taking care of aging Mother and put my company on hold for two years). I have the new client's fee schedule - my site redesign would pay for itself almost immediately. If one customer buys two of their services - they breakeven. My goal is prove the worth of the web; then I will sell additional services.


QUESTION:
I am looking for statistics about why good web design is important TO THE BOTTOM LINE. How all business need good a website in 2012 etc.

I have a few statistics ... but I'm looking for more recent.

https://www.internetretailer.com/2003/06/17/web-site-design-trumps-even-pri... (but my client sells services)

https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/5501/Research-Shows-Websites-I...

https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/11414/12-Mind-Blowing-Statisti... (Great - but doesn't give sources.)

Any other advice is welcomed!

Thanks, April

P.S. Is this the right forum category?
To continue reading this question and the solution, sign up ... it's free!
SUBSCRIBE
Or, SIGN IN

RESPONSES

  • Posted by online on 1/25/2012 at 2:10 PM Author
    Found another one - but does not give sources.
    https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/11414/12-Mind-Blowing-Statisti...

    Also - is this the right forum category?
  • Posted by online on 1/25/2012 at 2:59 PM Author
    Wow. The sources are posted in a slideshow at blog.hubspot.com - but you have to provide your name and address to get it. Fantastic charts, almost everything I need.

    Still want to hear any comments - especially on how look-n-feel of website affects brand image and even purchasing.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 1/25/2012 at 3:09 PM Accepted
    Information that may help you talk about getting dramatically better results by changing the website: https://www.marketingexperiments.com/improving-website-conversion

    Doubling traffic won't help the business if they get zero percent conversions. Ditto improving the look of the site. What you need to prove is that you'll bring qualified eyeballs to the site, and that the site will create the beginning of the "marketing funnel". Can you mirror the word-of-mouth experience (that "works") onto the website? If so, then it should be a straightforward sale: if word-of-mouth works well, then by taking the same presentation to more people, we should be able to get lots of website prospects.
  • Posted by mgoodman on 1/25/2012 at 9:37 PM Moderator
    Good web design is probably not as important as great landing pages that convert. You don't want to have to sell them on great design as your solution. You do want to convince them that you can generate more conversions.

    By switching the discussion to conversion, you demonstrate that you're focused on bottom-line results, not pretty pictures and sexy design things.

    I'm not suggesting that the client's site doesn't need help. I'm suggesting that you will have a better chance of getting through to the owner if you promise conversions, not a better looking website. Go for a few dynamite landing pages, not a total website redesign ... even if they need both.
  • Posted by online on 1/26/2012 at 2:14 PM Author
    Gosh - I can't decide which question to accept as response. Both have critical info.

    Doubling traffic w/o conversion - Not good
    Marketing Funnel - Got it
    Keep conversation focused on conversion - Got it

    Landing Pages ... Yeah, I get that.

    Guess I just had writers block. My business is predicated on MARKETING and PROFIT - not pretty pictures. What I wanted was statistics because I think the Owner is a numbers guy.

    Anyway I found a TON of stuff at Hubspot.com ... Now I'm just making the PowerPoint's.

    Thanks for the help! Wish I could split the points.
  • Posted by steve hates you on 1/26/2012 at 2:56 PM Member
    > Owner is aged about 65 - built his business from scratch. Started around 1977. Now has about 30 Fortune 500 customers. The company is an Image Consulting Company

    Um, run away!
    if he started in 1977, no wonder his website looks terrible. and he only has 30 customers? how long of a lunch does he take?
    an Image Consulting Company, but he has no idea what his own image looks like? Dorian Gray Inc.
    Fortune 500 clients, but you're only charging them $3,000 ?
    you're not in the right league. landscapers get $3,000.
    you need to add an extra zero
    good luck, buy a lottery ticket
BACK TO TOP

Post a Comment

Related Discussions

Community Info

Top 25 Experts
(Customer Behavior)