The MarCom Strategist: A Free B2B Marketing E-Newsletter

March, 2007
Published by Dianna Huff
Volume 7, Number 3

Welcome!

Welcome to the new subscribers from the Visual Thesaurus and various other blogs!

Jawitz Hits Home Run with Site Revamp

By Dianna Huff

Do you sometimes wonder if your Website is working for you? Do you think you could get more leads from it, but you're not sure how?

Bill Jawitz had the same questions when he decided to update his Website last year. A consultant and coach, Bill helps small law firms and solo practitioners grow their practices.

Bill's business has grown and changed and consequently, Bill wanted his site to reflect his new business model.

(Full disclosure: DH Communications consulted briefly on this project, but Bill was the driver; one of his internal consultants, Anne Braudy, wrote the copy.)

While talking about his business and his goals, Bill asked how he could determine which types of information would get prospective clients to pick up the phone and call him. "Why not do a survey?" was the reply.

So Bill sent out a brief survey that asked, "Which Website features would cause you to call a company like mine for more information or to set up an interview?" The eye-opening responses included:

• "Abbreviated diagnostic tool(s) that would lead me to conclude I have problems and need your help."
• "Articles on how to solve my particular marketing challenges."
• "Testimonials."
• "Success stories with pictures of the people so I can tell if they are anything like me."
• "Money-back guarantee."
• "A free Q&A that would create a report which would then lead to a phone consult."

(Notice no one mentioned "detailed information about your processes" or "a long-winded, jargon-laden mission statement.")

Bill then spent the next few months building a site around these objectives. You can view his fabulous new site at www.jawitz.com. Here's what I love about it:

Home page

Bill completely ditched the old site's Flash promo -- which didn't communicate the benefits of working with him and wasn't search engine friendly -- and added a picture of himself and an audio welcome message. New benefits-oriented copy explains how he helps stressed out lawyers.

Universal site elements

Bill placed the "Eight Fundamentals," the heart of his business model, on every page of his site -- an excellent move that ensures prospects find them no matter how they enter the site.

Most importantly, his phone number and a brief call-to-action, "fr*e confidential consult," are prominently placed at the top of every page.

For-fee assessment + no cost consult

Although survey responses indicated prospects and customers wanted a no-cost assessment, Bill felt that it was best to charge for it in order to better screen potential prospects. Once prospects take the assessment, Bill then gives them a complimentary consult regarding the assessment results.

Articles and success stories

According to a joint ThomasNet/Google study, 54% of respondents want to see articles on a supplier's Website -- yet only 37% of companies provide this information.

Bill's informal survey backs up this finding. Why are articles so important? Three reasons: they showcase your company's expertise and credibility, help with search engine rankings, and encourage inbound linking.

You can find Bill's 2006 archived articles under the "Quick Tips" tab on the main navigation bar.

Testimonials

Because they are unbiased endorsements, testimonials give your product, service, and company a great deal of credibility.

Testimonials also make it easier for prospects to decide to do business with you. (I've literally had prospects say, "Oh, you did business with so-and-so? Then you're fine. Let's talk.")

Because he has two services, coaching and speaking, Bill included testimonials from clients and directors of state bar associations.

Podcasts and teleconferences

People assimilate information in various ways: some of us want a PDF we can download and print out to read at our leisure; others prefer to download a quick three-minute podcast. Bill provides both, and in addition, he's also added teleconferences to his 2007 marketing plan.

"The site is still very new," says Bill, "and it's still a work in progress. I'm working on adding things like the diagnostic tools -- so check back later this year."

Kudos to Bill and his team for developing a customer-focused Website! Bill, I'm very pleased to know you and look forward to working with you again.

What can Dianna Huff do for you?

My goal is to make your job easier -- and to help you succeed with your marketing projects and campaigns.

• Want your site to rank well in Google through search engine optimization (SEO) copywriting?
• Responsible for a B2B e-newsletter and need help getting it out the door?
• Need a complete Website overhaul and don't know where to begin?

If you answered yes, then give me a call at 603-382-8093 or send e-mail to info@dhcommunications.com. I can help you.

Keep up with the latest MarCom news at The MarCom Writer Blog.