Graham McGregor: How to make your website work better

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I read some figures on websites in New Zealand recently that got me thinking...

"Just 41 per cent of New Zealand small and medium-sized enterprises SMEs) had a business website, up from 34 per cent in March last year, a survey by accounting software business MYOB shows."

These figures remind me that thousands of businesses have a website that they use to promote their products and services.

And in this column I want to suggest one simple change that could make your website work a lot better as a marketing tool.

Here's the change I suggest you make...

Offer an 'Information Magnet' on your website

An Information Magnet is simply information that would be helpful to a potential client for your business.

Here's a simple example of an information magnet that I saw a few days ago...

Andy Carruthers works as a business consultant with accountancy practice Crowe Horwath (NZ) Limited.

Andy offers a short 6 page booklet that can help a business owner use new technology to save an extra 60 minutes a day.

You can download the booklet here.

You enter your name and email address and then receive the booklet.

You also get access to three short and helpful videos that go into the same topic in more detail.

I've read the booklet and it explains a number of apps and some simple productivity tips that work well to save a business person serious time each week.

So the booklet is worth reading for business people.

Now by offering an info magnet like this Andy builds up a list of business people who are
interested in making their business more productive and profitable.

Andy can now start to communicate with this list and add value to them by providing helpful information.

He can mention some of the consulting services that he offers and there is a good chance that some of the people on his list will find these services to be useful for their business.

So what an info magnet does is give visitors to your website a reason to make contact and give you their name and email address.

Here's why this is important...

There are three groups of potential clients who will visit your website.

Group 1:

Potential clients interested in buying the type of product or service that you have in the near future. (Within the next 30-90 days.)

Group 2:

Potential clients who are interested in buying your type of product or service in the next 3-12 months.

Group 3:

Potential clients who have an interest in buying your type of product or service in the next 1-2 years.

Now if you offer a helpful info magnet that is related to what you sell you will usually get potential clients from all three groups to order it.

You can then start communicating with these people; you can add value and position your firm as an expert in your field and so on.

This creates an excellent relationship with these people.

And dramatically increases the chances of them choosing to do business with your firm at the appropriate time they need what you offer.

So how do you create a helpful info magnet?

If you don't have a helpful info magnet on your website here are two options you might want to take.

Option 1: Create your own info magnet and offer it on your website.

Make sure your info magnet is helpful to potential clients and gives them valuable information.

Option 2: Get someone else to create an info magnet for you.

If you would like some suggestions on where to go to create an effective info magnet just contact me using either of the email links in this Herald column.

Tell me the type of business you have and the main types of new clients you would like to attract with an info magnet.

I'll give you a couple of suggestions on creating an info magnet that should be helpful.

(With my compliments.)

Whether you create it yourself or get someone to help you, offering a helpful info magnet is a proven way to make many websites work better.

"Being memorable equals getting picked."

Jeffrey Pfeffer

Action Exercise:

What helpful valuable information can you offer in the form of an info magnet on your website that potential clients would find useful?

Graham McGregor is a consultant specialising in memorable marketing. You can download his 396 page 'Unfair Business Advantage' Ebook at no charge from www.theunfairbusinessadvantage.com