SHAPING STRATEGY A
Does Your Website Fail This 3-Question Test? Your site must be buyer-centric,
MARK MEHLING, MARKETING CONSULTANT
well-crafted B2B website (not outrageous, entertaining, or expensive) can pay for itself
instead of just being a money sink- hole. (Measuring its ROI is another column.) Few will ever make money, however, based on a random analysis of 150+ metalcasters’ websites. Here are
just a couple stats: 62% hadn’t been updated in the last
two years. 89% made no effort to initiate an
ongoing conversation. 97% were not client focused. 99% allowed visitors to leave with-
out trying to interact. Consider these three questions to see if your website is on track.
1. Is it about you or the buyer? Unlike the past, finding a met-
alcaster today only takes milliseconds at the buyer’s desk. Comparisons are simple. Pre-www, brochures listing capabilities alone worked. But the web is a different media. Post-www, web pages must clearly differentiate you, in the buyer’s mind, from easily acces- sible competitor information. For every data point or metric
on the site, ask yourself: “So what?” (Hint: Tat’s what buyers are doing…) Boring internal metrics like business age, tons poured and foundry size fill most sites. If I am a buyer, why do I care about any of that? Whether the plant has 50, 500 or 5,500 employees doesn’t concern me as long as I get my castings on price, on spec and on time! Client Oriented Metrics (COM)
such as on-time performance, lead times and repeat buyer percentages are strong influencers. Tey reduce the anxiety of dealing with your met- alcasting facility against all the other options. COM also is an excellent dif- ferentiation tool that foreign competi- tors cannot match. Te website must communicate
how you solve their needs, their wants. Help them make a decision that working with you will keep their boss off their back, ensuring their job secu- rity and causing them less hassle.
not company-centric, to be effective.
2. Do you build a visitor list? Few people stumble upon a
metalcaster’s website. Almost all are buyers researching solutions. If not immediately, then for next week/ month/year. How do you track these seekers? A simple form, asking for as little information as possible, can start building a list to begin a long-term relationship. Te way to initiate this is with a trade.
One simple idea is to offer an email with weekly/monthly updated lead times in exchange for their email address. It keeps you in their mind, gives them legitimate decision information, and isn’t “in your face” marketing. You already know those on the list have a need—they are in the buying window. White papers and case studies can also be appropriate “bribes” to start the conversation. One of my favorite “trade for your
contact info” ideas is a short, trust- building educational book. Perhaps “Te Industrial Buyer’s Guide to Green Sand Casting” (no one is do- ing that one yet) or similar for your particular niche. In exchange for their email and physical address, this little gem is sent to the prospect. It gets your name solidly in their mind because the book offers insider’s tips and tricks using your business throughout. It’s a reference they can touch—unlike an ebook. Plus it is tailored to your metalcasting business, even embedding your rep or sales team’s voices or videos. It’s a great non-pushy sales tool that lasts for years and costs less than $3,000, or about $5 a book. No matter what cheese you offer, the cost is miniscule compared to the potential Client Lifetime Value of a good list. Te system can even be automated until a potential client hits an “I’m ready to move” tripwire. Without creating a prospect list, a website is like a brochure lying on
Modern Casting subscribers can receive an expanded audio version of this discus- sion by scanning the code below or going to
http://bit.ly/1bP2VVA .
the ground in a busy street, hoping someone picks it up. But it’s a lot more expensive.
3. Do you have a “no” route? Not everyone arriving at the
website needs an immediate quote. The “no” path is for those who try to leave without trading contact info. Thinking “fine, they can go away” is a costly mistake. Tink back to your childhood. Remember when your parents said “no” to a request and you persisted until they changed their mind? You understood “no” to mean “maybe.” Tat same tact in this media (websites) can be very lucrative. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming or annoying, either. Done right, you will see a per-
centage of “nos” become “maybes” or “yesses.” Here’s a simple case: A visitor
reads an “alloys poured” page and then navigates away. Every site we surveyed lets them get away, assuming they didn’t find the alloy they wanted. But it could have been for any number of other reasons. Anyone looking at that page is trying to solve a problem. A simple offer to help could win a single order that pays for the entire website for years! Buyers are looking for answers.
Don’t let them go to competitors with- out an intervention attempt. In summary, a website shouldn’t
be a money pit. Correcting these three areas will give you a huge head start over your competitors, espe- cially those overseas.
Send comments, thoughts and questions to Mark@
TeFoundryMarketer.com.
May 2014 MODERN CASTING | 59
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