4 questions your website must answer to generate sales leads

Your website must convey your value proposition. Here's how to do it.

Web design and online marketing have gotten more complicated than ever before – it’s possible now to add all kinds of bells and whistles to your site, and there are lots of buzzwords about what your site needs to do to engage visitors and capture email addresses and generate leads. But too many company websites are losing sight of what is truly most important about their site’s design and content – showing people WHY they should care and “What’s in it for me” from the customer’s perspective. Simply put: too many company websites don’t really illustrate a value proposition.

Next time you redesign your website, take some time to ask yourself some big-picture questions to make sure your website really has a compelling case for why people should buy from you.

Here are a few questions that your website needs to answer in the minds of your prospects:

1. What does your solution do best?

Your solution doesn’t have to be all things to all people. Instead of listing every single feature, consider highlighting just the most important aspects of what you sell. What is the “superpower” of your solution? What is the aspect of your product that customers tend to praise and compliment the most? What can you offer that no other company can?

2. Why should people buy from you?

This is where you need to explain your company’s competitive advantage. What do you do best? How can you help your customers save money, boost productivity, or make bigger profits? Show statistics and success stories; use explainer videos to show how and why your product delivers results. What is it like to buy from your company and work with you? Describe the process of working with your company from a customer service perspective – what is involved with the implementation stage? How long does it take to get your new IT system installed? How can your insurance agency help customers save money? Keep in mind that all of these details need to be delivered from the perspective of your customer, and answer the question, “What’s in it for me?” Try to anticipate possible questions that your customers might have during the sales process, and answer those questions on your website.

3. What proof can you offer for why your solution works?

One of the most important parts of your site should be the Testimonials page. Create a dedicated page or subsection to your site that is all about sharing the case studies, success stories and glorious praises of happy customers. Use testimonial YouTube videos or podcast episodes to interview your best customers about their results – don’t be afraid to “go deep” and get personal with the details; use humor, use real human stories. Often the best way to show customers that you’re legitimate is to share personal, engaging stories about how your company helps improve people’s lives. Get creative! Make colorful infographics, comic book-style illustrations, or use animated explainer videos. Case studies don’t have to be “corporate” and stuffy and boring; you can make these stories memorable and shareable.

4. How can we move forward?

Finally, your website needs a clear call to action. This sounds so obvious, but you’d be surprised how many B2B companies don’t make it easy to find the “Buy” button. Whatever the next step is for your customers after visiting your website, make it easy for them to call, email, or sign up for more information from your sales team. Make your call to action visible, easy to access from mobile devices, and make it easy for your customers. For example, don’t make your customers fill in the fields on a hard-to-read email intake form – instead, give them an email address or a phone number that they can easily tap from their smartphone if needed.

Online marketing doesn’t have to be complicated if you can just stay focused on a few key questions. Make sure your website covers these fundamental needs, and your customers will be more likely to buy from you.

Gregg Schwartz is the vice president of sales and marketing at Strategic Sales & Marketing, a lead-generation firm based in Connecticut. His company helps technology companies and various startups and small-to-mid-size businesses in the business-to-business sales category generate sales leads and improve their sales processes.