When it comes to technology, you’re undoubtedly pretty savvy.
After all, you’re running a successful MSP operation, which involves wrangling the latest technologies into effective (and profitable) customer-service solutions.
But when it comes to digital marketing, the sad truth is that the vast majority of MSPs make three BIG mistakes:
- They don’t drive enough traffic to their website.
- If they drive traffic to their site, their websites aren’t designed to convert, and end up not converting the traffic into leads and calls.
- If someone DOES happen to opt in or pick up the phone and call the number on the website, the MSP drops the ball on the lead they DO get by burning it with the way they handle it.
Thankfully, fixing these problems is relatively easy. It just boils down to understanding and using some common digital marketing tools more effectively.
1 – Maintain Your Google Business Profile
Engineering your website for SEO is a given these days, which means doing your homework on identifying and using relevant keywords and phrases for your market.
But one overlooked element to this process is to make sure you’ve completely filled out your Google Business Profile. By doing so, you accomplish a number of things:
- Your business will appear more prominently on Google Maps and Search results.
- You can make sure customers have accurate contact and other information.
- You can upload photos and descriptions of your products, services or events.
- Your customers can leave reviews about your business.
- You can directly interact with your customers, answering questions and addressing concerns.
Keeping your profile accurate and current doesn’t require a lot of time, but it can pay off significantly. In a study done by Technology Marketing Toolkit, the digital marketing of 284 different MSPs was studied, and it was found that having a completed Google Business Profile accounts for 26% of raw leads and 24% of QUALIFIED leads.
Don’t overlook this. It’s a valuable tool you need to use and update regularly.
2 – Use Retargeting To Maximize Awareness
Retargeting, also known as remarketing, enables you to reengage with potential customers who have already interacted with your website or ads. You’ve experienced the process yourself probably thousands of times:
When someone visits your website (or clicks on your ad), a small piece of code called a “pixel” places a cookie on their browser that lets you track their online activity and display your ads as they browse different sites.
You can even custom-tailor the ads based on the pages they visited or the products they viewed, or how far they went through your contact process.
By using retargeting, you can encourage visitors to return to your website. Best of all, it’s one of the cheapest forms of digital advertising currently available, costing far less than standard PPC rates.
But you still need to fix the biggest mistake so many still make…
3 – Make Sure Your Website’s Headline Does Its Job
We look at dozens – if not hundreds – of different MSP websites, and with the vast majority, we come away thinking the same thing:
“What’s going on here?”
For example, take a look at this home page:
It’s great that they deliver on their promises, but what exactly do they do? Who do they serve? Where are they located?
None of this is immediately obvious. All you know is that they promise something and are passionate about it. But what’s any of that got to do with you?
This landing page could belong to practically any business in any industry serving any market.
Your home page headline should answer three key questions:
- WHAT do you do?
- WHO do you do it for?
- WHERE do you do it?
This means that rather than offering bland, nonspecific happy talk like “Connecting People With Technology,” a far better headline might be “Imagine Your NYC Law Firm Empowered By World-Class IT,” followed by a subhead reading, “IT Services And Solutions For NYC’s Law Firms.”
When you have a headline that answers those three key questions, you’ve set yourself apart by providing the first level of information that your prospective client is interested in – essentially answering, “Am I in the right place?”
But a clear message isn’t enough…
4 – Make Sure You CAPTURE Information
Your website’s #1 job is to CAPTURE traffic and CONVERT it into leads and appointments.
That’s it.
Everything else is gravy.
And if your website doesn’t accomplish its #1 job, then, like any other nonperforming team member, it needs to go away.
Now, you might think this is obvious. Perhaps so, but few seem to understand this key principle.
Research shows that the average conversion rate for most websites (note that we’re not talking about landing pages developed for a specific campaign) rarely rises above 2% at best. Most MSPs’/IT services companies’ websites convert less than 1% of traffic.
If your site is generating traffic at a rate of 500 qualified people per month, all the effort put into making that happen will result in five leads per month. MAX.
Why is conversion so low – even for sites offering “Free Reports” or other lead magnets?
Well, odds are that not enough people even know you’re offering that report. In reviewing 97 MSP sites, we’ve found:
- Only 38% of businesses had a report option “above the fold” – that is, immediately visible in the browser when you first land upon the page without scrolling.
- Another 31% had a report somewhere on the page, but you had to scroll down to see it.
- Worst of all, another 31% didn’t even offer an option to download a report ANYWHERE on the main page.
NEVER let anyone go away empty-handed. Be bold. Offer something you know your prospect will want, and put it front and center, above the fold, in a place where they can’t miss it.
Small Hinges Swing Big Doors
The old saying “Small hinges swing big doors” absolutely applies to digital marketing. Yes, stay cutting-edge when it comes to leveraging the latest technologies. But don’t overlook doing the little things that can make a big difference.
None of these simple tweaks involve a ton of effort or buckets of money. But they can add up to increased conversions in a big way – meaning more leads and more MRR for your business.
Keep Reading! 3 Digital Marketing Musts For MSPs To Get Leads, Appointments And Sales
