- April 11, 2017
- Posted by: blog admin
- Category: Business plans
A copywriter offers advice to web site development companies to stand out from the competition.
What are the four most powerful words that any service provider can tell a prospective customer? “We did it before.”
Think about it. Whether we are looking for a new dentist, a plumber, a car mechanic or a web development company; We usually want someone who actually knows what they are doing.
Look at your own marketing materials. Do they simply contain a laundry list of technical skills? Is your list really different from your competitors? How many of your potential customers are aware of, or careful about, all of these technical terms?
The same old wallet page
When does a photo not always deserve a thousand words? When this image is a small screenshot of a website. Do you expect potential customers to click on all of these links? Do you think they will understand that behind this small screenshot, did a really sophisticated programming that you believe led to a 150% increase in sales for your customer? No, if you do not say it.
Switching projects to sales machines
Spill this stupid gallery of screenshots and start creating a portfolio that really presents your work.
Instead of just saying that you know how to create e-commerce sites, prove it.
Create case stories or project summaries on a few of your past development projects. Explain what the client asked for. If the conversation started with “We need a website and we would like to sell items”; Then start. Tell us what you did, how you did it and why it is the best solution for your client. And do not forget to mention how well the site works and how happy the customer is with your job.
Who do you think a business owner is more likely to hire than his or her site development business? The company with a list of linen full of incomprehensible terms that rather resembles English? Or could they hire you after you read how you transformed the website for a similar business into a profit center?
About Us vs Services
Many web development companies also have this problem. Service pages should relate to the services you offer. About us, pages must share your company’s history, all industry specializations and introduce your team members.
Even if you are an individual business, you have a business history. Use your About page to tell prospective customers who you are. Convince yourself why they should hire you instead of a larger company. Share the same information you could share with someone who asks you for a job in a larger company.
Not so long ago, I visited the website of a large web development company. They only work in a particular industry. Of the 20 bios on the About Us page, none reported having experience in the industry they served. Only one employee seemed to have a degree in technology. I learned a lot more about their non-work activities than their professional activities and skills. Their bios read more like meeting profiles than professional resumes.
The worst of the worst?
When John (name changed to protect fools) is not in the office, he is on the mountain either skiing or hiking the miles of forest trails in our area and throughout the world. He hopes one day to tackle Everest. It was on a ski trip to our area that led John to make our city his permanent base camp. John and his wife have four fur children – Rufus, Charlie, Princess and Goldie.
I guess I’m supposed to think that John is an energetic winner. Not me. I wonder if John will be available when I need him or if he will overlap my project so he can escape his favorite mountain.
Consider this alternative biography entirely invented for John. He transforms his personal activities into a negotiable asset for his web development company.
John is one of our web designers. He is an expert mountaineer and has traveled extensively. John began his career as a graphic designer for a marketing and advertising company in New York City. With a diploma in web technology and the eye of a talented artist, John creates truly unique designs that match our customers and the personality of their businesses. He has created
