Clicks 'n Conversions Blog

This article was first published  February 4, 2009 on the Tatum Marketing blog

I’m fortunate because as I writer I learn so much from the people I interview. A few weeks back I had the pleasure of speaking with an incredibly down-to-earth CEO for a SoftwareCEO exclusive that’s in the works. Clate Mask runs Infusionsoft, a company that helps small businesses increase sales through automated follow up.

During our interview Clate told me one of his biggest mistakes was not recognizing the value of a good website. Using the Wayback Machine one can follow his company’s evolution from a custom development shop to a software firm who first targeted the mortgage industry before realizing they could go horizontal with their offering.

Clate said he didn’t really understand how much a website said about his company so he didn’t really invest in his site for the first five years.

Many companies, I believe, still think like Clate did, but here’s a few statistics that might make you re-think your strategy:

A joint study conducted by Enquiro Research and MarketingSherpa revealed that 63.9% of B2B buyers start their search online with general-purpose engines like Google or targeted B2B engines.
A Forrester Research excerpt published during 2007 reported that 78% of CIOs and IT decision makers rely on websites when making product decisions.
Clate’s website isn’t pretty, but it doesn’t have to be.  What makes his website effective  is content. It’s a leadgen machine that reads like you’re talking to Clate — so much so — that by the time him and I met via phone, I felt like I already knew him.

Online prospects get to know you long before you get to know them, so put your best foot forward. Create content that shows your personality and starts a conversation.

Many B2B sellers tell me their goal is to get prospects to call, but if all you have to offer is another “me too” website filled with marketing buzzwords, what reason have you given them to pick up the phone?

Sue Anderson
Marketing Lure, Inc.