Marketing Your Consulting Services.pdf - epiheirimatikotita.gr

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ESTABLISH A WEBSITE
What can you put on your website? Start with a homepage that provides general
information. The other information emanates from your homepage. You may publish
client lists, samples of your materials, in-depth descriptions of some of your
services, reviews of books you’ve written, an expert’s column, articles written by
guest consultants, or anything else you believe will interest the individuals you
want to visit your website. Know the reason for your website. Then design it to
meet that need.
What is the reason for your website? To create a place where you can sell your
products and services? To build relationships with prospects? To provide clients and
potential clients with information about you and your consulting? To provide a service
where clients can go to find updated information (for example, if you conduct
research for your clients, they could visit the site to respond or to find information)?
Like almost everything you do as a business owner, you need to have a clear objective
before you set out to establish a website. In many cases your objective may be a
combination of the above four. You still need to determine the key reason.
Design Your Website
Like everything else you do, your website should project the image you desire.
Therefore, hire a highly qualified web designer to assist you. Check out other sites
that the individual has designed. You will want someone who has expertise, but
like your paper product designer in Chapter Four, you will want someone who listens
to your needs and meets them. Ask for references and establish costs for both
the initial design and any annual or ongoing charges. The initial design will most
likely cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $2,000 to $7,000. You won’t need
the most expensive designer, but, as with your brochures, this is not the time to
cut corners.
Your website should be one that is effective but simple. Don’t let the designer
overload it so that it takes a long time to download. Most people will become frustrated—even
if the cause is their slow modem. Ask potential designers how they
will ensure that your website is easy to navigate. Ensure that visitors can easily email
you while visiting your site. And for marketing purposes, ask your designer
how you could capture names of interested visitors for follow-up. You should also
provide a way for individuals to contact you directly beyond e-mail, such as your
mailing address, telephone number, and fax number.
Marketing Your Consulting Services