IT is one of the most in-demand business services in the world. There are thousands and thousands of managed service providers (MSPs) out there.
The struggle in every crowded industry is to stand out. The IT world is no exception.
At Tech Pro Marketing – my MSP marketing company – we’ve worked with hundreds of MSP websites, many of which we have built from the ground up. One of the most common pieces of input we get from MSP owners in this process is “We don’t want to be seen as the typical IT company,” – usually bringing up the iconic IT man skit from Saturday Night Live.
From here, many MSP owners want their website to have a super distinct, catchy personality. There’s nothing wrong with a catchy brand voice on a website. However, clarity needs to take priority over catchiness.
In this post, I’m going to explain what this means in detail to make sure your website serves the intended purpose: book consultations.
Let’s get into it.
Start with the homepage’s hero section
The hero section refers to the first thing you see at the very top of a webpage before you do any scrolling. When a visitor looks at your homepage’s hero section, it must be crystal clear what your business is all about.
Take SmarterMSP for example. As soon as you visit the homepage, you know immediately it’s a website that provides content to help MSPs build better businesses.
The hero section on your MSP’s homepage needs to communicate:
- What you do
- Who you serve
- Where you’re located
- Why people should work with you
- How to book a consultation
You can achieve this with one or two short sentences, a call-to-action, and a strong background image.
Here’s an example (minus the background image):
“Concentrate on running your business – leave business technology to us. (Company Name): The San Diego business community’s most reliable choice for managed IT services.”
Let’s talk (link to scheduler)
Focus on the headlines
The reality of building a website is most visitors won’t read your content word for word.
The human brain tends to scan websites and headlines, which the eyes naturally gravitate towards. These headlines need to act as beacons guiding prospects through your website. Keep them straightforward and avoid using flashy buzzwords or adjectives.
Here’s an example.
Good website headline: What’s Included in Our Managed IT Service Plans?
Not-so-good website headline: Our Intrinsic Managed IT Service Offerings Designed and Implemented to Elevate Your Business Outcomes on All Levels
The second headline is trying too hard to be special. Additionally, a reader must do mental gymnastics to understand it. The first one keeps it simple. It’s relevant to what a prospect would be looking for and makes it easy for them to read the content beneath it.
There’s no need to overcomplicate your website headlines. Use adjectives minimally and do your best to keep them to 65 characters or less.
Avoid analysis paralysis
One of the first things I tell MSP owners when building a new website is the purpose is to be an appointment setter, not a brochure.
You don’t need to dive into every last detail about the services you offer, your processes, the technologies you use, etc., etc. Most prospective clients turn to MSPs because they are tired of working with outdated technology that breaks down all the time. In other words, they want you to take IT off their hands and have systems that work seamlessly day after day.
The nuts and bolts of how you will do this can be explained thoroughly in the sales call.
Above all else, your website needs to clarify these points:
- You provide the services your prospects need
- You’re in their geographic location
- You’re qualified to do the job
- You’ve got a track record of success
You work in a technical industry. Explaining all your website’s inner workings will be overwhelming to most prospective clients.
Make it easy for prospects to set meetings
To echo the main theme in this post, the primary purpose of an MSP website is to book strategy calls and kick off your sales process. It needs to be super, super easy for prospects to do this.
When we build websites, we use anywhere from three to six (sometimes more) call-to-action (CTA) buttons on a single webpage. These buttons can either be to book a meeting or ask a question in a live chat feature. In essence, a prospect should never have to dig for a way to contact you on your website.
Now, CTA buttons are one of the most analyzed components on a website. Webmasters are constantly testing the placement, text, and even the color to find which ones get the most clicks and conversions. Expert web designers create CTAs with a great deal of data and precision.
Is your MSP website clear or catchy?
MSP websites involve many moving parts, but simplicity should be at the core of each one.
A prospect shouldn’t have to get far into the homepage to learn exactly what you do, who your target clients are, where you’re located, and how to contact you.
Visitors generally have little patience for complicated websites. Keeping it simple is almost always the best move.
Is your MSP website doing its job as an appointment setter, or does it function more like a brochure?
If it feels like the latter, I can help. Send me a message on LinkedIn or get in contact through my website to open a conversation.
Photo: Sorapop Udomsri / Shutterstock
This post originally appeared on Smarter MSP.