It probably comes as no surprise to you that the internet never turns off. People are on the web 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Consequently, your website is the hardest working salesperson you have on your team. And it should complement the work of your traditional sales team, not work in isolation or against it. Unfortunately, that’s something we see again and again — companies that provide incredible services and great products, but with websites that drive prospects away instead of reeling them in, educating them, and turning them into customers.

In an attempt to combat this trend, we’ve outlined how to increase sales by allowing your website to act as an asset for your sales team.

1. Clearly explain what your business does

You’d be surprised at the number of business websites that don’t clearly and concisely explain what the business does. You only have a few seconds to capture a user’s attention; while you care deeply about your mission, and your upcoming events, and your portfolio of amazing projects, it will mean little to the user if they don’t know who you are or what you do.

You’ll notice the first thing we do on our website is explain exactly what we do

With well written, professional copy, you can outline exactly what your business does and how you achieve your goals. When you hone in on the core competency of your company, it becomes easier to identify the primary action you want users to take, which should help you choose the calls-to-action (CTAs) you prioritize. Studies have shown that 81% of buyers perform online research before making a purchase, so it’s imperative that you clearly explain what your company does and help guide users to the actions you want them to take.

2. Outline your services

Buyers have more resources at their fingertips than ever before, and they’re doing their research before they ever pick up the phone or send an email.

That’s why it’s so important to outline your services in detail. If it’s clear what services you provide, or what products you sell, it helps filter out unqualified leads who don’t need what you offer.

That means less time spent on unqualified prospects, and more time spent on the people likely to buy.

3. Answer FAQs

Having well thought out and articulate “frequently asked questions” will help to qualify prospects even further. Answering these questions on your website can speed up the buying process and save your sales team time, since the FAQ should be comprised of the questions your sales team receives most often.

FAQs can walk your potential clients through how your products or services work; illustrate what it’s like to work with you; even explain what a typical sales process looks like.

What happens if the client is dissatisfied or their item is flawed? What are your payment terms and what type of support do you offer? It’s beneficial to have these outlined for internal use, but they’re also extremely useful for potential clients, and ultimately should make the decision to work with you an easy one.

4. Bring the leads to you

Your sales team is spending valuable time cold calling and emailing potential leads, many of which will be dead ends. But what if quality leads came to you instead? And what if it was easier to tell how likely they are to buy? If you’re trying to find out how to increase sales, these questions have likely occurred to you.

This is where inbound marketing comes in. Do you have articles, videos, an eBook or other piece of content which leads would find valuable? If so, you can put this content behind a lead-capture form instead of just placing a PDF download link on your site and giving it away for free.

Ask for the user’s contact information (typically name and email or phone) in return for your valuable content. Your sales team can then follow up, and a cold lead instantly becomes a warm or even hot lead — depending on the value and depth of the content — and all you did was let your website work its magic.

5. Allow your company culture to shine

Company culture is highly valued nowadays, so much so that it can be the determining factor when a prospect chooses who to work with. Use your website to show off your company’s personality and values. It could be through unique headshots, team bio’s that contain interesting facts or favorite foods, or a video showing how your team interacts day-to-day. If you have a mission statement and/or core values, include those on the about page so visitors can see that you’ve thought these through and made them a priority.

6. The beauty of social proof

Social proof such as testimonials and case studies can be an immense boon for your brand and company. Such examples of your work further validate your business and allow prospects to see the experiences others have had. Case studies in particular are a great way to show how you identified different pain points and helped clients address and solve them in tangible ways.

Testimonials are a great way to demonstrate what sets you apart from the competition

Work Smarter, Not Harder

With this list in hand, you can ensure that your website is an impactful part of your sales process. If your website is lacking in the areas mentioned above, it could be time for a website redesign; or, maybe you have implemented some of the items and need to revisit them to see how they’re performing.

Tracking things such as inbound leads and contact form submissions can help you identify if the approach you’re taking is working. If not, tweak, adjust and try again. International Best Selling Author Todd Duncan said it best when he said “A customer buys you first and then your product”.

Want to learn more about how to increase sales by properly leveraging your website? Give us a call or shoot us an email! We’d love to learn about you, your business, and the ways we can help address your toughest challenges.

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