5 Tactics to Get More Website Inquiries Now (Sometimes Quick & Dirty is Good Enough)

A while back I was skimming through websites in search of some talent I could subcontract some work out to. The exercise was incredibly painful. I was, like most entrepreneurs, short on time and big on need. How frustrating to come across website after website that presented me with more obstacles than solutions. What kind of talent may have been lurking behind these digital beasts? And have any of these “business owners” actually tried to use their own websites? We can’t all be usability specialists or Internet marketers, but there is definitely some low hanging fruit to be had here, stuff that could be outsourced for relatively little money but earn potentially huge payoffs in terms of website conversion rates.

Here are my top 5 tactics to get more website inquiries now:

1. Put a link to your contact information and feedback form in the main navigation. This should be visible on every page of your website and above the “fold” (i.e. no scrolling required). In my mind, a feedback on the contact page isn’t enough though. Give me a real, physical address please, because I kinda like knowing you’re human and get real paper mail now and then.
2. Tell me your unique value proposition (UVP) on the homepage, and then tell me exactly what you can DO for people like ME. I don’t care about you or your dog or your Aunt Matilda or why the heck you love your work so much.
3. Show me some testimonials from real clients. Include full names and website URLs (or a location if there is not a URL). Anyone can fake happy clients on a website. Duh. I want names, people, names.
4. Explain in detail each type of service you provide along with related content (articles, blog posts, etc.) that demonstrates your expertise and the kinds of results I might be looking for. I have no desire to waste my time inquiring with someone who is a great big “maybe.”
5. For heaven’s sake, show some style. Generic descriptions and headlines tell me nothing about you or your professional approach. If I can’t figure out who you really are from the things you say and the image you present, why would I waste time trying to find that out later? I want to be courted. I want to want more. If you seem boring there’s no first date (when you get to give me a quote).

Simple eh? Number 6 might be to add a blog, because I really appreciate an up to date blog when researching talent for hire. But that’s not exactly a “quick” fix. However, it does carry a ton of weight with me and probably most others in my position. In any event, you can probably do a lot of these things yourself and outsource the rest without breaking the bank.

So print this list off and get started today. Because if you’re annoying your visitors the way I was annoyed, you’re leaving money on the table. Are you okay with that?

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