Change your clicks into customers

Over the last fortnight we have looked at how retailers and manufacturers and then booking and reservation style services can use their websites to close more sales.

This week, we look at how project-based services can do the same.  By project-based services I mean those whose work typically revolves around an agreed period of time with inputs from different employees and outside providers. 

Examples of these include architects, builders, graphic designers, film and video producers, web services and all kinds of technicians, artists and consultants.

What all of these providers have in common is their method of engagement and delivery.  Typically they operate by receiving a briefing for a project or piece of work, responding with an estimate, then if accepted proceeding with work to a budget, timeframe and deliverables. 

Many believe that websites can really only act as a promotional piece for services like these, however as the web becomes more and more capable, websites can take a far more important role in not only closing sales, but allowing payments of fees and deposits.

Now before you call me a hypocrite by not implementing some of these for my own firm’s website, let me assure you that I’m “onto it” and they will be appearing very, very soon.

Get the basics right

The first step in closing sales is getting the fundamentals right.  This includes the mainstays of any good services website – which all help to provide all important proof of the professionalism of your firm:

• A professionally designed, written and generally presented website.
• Genuine testimonials from credible clients.
• Good search engine optimisation.
• Evidence of a physical office and fixed phone number.
• “About Us” backgrounds of the principals.
• Case studies of work and their results.
• Regular updates of news and projects.
• Prompt responses to email enquiries.
• Invitation to sign up to an email newsletter.

Attention to just these fundamentals will put you ahead of the pack, but it’s amazing just how many quite professional businesses fail many of them.

But if you’ve ticked all these boxes, what else can you do to close the sale online?

Provide an indication of your price levels

A very simple but effective way of moving prospects through the sales cycle is price indications.

How many times have you missed a sale because you weren’t able to make contact with a prospect in time?  Conversely how much time have you wasted courting a prospect who was never in your price range?

If you can provide some indication of pricing it both qualifies genuine prospects and saves time dealing with those who aren’t in your price bracket. 

The notion of publishing your prices is often met with much resistance from business people concerned that competitors will access the information and react accordingly. 

But I would be more concerned that competitors are publishing their own prices, which allows prospects to include them as candidates for their patronage.  By not publishing them your business may not make “the cut”.

Provide a detailed briefing form

Prospects can be moved even closer to the sale by including a detailed briefing form on your website. 

A comprehensive form will act as a motivator for prospects to supply information on the spot rather than create further delays.  What’s more it allows you to respond to them as quickly as possible because you have all the relevant information you need to provide your price and support materials. 

Remember the more obstacles you put in the way of receiving this information – such as a round of “phone-tag”, the less likely you are to getting the sale.

Bundle your services into fixed-price packages

Another method of closing sales that is growing in popularity is by packaging your services into fixed price bundles.

Instead of the time consuming and barrier-infested process of taking a brief and providing a written estimate, service packages reverse the procedure by providing a price and putting parameters of what you will receive for it.

My firm has had great success with packages for each of e-business auditing, website building, pay per click advertising services and ongoing support by using this method as clients enjoy the fast and clear means of buying our services.   And the savings made on time spent briefing, writing estimates and following up is huge.

The other advantage of this approach is that you can drastically improve cash flow and reduce paperwork by selling these packages using a secure shopping cart.  Either a good deposit or even the full amount can be paid “while you sleep”.

Are your services subscribable?
Finally a growing means of packaging your services is by creating a subscription package of a selection of your services. 

Not only are these easy to purchase but by making them available in bite-size instalments, they are less painful on your client’s pockets.  Providing you provide good value for your subscription, clients will happily let your direct debit passive income stream continue indefinitely.

Avoid reliance on the phone

Finally a note of caution.  Many in business avoid implementing the above techniques in the mistaken belief that prospects will “just pick up the phone and call”.

Don’t be misled! 

Web users are becoming accustomed to being provided with all the web has to offer in terms of information, pricing and purchasing capabilities.  Quite simply if you don’t provide prospects with a means of closing the sale, your competitors will, and that’s who they will patronise.

Do you know of any other ways to close the sale for project-based businesses?  We’d love to hear them by adding your comment below.

Craig Reardon is a leading eBusiness educator and founder and director of independent web services firm The E Team which provide the gamut of ‘pre-built’ website solutions, technologies and services to SMEs in Melbourne and beyond. www.theeteam.com.au

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