| Your Web site should be the cornerstone of | | | | a standard capabilities brochure; we |
| your client seduction efforts. The site is | | | | recommend your menu has a how-to guide or |
| your silent salesperson -- the one with whom | | | | tips brochure that includes capabilities |
| prospective clients visit before granting you | | | | information.9. Proprietary process. After |
| permission to meet with them.A top priority | | | | specialization, clients look for a specific |
| for any firm that competes in the | | | | problem-solving process. You should create |
| professional services or technology space is | | | | this process, name it, trademark it and |
| to create an easy-to-update Web site that | | | | describe it with reverence on your Web |
| demonstrates your competence. As the Internet | | | | site.10. Seminar information. The best lead |
| matures, content is slowly becoming more | | | | generation topic you can employ is the |
| important, but it's amazing how many sites | | | | seminar, briefing, workshop and/or round |
| for such firms simply assert how great the | | | | table discussion. Focus on the biggest |
| company is, rather than helping prospective | | | | problems that you solve for clients. Your Web |
| clients.According to our best-practices | | | | site should prominently list upcoming |
| research, the three most common client | | | | seminars (to promote attendance) and past |
| seduction Web site errors are: sites that are | | | | seminars (to promote your reputation as an |
| too busy; sites that feature little more than | | | | expert).11. Privacy policy. In a confidential |
| lengthy company histories and other | | | | business? Then by all means have a clear |
| information important to the company itself; | | | | privacy policy that states you will never |
| and worst of all, a site devoid of | | | | share contact information with anyone |
| meaningful, useful, how-to information. | | | | else.12. Legal disclaimer and copyright |
| Without how-to information, a Web site is | | | | notice. For ideas on legal disclaimers, look |
| just a glorified electronic brochure. Client | | | | in the front on any nonfiction business |
| seduction is defined as the art of wooing and | | | | advice book published today. You will see |
| winning clients by giving away valuable | | | | language that says the publisher is not |
| information.From a best-practices standpoint, | | | | engaged in rendering legal, accounting or |
| here are 21 must-have elements for a superior | | | | other professional service and the |
| Web site that begins the client seduction | | | | information is for educational purposes. And |
| dance:1. A clear positioning statement. Tell | | | | protect your intellectual property -- your |
| prospective clients, in as few words as | | | | site content and free resources -- by taking |
| possible, what you do, whom you do it for and | | | | advantage of de facto copyright laws. Post a |
| what results you achieve. If you have a | | | | standard copyright notice.13. Focus-specific |
| proprietary process or an extraordinary | | | | information. If you are a specialist in a |
| guarantee, this is the time and place to | | | | certain industry, like health care, then |
| mention it.2. Free resources. The key to | | | | there'd better be health care information |
| earning your prospective clients' trust is to | | | | throughout the site (you don't want to look |
| demonstrate that you know how to solve their | | | | like a poser).14. News releases. The Internet |
| problems in general. They will hire you to | | | | is the No. 1 research tool for journalists |
| solve specific problems. With that key fact | | | | today, so include news releases, fact sheets, |
| in mind, your Web site should be filled with | | | | firm backgrounders and longer executive |
| how-to articles, white papers and special | | | | biographies in one area.15. Public speaking. |
| reports that give away valuable | | | | List upcoming and past speaking engagements |
| information.3. Declare your specialization. | | | | with industry and civic groups. This promotes |
| The No. 1 attribute prospective clients hunt | | | | your reputation as an expert and will also |
| for is specialization, so put yours right up | | | | help you garner invitations for future |
| front. No successful small firm is "all | | | | speaking engagements.16. Job postings. Create |
| things to all people"; figure out who you | | | | positive, upbeat descriptions of the stars |
| serve, and how, and put that information on | | | | you attract to your firm.17. Key employee |
| the front page. Be sure also to describe the | | | | bios. Keep these short -- 50-100 words. |
| outcomes you achieve, such as decreased costs | | | | Longer bios belong in the news release |
| or increased revenues.4. Mission and | | | | section.18. Client base. This can be tricky, |
| philosophy. According to our focus groups, | | | | but it's important. If it is appropriate in |
| you should include a mission statement, but | | | | your field to list marquee clients, by all |
| keep it short and meaningful. Clients say | | | | means do so. If this is inappropriate, then |
| they don't really care that much about | | | | describe the types of clients you work for in |
| mission statements, but if you can use one to | | | | general terms (e.g., "A Fortune-500 |
| further differentiate yourself, it's a good | | | | Manufacturer of Paper and Consumer |
| idea to do so.5. Contact information. Don't | | | | Products").19. Case studies. Our focus groups |
| make your prospective clients work to find | | | | tell us most prospective clients aren't |
| you. Put your phone number on every page. | | | | particularly interested in case studies |
| Make it easy for prospective clients to | | | | because they believe specific cases don't |
| e-mail you with requests for more information | | | | apply to them and their own problems. A |
| or a meeting. And definitely consolidate all | | | | better approach is to take information out of |
| of your contact information on one page, | | | | a case study and turn it into a how-to |
| including address, fax numbers, and so on.6. | | | | article.20. Referral mechanism. Your Web |
| Map and driving directions. If prospects ever | | | | designer can easily include a feature that |
| visit your location, then you must include a | | | | makes it easy for someone to refer your Web |
| map and driving directions to your office. | | | | site to a friend or associate.21. Contact |
| This will not only save you time, but is also | | | | mechanism. The purpose of the Web site is to |
| another reason to have prospective clients | | | | let prospects check you out and then contact |
| poking around your Web site.7. E-mail | | | | you. Have a device that makes it easy for |
| subscription link. Forrester Research studies | | | | them to do so.Henry DeVries is a marketing |
| show that converting prospects into clients | | | | coach and writer specializing in lead |
| via e-mail is 20 times more cost-effective | | | | generation for professional service firms. An |
| than using direct mail. Once you capture | | | | adjunct marketing professor at UCSD since |
| their e-mail, why waste first-class postage? | | | | 1984, he is the author of "Self Marketing |
| Offer prospective clients solid reasons for | | | | Secrets" and the recently published "Client |
| giving you permission to e-mail them: free | | | | Seduction." Visit or e-mail questions to |
| reports, studies, white papers or | | | | © 2005 Henry DeVries, All rights reserved. |
| notifications of key Web site updates. And of | | | | You are free to use this material in whole or |
| course, state clearly that subscribers can | | | | in part in pint, on a web site or in an email |
| easily opt out of your list whenever they | | | | newsletter, as long as you include complete |
| want.8. On-demand materials (PDF). What | | | | attribution, including live web site link. |
| happens if a prospective client wants to tell | | | | Please also notify me where the material will |
| someone else about you? The problem with a | | | | appear.The attribution should read:"By Henry |
| beautiful Web site is that is usually doesn't | | | | DeVries of the New Client Marketing |
| look so beautiful when the pages are printed. | | | | Institute. Please visit Henry's web site at |
| The way around this is to offer | | | | for additional marketing articles and |
| professionally designed PDFs, readable with | | | | resources on marketing for professional |
| the free Acrobat Reader. But don't just offer | | | | service businesses. |