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Website Ideas To Attract Potential Clients
Posted By: GR on 2/5/2007 2:08 PM (CST) 250 Points
Hello,
We are in the business of developing and selling enterprise software for investment banks. The application handles everything from pricing, booking trades, risk management, processing and accounting. It is in general a multi-millions dollars deal and few years in implementation (like SAP, but for investment banks and hedge funds).
Usually in our space, websites describe the product features by listing functions and coverage by categories. It is informative but quite dull. I would like to do something different, something that will attract people (traders, risk managers, Back Office, controllers…) to come back and visit us in order to see what is new. Well something that will show our potential clients that we are different. I believe that brainstorming with a community of professional like you will be much beneficial than boxing myself to my staff.
I appreciate ideas, knowing that the targets are bankers.
Many thanks

Posted by: Marketing-Riot Member Response
2/5/2007 2:13 PM (CST)
You might try some web seminars informative yet light and easy to attend - shorter versions. This will keep potentials returning to your site or at least keep your name in front of them especially if they enjoy your seminars. I wouldn't design the web seminars as a "software sell" but would select topics of interest...cutting edge info.

Donna
Marketing Riot
 
Posted by: GR Author Response
2/5/2007 2:22 PM (CST)
Thank you Donna,
did you mean web seminars to be publicly proposed on our website?
 
Posted by: NuCoPro Member Response
2/5/2007 2:27 PM (CST)
Your web site looks clean and professional, and, given the market you sell into, I think it's right about where you want it. Due to the time and money involved to implement your solution, the best your web site can do is reinforce other information your prospects have been provided. The web site, no matter WHAT it presents, cannot make a sale for you. However, a bad site could lose a sale, which, fortunately, you don't have to worry about.

Why do you feel it is important to have a leading (bleeding) edge web site?
 
Posted by: GR Author Response
2/5/2007 2:45 PM (CST)
I feel that we are too much alike our competition. I want us to be really different (even provocative). The company is known to set high standards in our market, but we slept on our success. We tackled this issue and now we are getting ready to launch our new version and I want to combine this with an innovative website (at least in our field).
Example of things I would like to change:
Front page, dull buildings. I want an image that sticks in the head of any visitor. I have some ideas; I can share them with you.
Solution page: I do not feel we are conveying properly the Value Proposition. I have my team re-work on it.
Then the slogan, it was proposed by an advertising agency, I had all the sales complaining of it. So I am thinking of reviewing it also.
A lot of changes I discussed with my team, but still I am not convinced that they were too creative, that is why I’m looking outside my box ;-)
The seminar seems a good idea to attract potential people :-)
 
Posted by: NuCoPro Member Response
2/5/2007 3:40 PM (CST)
How will your industry respond to "provocative"? It would seem to be a very conservative crowd.

It's somewhat easy to create an image that "sticks in the head of any visitor", but it's much harder to ensure that the image directly relates to the message you want to convey. Don't sacrifice effectiveness for edginess!

I see what you mean about the site. I hadn't looked into it before, just glanced at the home page. Is the slogan, "Unleash Profit"? I don't like it, too overdone. You probably should look into creating a tag line for the company.

I've got an "outside the box" suggestion for you. Develop a widget that does something your target audience would find as fun and informative. This widget would be offered free to visitors. They could "take it" and embed it anywhere they wanted. This is an emerging web 2.0 technology that is offered by Clearspring Technologies - www.clearspring.com I know the founders and would be happy to introduce you to them, if you are interested.
 
Posted by: GR Author Response
2/5/2007 4:00 PM (CST)
"You probably should look into creating a tag line for the company" can you elaborate on this, please?
I signed up for a preview at clearspring.com. I liked the widget idea. I will ask also my corporate marketing to have a look at it ;-). if I see the preview interesting, yes I would like to get introduced to this company.
 
Posted by: NuCoPro Member Response
2/5/2007 4:20 PM (CST)
Well, you (and I) don't like the slogan and it doesn't appear that your company has a tag line. An appropriate tag line would enrich and expand your marketing collateral. Great tag lines can be a major, and long-lasting boost to your marketing efforts (i.e. We bring good things to life. Things go better with Coke.)

The tag line offers the opportunity to convey a message that really resonates with your customers; making think of you before your competitors.

Take a look at some of the widgets Clearspring has already created for the Indianapolis Colts, Universal Pictures, the NBA, etc.
 
Posted by: GR Author Response
2/5/2007 4:32 PM (CST)
I will have a look at these websites, and get back to you. I realy appreciate your suggestions. great forum :-)
 
Posted by: stevea Accepted Answer
2/6/2007 7:06 AM (CST)
Dear Gerard

It is fascinating to come across a software vendor, and in your company’s case, a developer, where 99.99% of the world and probably 80% of your clients haven’t got a clue as to what it does.

And I thought that CRM, Canonical Forecasting, Neural Prediction and Marketing Analysis were taxing! Well, taxing to get users to take up more than 10% of the benefits they have hidden in the box and to get them to see something of the big picture which we perceive. Taxing to keep them on track for long enough to advance a sale to a successful close. And it must be taxing for you to ensure that you involve enough people both above and below the decision maker in the organisation to ensure success at the close.

One of the problems I perceive on your site, especially where you are looking to develop a multi- level, long gestation, long sales-cycle relationship is that, never mind the lack of incentives to return to your site, there are few incentives at the moment to get visitors to register an interest and few means of capture to allow you to develop the relationship on your terms and theirs.

Chris Cardell of Cardell Media has written eloquently that in 2007 a website is no longer a viewing gallery, it certainly isn’t a location to place orders, and it is not used appropriately to generate enquiries. I estimate that for an average CRM or ERP software site, only about 2% of visitors bother to initiate any form of contact, which means that 98% of them come along, look and go away leaving both you and them empty handed. And often baffled to boot!

I think that you need to have something to offer in exchange for some contact details. For example, your software and the applications must be backed by numerous white papers illustrating the benefits to technical, management and dealer audiences. Offering something of value to these people in more depth, in return for their contact details will allow you to initiate your long sales cycle in a manner which is appropriate to the enquirer.

The widget idea is interesting, but I would suspect that in the Banking Industry, unless the widget in question is utterly relevant to their job function or utterly hilarious, they won’t give it the time of day.

Also, the graphics on your site are informative but static and dull! As your entire platform is conceived on Java, you must be in a position to whip up, either in-house or via an agency something which will lead a potential user through the process involved in, say derivative yield forecasting, or be able to show how the blotters and order desk features would work in reality. You could then release month by month new instalments to the process and have a good reason to invite people back to see them.

Might I also enquire what the route map is to a sale? Do you operate differently with customers who are the technicians who construct derivative instruments and sell to them and their managers in a differing way to traders? A technical expert in a bank might drive the same Ferrari as the dealers, but they have an utterly different mindset and the route to sale is therefore probably different. How do you deal with the very senior decision makers who probably understand about half a percent of what you are talking about? Ever thought of having a VIP area for directors and their staff who are paid to interpret the latest technology on their behalf?

One of the problems we find is that to demonstrate, on site, or in a webinars, all the features and benefits of a CRM system would take too long and bore them rigid. We therefore have to find out what their particular “hot” buttons are and then initially hit those in a presentation. They will come back for more as they realise the possibilities, but you can only manage this process if you are in charge of the communications. Expecting them to remember or even to want to come back is asking too much of a banker. You have to drive them – their priorities are different, especially at bonus time!

We are in the process of taking this on board ourselves – our own website is very informative – that is what it was set up to be 3 years ago, but we fail to capture visitors. It is my intention to increase the numbers of enquiries by starting to offer some incentive for them to register their interest. We have white papers, case studies and the potential for an informative newsletter which would require registration. We can then manage the process after that. Adding some interactive or dynamic content will then give us the excuse to pick up the phone, speak and to invite them back to see the latest display.

For example, Consoles are hot at the moment in CRM and Sales Performance Management is hot in sales management. Something the registered user can access and play with is an excellent way for you to continue to keep their interest and to develop it to a level which moves the sale along.

I look forward to seeing what other postings come in on this – it is a fascinating discussion.

Oh, last thought. You might contact Gary Rosensteel on this forum. He has acted for NeuralWare who produce the most sophisticated neural networking predictive software which has the same kind of high technical bar that you suffer from, has applications galore in Banking but has a low $ price tag in contrast to an integrated system such as yours. I had at one time hoped to do something with NeuralWare in the UK as Forecasting is a passion of mine, but until I sort out our CRM marketing, I don’t have the time for this fine product.

Best wishes


Steve Alker
Unimax Solutions
 
Posted by: GR Author Response
2/6/2007 10:58 AM (CST)
Well Steve,

Your thoughts are really beneficial. I appreciate your time in analysis. I would like for sure to continue this discussion.
Many thanks again
 
Posted by: NuCoPro Member Response
2/6/2007 11:16 AM (CST)
GR,

In case you didn't make the connection Vevolution = Gary Rosensteel. Steve, thanks for the mention of NeuralWare.
 
Posted by: stevea Member Response
2/6/2007 11:39 AM (CST)
Whoops - brain must be going!

Steve Alker
Unimax Solutions
 
Posted by: GR Author Response
2/6/2007 12:17 PM (CST)
so Gary, I will be interested in better understanding how you positioned the company ;-)
I liked your solution page where NeuralWare states the problem and how NeuralWare helps. Much better than listing what you have as functions.
 
Posted by: NuCoPro Member Response
2/6/2007 2:12 PM (CST)
Sorry, but I had nothing to do with the web site or company positioning. I was doing some inside sales work for them in a barter arrangement whereby I got office space and use of their facilities for my startup company.

I, and many before me. have told NeuralWare that they need to redo their web site and their entire approach (or lack thereof) to marketing. Their products are absolutely fantastic but the company is headed up by a "Techie" who operates under the assumption that if he builds it they will come - who needs marketing???
 
Posted by: GR Author Response
2/6/2007 2:23 PM (CST)
It is exactly what I am trying to change here. I am a techi person and I used to think like this. But the USA taught me that marketing can make you rich ;-) if you have the right product. Our website is designed for people from our industry, but not all managers in need of a solution can understand what we are talking about. I hired a new director for corporate marketing and her first assignment: review the web. So I am looking for a good temporary web designer (for NY) that can start implementing ideas before we hire a final designer in another cheaper location. So guys if you have a name, I will appreciate (student, interim…).
 
Posted by: NuCoPro Member Response
2/6/2007 2:28 PM (CST)
I have a couple of very good, dependable and cost-effective solutions I can recommend. They are based in Minsk and you would be able to stay with one company through the entire process.
 
Posted by: GR Author Response
2/6/2007 3:58 PM (CST)
yes I would like to. I appreciate your help here.
 
Posted by: NuCoPro Member Response
2/6/2007 4:12 PM (CST)
This is best done offline of the Forum. You didn't post your email address, so would you mind contacting me via the email address in my profile?

I'll be happy to go into detail with you in our offline conversation.
 
Posted by: Harry Hallman Member Response
2/7/2007 6:00 AM (CST)
Given your product I suggest you begin a Customer Education program. Bring solutions to your prospects via White Papers, seminars, reports etc. Otherwise there is no reason for a prospect to visit your site more than once. If you want to keep top of mind then earn it buy providing relevant and timely information on how your product solves problems and creates opportunities.
 
Posted by: spam Accepted Answer
2/7/2007 7:52 AM (CST)
This is most interesting.

I sell software development. My companies and developers are all over the world. Each is based upon their area of expertise. Selling them is always the issue of communicating to/with the client. My techies all speak techie, like Java, ASP.NET, Tomcat, portals and the like.

Understand the people who buy the services are business people. Both are problem-solution oriented but one is technical and the other is business.

So as example, for my site we rendered the problem-solution down to: "SOFTWARE DONE RIGHT, ON TIME AND ON BUDGET". But I promote the business with white papers that address the buyer's concerns which is risk management. "A beginners guide to risk management in software development," "Zen and myths in software outsourcing," the Kama Sutra of software development" (how developers fail their clients) and similar are on my website.

One of my companies did my site, first we made an executive summary and put the link on the front page. If someone gets to your site they should have a thumbnail of what you do and why you exist.

As for selling - If you don't get past the decision maker you don't get to the techie. Rarely does the path open with the SA. So focus on the benefits in terms the client understands. Things like risk, security, refactoring or what the hot buttons are. Make a paper on each topic. prominently display them for download like on www.swxperts.com.

Make it easy for them to find and answer their questions.
 
Posted by: GR Author Response
2/7/2007 12:10 PM (CST)
I hear you all saying "white papers" , "education" and you are right. Our website does not educate the buyer.
I will have a discussion with my team. I copied them with all your responses ;-)

I really appreciate your suggestions ;-)
 
Posted by: NuCoPro Member Response
2/8/2007 7:20 AM (CST)
Just make sure you create true "white papers" and not sales brochures. A White Paper discusses issues that are commonly faced and presents alternative solutions. Within this context, you can mention how your products can be brought to bear.

Too many companies make the mistake of creating basically a sales brochure. People want to see an honest discussion of the topic with specific case studies (i.e. Here's how XYZ, Inc. responded to this problem).
 
Posted by: GR Author Response
2/8/2007 4:23 PM (CST)
Sure. I also got the idea (from this website: 10 minutes for 10 tips) to do podcast interviews on interesting hot topics and make them available for visitors.
At the end I would like to turn our web site, in addition to what it should do, into an educational tool on hot topics.
I also thought of having a smile of the month button where you can find funny caricature of the month. I had the idea while reading a serious journal; they have always a small cartoon or caricature section that makes you smile.
My team thought that we should remain serious and not mix such things. In my entire career I succeeded in making very good presentation and selling pitches with a bit of humor. So guys, am I pushing too far? Having the serious next to the "smile of the month is not compatible"?
 
Posted by: NuCoPro Accepted Answer
2/8/2007 4:33 PM (CST)
I'm on your side, as I've always inserted some degree of humor in my business dealings. Quite honestly, I don't want to do business with someone who can't laugh!

It would help to differentiate and humanize your web site. One thing that most lose sight of is that businesses don't talk to businesses - people talk with people.
 


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