Three Tactics To Win More Clients (Part 1)

Don’t you just love the new? Shiny, sparkly, brand-spanking new ideas to ponder.

But sometimes, new is over-rated.

Sometimes, you want something with a little patina, a little seasoning.

That’s how it is with marketing your service business.

So for the next three weeks—now through year-end—I’ll be re-sharing a popular series of posts (updated a tad) on three tactics to win more clients next year.

You may not have seen the original posts. Or if you did, you and your business may be in an entirely different place this time around. I think they’re worth a fresh look, especially if you are itching to make some major inroads into building your client base.

Before you dive in, let me take just a moment to wish you the merriest of holidays and a brilliant start to your New Year—I can’t wait to see what exciting plans you have in store for yourself (if you’re feeling inspired, hit reply and tell me what you’re working on for 2017).

Here’s installment one to get you started.

Tactic #1: Refresh your website.

Your website is, after all, your billboard. It’s also the one piece of on-line real estate that is 100% in your control. You set the tone, define your point of view and direct traffic to and from your site. It’s your hub.

So at least once a year, take a look at your site with fresh eyes. Is it modern? Mobile-friendly? Easy to use and navigate? Does it fit with your brand and your audience? How’s it working for you? Is it bringing you qualified potential clients or wasting your time with bad fits?

Here are the questions you want to be asking to decide what needs refreshing:

• What’s the last post date of your blog? If it’s more than a year ago, you don’t have a blog, you have a slug. Either commit to updating it regularly or take it down. You can repurpose old posts into articles and put them in a separate section of your site.

• Do you mention dates that make it seem like you haven’t updated your site in a few years? Unless it’s an Oscar, Tony or Emmy, nobody cares that you won an award in 2008. Lose the dates, keep the (significant) awards.

• Take a look at your photos. Be honest now—are they looking a little sad? Getting new photos taken may not be your idea of a scintillating time, but I guarantee they will freshen up your site (not to mention your social media pages) and ratchet up your game.

• Is your copy all in third person? Maybe—just maybe—it’s time to step into the light. Yes, if it’s all about your company, third person may well be the way to go. But if you ARE the company, then try talking about yourself and your work in the first person. It feels odd at first—but to the reader (aka your future client)—it’s like a personal conversation that draws them in.

• Does your site have a front-and-center opt-in to stay in contact with you? You do not want to make people dig three screens down just to add their names to your digital list. And no, social media icons do NOT count.

• Is your contact form actually working? Test it. If it goes somewhere other than your primary email address, how often are those messages checked? Nothing annoys a potential client more than hearing nothing back from an initial inquiry.

• How long does your site take to load? I can’t even count the number of times I’ve clicked on a site link that took so long to load I gave up (sidebar: now is also a good time to go through all your social media profiles and test the links to make sure they are sending your visitors to the right place).

• Is it time for video? You don’t have to get fancy—or even expensive—depending on your brand of course. But if shooting the right video will build your audience, it may be an investment that you’re ready to make.

• Does your site make you happy? Does it feel like you? Does it represent how you want your message projected out into the world? If not, it’s time to invest in a remake—perhaps simple, perhaps sublime—to catapult you into the realm you are ready to join.

So please. Do yourself a favor and take a good hard look at your website. Whether it’s a tweak or an overhaul, you know it’s time.

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