Is your website helping the right customers choose you?
A business website should help a suitable customer recognise their problem, understand your offer and decide whether a conversation is worthwhile. Attractive design supports that job. The essential question is whether the page gives the visitor enough clarity and confidence to take a useful next step.
Editorial responsibility: Nardus Oelofse, Chief Consultant.
By Chase & Marshal
Make relevance clear at the point of entry
Visitors may arrive on a service page, article or campaign landing page. Each needs to explain whom the offer helps, the situation it addresses and the work available. Do not assume everyone has read the homepage first.
Use specific language that reflects a real buying need. Broad claims about delivering solutions can force the visitor to interpret the offer. Help them recognise the problem and the kind of engagement they can discuss with you.
Give customers evidence they can use
Show relevant work, explain your contribution and distinguish demonstrated outcomes from intentions. A useful case helps the visitor judge similarity to their own situation. Include enough context to understand what was delivered and what the evidence establishes.
For an illustrative professional service, a description of the decisions made and outputs produced may be more helpful than a gallery of unexplained logos. The evidence should answer the questions a customer is likely to ask before involving you in important work.
Make the next step easy to understand
Use an invitation connected to the page topic. Explain what information would help begin the conversation and avoid asking for more than the next step requires. Give visitors a direct enquiry route even when optional tools or assessments are available.
Consider the handover after submission as part of the website experience. The business needs to know which page generated the enquiry, what the customer is asking and who will respond. A clearer form cannot create commercial value if suitable enquiries are lost afterwards.
Judge performance through the full journey
Review visits, enquiries, qualification, proposals and won work together where the available data permits. Look for pages that attract interest but create confusion, and enquiries that repeatedly turn out to be a poor fit. Use those patterns to improve the content and journey.
Prioritise the most consequential uncertainty. You may need a clearer offer, better evidence, a simpler enquiry path or a stronger follow-up process. A website improvement should help the business win suitable work, with enough visibility to understand where the change made a difference.
Questions answered
Should we aim for more enquiries or better enquiries?
Understand both. A clearer offer and suitable qualification can improve the mix of enquiries, while an easier journey can reduce avoidable drop-off. Track whether the resulting conversations become work the business wants and can deliver.
Related
Sources
Sources supporting the factual statements in this article. Findings should be read within their stated dates, geography and scope.
- Digital Boost video shows the benefits of updating your NZBN | New Zealand Business Number. www.nzbn.govt.nz. Publication date not supplied.
- Getting an online presence - Business.govt.nz. www.business.govt.nz. Publication date not supplied.
Help suitable customers take the next step
Bring the page or buying journey you are concerned about. We can help clarify the offer, strengthen the evidence and improve the route to a qualified enquiry.
