Having your own corporate website is not a rarity like it was ten years ago. Even if you are not selling directly from your website, maintaining an online presence is as essential as being in your local yellow pages uses to be for businesses. But does every company make use of it to its fullest degree? Consider companies cultivating new prospects in the b2b field. A typical b2b sales process involves generating potential leads, cultivating those leads through cold calling and follow ups.

Your website may be overlooked in this process. It is not unusual for a potentially interested party to seek out your website after a call. While your firm may not rely on ecommerce, an effective corporate branding site optimized for search is necessary for success in today’s marketplace. It is crucial to maximize your site so when a potential sale searches out your firm’s name you appear first on the major search engines.

You may assume that a potential client whose interest increased after a successful call will simply type your website into a browser. That may be true, but what if he goes to a search engine instead? Is your site maximized to appear at the top of all search engines’ natural search results? If it’s not, this potential sale has just lost faith in your firm.

Additionally, it is essential that you maintain a high position when these potential leads search keywords relative to your products and services. For example, say your sales person mentions that you offer “State of the art widget processing” That potential client from your sales call may search for that term to further research whether to do business with you.

Once again, if your site does not appear, this potential client has lost trust and value in your brand. Site optimization is a necessity to place well for the services and products you are selling and promoting in your sales process. Successful site management also includes keyword buys for terms, services and slogans your sales force uses in typical client pitches.

This also highlights why you need to ensure your sales department works hand in hand with your creative department. The flow of the website and information presented should mirror how your sales force is selling and describing your products and services. The natural flow of the website in coordination with your sales process will greatly enhance your viability in the search landscape. Familiarity breeds success after all. Think about it: if your sales force promotes your brand does “X,Y,Z” but your website promotes “A,B,C” this confuses your potential buyer.
Maximize all aspects of your site through SEO, or as we nicknamed it: “Search Ego Optimization.” While googling yourself has become a pastime, it should also be done for your company and products. What is being said about your firm? When you search out your firm, what results are on the first page? Negative? Positive? Nothing at all? Optimizing your product and brand through SEO and SEM is another critical stage in the sales process.

One other area your site can play a role in your sales process is incubating potential leads. In the end, an effective sales campaign is not only constantly cultivating new leads, but also maintaining contact with warm leads and those showing a general interest in future business with your company. Your site design should also include an email sign up for monthly updates, newsletters or blogs can keep long term leads in your sales pipeline.

Search intelligence in optimization of your site will make your sales force smile as they have another tool in their lead generation. Additionally, it will continue to create good will with current and future clients. This newly explored ground is something we are continuing to develop for our clients. Stay tuned for more!