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3 Massive Website Mistakes to Avoid

Method_Jamil — Fri, 07 Feb 2014 15:20:00 GMT

Unless you have the wonderful problem of a phone that’s always ringing, as a small business owner, you rely on your website to pull in new leads. This is especially true outside of business hours. So how do you get your website to be a digital version of your top salespeople?

Avoid these 3 common mistakes and you’ll be on your way to making your website a sales superstar.

1. Lacking a Clear Value Proposition

A new visitor should be able to quickly scan your homepage and immediately understand 1) what your product or service does, 2) who it’s for, and 3) how it will benefit them.

Imagine you know absolutely nothing about your company (yes that’s hard to do!). Now take a look at your homepage. Would you understand the benefit being offered in 30 seconds or less? That’s how much time you have to communicate your offering before a potential customer bounces from your website.

2. Failing to Build Trust

It’s so easy to talk about how great your products and services are; after all your business is your passion! But wouldn’t it be so much better if your customers did that for you?

Prospects respond best to social proof like:

Real customers giving short testimonials on how your product/service benefited them.
Reviews on other sites (we do this on Intuit Apps.com).
Customer Success Stories.

If you have any or all of these trust signals, that’s great! Feature them prominently on your website. We’re going to run an experiment in the coming months to see if interspersing short customer quotations with headshots on our Tour page helps or hurts our conversions. I’ll update you on that in a future blog post, or hit me up on twitter @jamilaljabri

3. Too Many Hoops in Your Conversion Funnel

Einstein said it best: “Make things as simple as possible and not simpler.”

So true when it comes to your funnel. Here’s an example: in my last role at a travel ecommerce company, the biggest improvement we made to our conversion rate was changing from a multi-page check-out process where we made buyers click through many pages and decide on extras like car rentals, to a single page where we captured only the required info to book their flight. Not only were bookings higher, revenue was also higher despite not getting cross-sell sales from car rentals and hotels.

Maybe a conversion on your website isn’t a purchase -- it’s a lead. How many fields are in your form? I think you only need 2: name and email. When you keep it simple, you’ll get more leads, and you can get all the other info when you follow-up.

Measuring the Results

So how do you know if the changes you made to your website are helping or hurting your conversions? If you aren’t already, you can track your conversion rate with a free tool like Google Analytics, which is easy to add to your website, and you can run A/B tests with a tool like Optimizely. We applied the learnings above to our website redesign, and the results have exceeded our expectations.

If you have a question, comment or story of your own, please leave it in the comments section below or tweet us @MethodCRM.

Until next time,

Jamil

PS - In my next post I'll cover 3 more website mistakes to avoid so your redesign isn't a train wreck.

Illustration below is by Ron, Method's Admiral of Awesome Design.

Stop by to socialize!

New Brand. New Website. New Year.

Method_Jamil — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 16:39:00 GMT

Rebranding a company is one of the most exhilarating and challenging aspects of running a business. If you get it right, it brings an intangible aura to your business (think Apple). If you get it wrong, it’s hard to fix and you won’t win as much business as you could have. Strong brand = greater trust.

For Method, rebranding was a process that started with understanding why you, our customers, choose to do business with us in the first place. Why do you trust us? What benefit did Method bring to your small or mid-size business?

What we learned, from speaking with many of you, is you go through a journey with Method.

Often, you’ll start a free trial because you use QuickBooks and you’ve heard Method’s QB sync is amazing and our Support Team is outstanding. But that’s just the beginning… once you start using Method and seeing the time you save when your financial data and CRM data are in perfect harmony, you then start some simple customization. That’s when lightning strikes. You see how easy it is to customize Method with drag and drop tools (yes, no code required!) so that your CRM matches your unique workflows and business needs.

John W. from Dean Markley (maker of guitar strings) gave us an example of this. He told us how a senior executive at his company now saves 3 to 4 hours a day (yes - 3 to 4 hours every day!) because they were able to automate tasks and reporting that used to be done manually. Many of you gave similar examples of how customizing Method has made you and your team so much more efficient.

And here’s the thing about customization with Method’s platform. There are no limits. It’s endless. The possibilities are infinite. That insight from you, our customers, lead us to our new logo:

Ron, Method’s Ambassador of Awesome Design and the creator of this logo, says:

“We wanted to bring in the idea of infinite possibilities without having a separate icon, and we wanted that connection right inside the word “Method”. We achieved it by connecting the “o” and the “d” as an infinity symbol. In terms of color, we chose the dark blue because our customers see it inside the app all day, so it has to be easy on the eyes, and it’s a calming colour. This darker, warmer shade is also different and stands out from the cooler blue that’s popular on many of today’s websites.”

What do you think of Method’s new brand? We’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below, or tweet us @MethodCRM.

In my next post I’ll talk about the principles we used to redesign our new website and how you can leverage them for your business. In the meantime, please Take a Tour and let us know what you think.

We hope 2014 is full of possibilities for you, your family, and your business.

Happy Holidays!

Jamil

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Re: unable to select sales rep

Method_Jamil — Mon, 16 Dec 2013 15:54:53 GMT

One last test...

Re: Add Activity Error :(

Method_Jamil — Mon, 16 Dec 2013 15:39:10 GMT

Another test W#4...

Re: Add activity then clicking save generates an error.

Method_Jamil — Mon, 16 Dec 2013 15:31:38 GMT

This is another test.

Re: Activity Email

Method_Jamil — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 14:57:22 GMT

Hi... this is just a test post on the new site.

3 Things to Improve Your Web Design

Method_Jamil — Thu, 23 May 2013 21:42:00 GMT

Web design sits at the intersection of art, technology and sales. And that’s a tough cross-roads because art is subjective, technology can be empowering while intimidating, and sales is the lifeblood of every business. Needless to say, good web-design plays a key role in a company’s brand identity and ability to drive more leads.

You met Rodolfo, VP of Product at Method, a few months back when he first joined the team. He’s an ideas guy who’s passionate about design (and Dumplings, if you ever want to grab lunch with him.)

One thing that differentiates Rodolfo from other designers is his approach:

“My job is to align the technology, business goals and the user’s needs into one cohesive product,” Rodolfo says. “I'm the guy who asks the "why" of everything, which sometimes can be a pain in the butt, but it pays off big time in getting results.”

So whether you’re planning a redesign or starting from scratch here are Rodolfo’s:

3 Things to Improve Your Web Design

1. Business owners should be clear on goals. But keep them simple. If you want someone to give you something, facilitate the process. Don’t put barriers in between. So if your website’s main goal is lead generation and collecting email addresses, don’t make a customer click through three dropdowns, just ask - the fewer hoops a users has to jump through, the higher your conversion rate. And don’t put too much information on the homepage. Sometimes a person visiting your site just wants to have a glance. If you keep it simple and capture their attention, they’ll stick around for more.

2. Ask for several ideas and make sure they’re fairly different from each other. They don’t have to be full mockups as long as you can visualize what the finished product will look like. Maybe it’s just different colour palettes or maybe it’s completely different layouts. Then test these within your environment. Remove yourself from the test group and show it to your wife/husband, kids, friends, co-workers, peers and see what they have to say. Moreover, ask trusted customers for their feedback. A free survey tool like SurveyMonkey makes this fast and easy.

3. Listen to your designer’s recommendations. Yes, you have strong opinions and you’re an expert in your business. When it comes to online, your web designer is an expert too. They’ll benefit from your customer knowledge and will use that info when designing. Then they come up with a few concepts that might be simpler than you imagined and have a lot less copy. That’s OK. Creating an awesome user experience is their job. Let them do it. This quote from Albert Einstein applies to so many things, including Web Design: “Make everything as simple as possible. But not simpler.”

What’s been your experience working on your site design? Are you a DIY type of person or do you rely on someone with professional expertise? What tips would you add?

Please share your thoughts. And as the 3 Things series grows we’ll be adding guest bloggers and looking for your stories on what’s worked and what hasn’t, and how you adapted or improved on an idea we shared.

Email: 3things@methodintegration.com
Twitter: @methodCRM

And one more question for Rodolfo - When is Method’s new, redesigned site launching? :-)

Till next time.

Jamil... in conversation with Rodolfo Novak.

Method: 3 Things to Surprise and Delight Your Customers

Method_Jamil — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:44:00 GMT

Last Friday we decided to try something new: a virtual pizza party with a few customers. “Virtual” because most our customers are in different cities from us. “Pizza party” because we sent pizzas to their offices at lunch time. And this little experiment lead to today’s 3 Things post:

Surprising and Delighting Your Customers

1. Random Acts of Kindness. So to finish the pizza story, once a month we do a demo day, where staff show each other what they’ve been working on. It's exciting...but it was missing something: our customers!

So on Friday at 11 am, we decided to surprise a few customers by getting pizza delivered to their offices, and then chatting with them on Twitter, while we ate pizza “together”. The feedback we got was they loved the surprise. It gave that little morale boost they needed on a Friday. (P.S. If you want an invite to our next Virtual Pizza Party tweet us @MethodCRM with #ShowMeTheDough.)

2. Ask the “Magic Wand” Question. This is a fun and whimsical way to ask your customers for feedback. Here’s how we’ve done that with Method customers: “If you had a magic wand and could change one thing about Method right now, what would it be?” The answer you get will be your customer’s #1 pain point with your product or service. Maybe offer them an hour of free consulting or a small discount on their next invoice in exchange. Either way, I bet you a nickel at least some of them will say, “I’m really impressed you’re taking the time to do this”.

3. Gift of Time. Instead of a card, bottle of wine or box of chocolates in December, give a few of your most loyal customers the Gift of Time. Start by asking them for their top 3 charities. Then follow up by offering to volunteer or attend the next fundraiser (ask for 3 charities so you get at least 1 that aligns with your values). You could just cut a check, but I bet you another nickel your customers will be more surprised and more delighted if you offer a little piece of your time.

Surprising and delighting doesn’t have to cost a lot or take more than a few hours… and it’ll be remembered for much longer than that.

So if you had a magic wand and could change one thing about this blog post, what would it be?

We’d love to hear your thoughts. And as the 3 Things series grows we’ll be adding guest bloggers and looking for your stories on what’s worked and what hasn’t, and how you adapted or improved on an idea we shared. And please let us know if you have any pain points or challenges you’d like us to cover.

Email: 3things@methodintegration.com

Twitter: @methodCRM

Till next time.

Jamil

Method: 3 Things I Learned in Radio

Method_Jamil — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 17:43:00 GMT

Last week Paul launched our new blog series “3 Things” by talking about his obsession with finding solutions and how this relentless focus on solving problems, for our customers and ourselves, has become part of Method’s DNA.

When I joined Team Method last month I was struck by how much Method’s value system reminded me of the first place I had the incredible fortune of working: CHUM Radio. And this led to today’s blog post:

Valuing Your Team.

Here are 3 Things I learned in radio on how to value your team:

1. The little things make a big difference.

First a quick story… when I met Mr. and Mrs. Waters for the first time (the owners) I was nervous, a little sweaty and mumbled my name. Yet even with 100+ employees, from then on both Mr. and Mrs. Waters always remembered my name. They didn’t say “Jamal” or “Jemil”. They called me “Jamil”, and that’s not an easy one to remember.

They were the owners. I was the Intern. And this simple courtesy set the tone for my entire 7 year run.

It’s easy to remember a name, set reminders for birthdays, get treats for the team on Friday afternoons (something I love about Friday’s at Method). Doing these little things builds goodwill. And most importantly, your people feel valued. Take it from the Intern -- me.

2. Organize your team in a circle; not a ladder.

Picture this: your team is standing in a circle, and your goal is in the middle. Doesn’t that sound more collaborative and focused than standing on different rungs of a ladder?

Here’s what happened at CHUM: by using the circle instead of a ladder, the whole team understood the company’s goals, and their role in achieving them. Most importantly, we understood why we were doing what we were doing – not just what someone else told us to do. That made the company efficient because all staff, from junior to senior, were empowered to work independently.

3. Our people are our most valuable asset.

The Waters family would regularly say, “our most valuable asset is not the transmitter, building, or broadcast license. It’s our people… the talented folks who create amazing radio and client partnerships every day. They went so far as to call us “CHUM People”. What effect did this have? It made us feel privileged to work there. And it made CHUM a highly coveted place to work. I still feel proud to say I was a CHUM person.

Maybe it sounds like I drank the Kool-Aid -- what I do know for certain is I felt privileged to be part of something unique. A big salary doesn’t buy that kind of loyalty.

What do you think? What can you do to make your team feel privileged to be a part of your company? Any similar experiences? Please leave a comment or question, or hit us up on Twitter @MethodCRM. Every week we’ll have a new post featuring 3 Things you can do now to elevate your business.

Till next time.

Jamil