New Year's Resolution: Get Your Website Content to Convert

Non-specific, generalized website content is confusing to site visitors and probably means your navigation is just as confusing. Bottom line: website content works to convert your target audience groups if it is done properly. If it is lacking, your website content works to turn away or not even attract potential buyers at all.

I recently came across some interesting information published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics in their Occupational Outlook Handbook, specifically the section geared toward Purchasing Managers, Buyers, and Purchasing Agents. In the discussion about the "Nature of the Work," the article specifies both the general responsibilities of purchasing specialists and the specific responsibilities of purchasing managers, buyers and purchasing agents, outlining the differences in their focus.

If you are targeting purchasing specialists then it is a good idea to know the types of information they are responsible for acquiring and make sure they get it. Of course, we all know the obvious:

"Purchasing professionals consider price, quality, availability, reliability, and technical support when choosing suppliers and merchandise."

But is your website sub-divided to speak directly to the specific needs of the particular purchasing specialists you are trying to establish a business relationship with? Consider the following:

"Purchasing agents commonly focus on routine purchasing tasks, often specializing in a commodity or group of related commodities, such as steel, lumber, cotton, grains, fabricated metal products, or petroleum products. Purchasing agents usually track market conditions, price trends, and futures markets." (Ibid)

"Purchasing managers usually handle the more complex or critical purchases and may supervise a group of purchasing agents handling other goods and services… purchasing managers often have a much larger range of duties than purchasing agents. They may actively seek new technologies and suppliers. They may create and oversee systems that allow individuals within their organizations to buy their own supplies, lowering the cost of each transaction." (Ibid)

"Buyers largely determine which products their establishment will sell. Therefore, it is essential that they have the ability to predict what will appeal to consumers…Buyers stay in constant contact with store and department managers to find out what products are selling well and which items the customers are demanding to be added to the product line. Often, assistant buyers are responsible for placing orders and checking shipments." (Ibid)

There are, of course, many other types of purchasing specialists, like engineers, for example. The point is the information you provide at your website has to satisfy the specific needs of the particular type of audience group you are targeting. If you present generalized "one-size-fits-all" content, you run a very great risk of losing the interest of one or more of your intended audience groups. The simplest way to ensure everyone's needs are being met is to develop site sub-divisions to address the differing audience interests.

Divide and Conquer

Let's take a look at Linda Tool, a contract manufacturer of precision machined components and assemblies serving aerospace industry and industrial OEMs. Linda Tool manages its own website content with the Industrial Web Solution's Content Management System. Linda Tool has done a great job identifying and speaking directly to their target audience groups starting with their navigation:

1. Aerospace
2. Industrial
3. And anyone interested in Abrasive Water Jet Cutting services

Clear. Precise. Easy to follow. The homepage content clearly establishes who Linda Tool is as a company and what it offers so any visitor to the site knows immediately if this is the right place for them to be. With links in the main navigation clearly identifying its target audience groups, Linda Tool provides the quickest access possible to relevant information without requiring a site visitor to click from page to page or read through text that really has nothing to do with them. For example, let's compare the different bulleted points (there's lots of other info on each page but these will do for illustration):

Aerospace:

• Full AS9100 Compliant
• AS9102 FAI provided
• Complete processing to required specs
• Skilled, stable workforce
• Improved production time
• Cost saving strategies
• Reliable, high quality, project management every time
• CMM inspection
• Expert project management and computerized project tracking
• On-Schedule production
• JIT delivery

Industrial:

• Realize your designs
• Reduce design and production costs
• Complete Project Management
• Manage your inventory with JIT delivery
• Get your product to market on-schedule

Abrasive Water Jet Cutting:

• Precision tolerances
• Precision CNC cuts to +/- .005
• Latest Software Technology
• Precise, burr-free edges
• No heat affected zone
• Improved production times
• Cost saving strategies
• Ability to complete precision components with CNC Machining
• CMM inspection
• Expert project management and computerized project tracking
• On-Schedule production
• JIT delivery

Even the images used on each of these pages are identifiable to the group being targeted. The above illustration demonstrates that even though Linda Tool is a single company, not everything about them has the same relevance to each of their target audience groups. They understand clearly the interests of the different types of purchasing specialists they work with and make sure they highlight what is relevant to each group.

Because Linda Tool is using the IWS Content Management System, they have the ability to manage content and add pages to identify and provide information to target additional audience groups as the need arises. The basic "divide and conquer" structure is there so as long as they keep to it they will continue to successfully attract and engage the right visitors willing to do business with them.

Conclusion

If you want to attract and convert your targeted audience groups you have to create a space for them on your website that speaks directly to their needs. Once you have better organization of your website content, and a resulting user-friendly navigation, you will not only please your site visitors once they arrive but you will have helped the search engines to index and deliver your web page content to the specific audience groups you are looking to attract. On every front you will have done what is needed to attract and engage the right type of site visitor who could actually equal a legitimate lead to you. So make a pact to get your website in order for 2010 so you no longer waste time talking to the wrong type of buyer or miss legitimate opportunities because you just weren't prepared to greet them.

If you are interested in managing your own website content with the customizable Industrial Web Solutions Content Management System or you wish to discuss how you can get better search engine and site conversion results in 2010 call Industrial Web Solutions at (800) 399-9859 to speak with a web specialist or use our online form.

THE TEAM AT INDUSTRIAL WEB SOLUTIONS WISHES YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A HAPPY AND SAFE HOLIDAY SEASON!

Contact us to learn how to prepare your website to attract, convert and track leads.

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