Future Of Consulting Firm Websites
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This document discusses strategies for consulting firms to engage clients through their corporate websites. It recommends focusing on understanding the client's needs and buying lifecycle to provide contextual and personalized experiences. Key aspects include developing thought leadership content, optimizing the user experience, adopting responsive design for mobile, improving search and social media integration, measuring engagement, and leveraging technologies like CRM to track engagement across channels. The overall approach is to move websites beyond just information sharing to truly engaging clients through the online experience.
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Future Of Consulting Firm Websites
- 1. A Digital Solutions Firm delivering Marketing and Technology Solutions New York . Toronto . Phoenix . Los Angeles . London. Dubai . New Delhi Future of Consulting Firm Websites
- 2. 11 The importance of your corporate website
- 3. 2 IT IS THE WINDOW TO YOUR WORLD… IT IS THE FIRST IMPRESSION … AND IT COULD BE THE LAST…
- 4. 3 The importance of your website cannot be overstated Buyers use the site as a tool to buy 80% of buyers said they found the vendor, not the other way round. Source: MarketingSherpa B2B Marketing Benchmark Survey Buyers are doing most of their initial research online before initiating conversations. Your clients find you
- 5. 4 The importance of your website cannot be overstated Website is the most important marketing asset for a b2b organization Website is the number 1 tactic used Source: B2B Technology Marketing Benchmark Survey
- 6. 5 Difficult todifferentiate ina crowded market place Everyone istrying tobecome a ‘TrustedAdvisor’, an opportunity that presents itself post engagement Becoming a thought leader isn't easy Enormous commitment to publishing content Contribution from a variety of resources Lack of measurement topredict results Marketing Challenges Consulting firms find it difficult to generate leads and engagement
- 7. 6 How do you differentiate yourselves and engage prospects in a crowded marketplace?
- 8. 7 Consulting firms should focus on nurturing and prospect engagement more than lead generation
- 9. 8 Moving Up the Digital Maturity Curve Consulting firms need to focus on moving up the Digital Maturity curve towards client engagement. 1995-2005 IT Led •Brochure-ware •Webmaster bottleneck 2005 – 2011 Marketing driven informational marketing •Spray and pray •Static content •Ad-hoc thought leadership •Marketing-driven •Interactive •Some intelligence •Disconnected assets •Functional focus Now Digital Client Engagement •Thought Leadership that engages client •Personal and contextual •Multi-device experiences •Predictive 1 to 1 marketing •Measurement •Focus on ROI
- 10. 9 Moving Up the Digital Maturity Curve Consulting firms need to focus on moving up the Digital Maturity curve towards client engagement. 1995-2005 IT Led •Brochure-ware •Webmaster bottleneck 2005 – 2011 Marketing driven informational marketing •Spray and pray •Static content •Ad-hoc thought leadership •Marketing-driven •Interactive •Some intelligence •Disconnected assets •Functional focus Now Digital Client Engagement •Thought Leadership that engages client •Personal and contextual •Multi-device experiences •Predictive 1 to 1 marketing •Measurement •Focus on ROI
- 11. 10 Client engagement starts with understanding client needs and context
- 12. 11 The new client drives the need for meaningful client engagement - Better informed - Starts the buying process - Has many options - Decides whereto engage
- 13. 12 The client and their needs are the focus Yourprospectshavethreequestions: Doyouknowmybusiness,Haveyou solvedsimilarproblemsandCanIworkwithyou? Social and Community Website Email Mobile Have you solved similar problems?
- 14. 13 The client and their needs are the focus Yourprospectshavethreequestions: Doyouknowmybusiness,Haveyou solvedsimilarproblemsandCanIworkwithyou? Social and Community Website Email Mobile Have you solved similar problems?
- 16. 15 Client-centric Engagement Across Channels Yourwebsiteexistsaspartofyoureco-system Social and Community Website Email Mobile Have you solved similar problems? Social and Community Website Email Marketing Mobile 360 Degree Client Insight
- 18. 17 Yesterday’s websites are largely functional and drive informational marketing Whilefunctional capabilitiesareimportant, theydonotengagethe client
- 19. 18 Firms should create Engaging Experiences, driven by market leading capabilities
- 20. 19 McKinsey & Company Website showcases thought leadership aimed to position the brand Website focuses on engaging clients with thought leadership Consulting firm leaders have moved towards client engagement Consulting leaders engage clients through exceptional content that is merchandized, distributed across channels, and is measured Accenture Thought leadership across the site Types of content assets includes whitepapers, publications and videos
- 22. 2121 6 STEP APPROACH TO CLIENT ENGAGEMENT ON YOUR WEBSITE 1 BUYING LIFECYCLE & CONTEXTUAL EXPERIENCE 2 CONTENT MARKETING 3 ENGAGING EXPERIENCE 4 WEBSITE CONVERSION 5 MEASURE ENGAGEMENT 6 TECHNOLOGY THAT ENGAGES
- 23. 2222 6 STEP APPROACH TO CLIENT ENGAGEMENT ON YOUR WEBSITE 1 BUYING LIFECYCLE & CONTEXTUAL EXPERIENCE 2 CONTENT MARKETING 3 ENGAGING EXPERIENCE 4 WEBSITE CONVERSION 5 MEASURE ENGAGEMENT 6 TECHNOLOGY THAT ENGAGES
- 24. 23 Understand your Buying Cycle This is typically 5-6 stages clients pass through from the point of need recognition to a purchase decision
- 25. 24 Segment and target content to buying lifecycle Identify content that address customer expectations. Consider buying cycle, segmentation, pain points and motivators Understand your Buying Cycle Segment your audience Map the Messages Implement the Platforms
- 26. 25 The right message to the right person at the right time leads to engagement 82% of prospects say content targeted to their specific industry is more valuable 67% say content targeted to their job function is more valuable 29% prefer content targeted to their geography *MarketingSherpa 2012 Context drives engagement Context places the experience in the control of the visitor, aligning to their expectations, leading them to the next steps Context can be gathered through the experience Visitor generated (implicit digital footprint), visitor supplied or externally supplied (services like DemandBase provide industry, presence, location, revenue, etc.)
- 27. 26 Personalization through Context Based on user behavior and digital footprint you can segment users… Next time the person comes back to the site, relevant information is presented on the home page banner Navigates to services page and related content
- 28. 27 Track the digital footprint and segment users • Track practices and industries pages they visit Look up data on industry and location from external system Segment into stages of the buying lifecycle Contextual, personalized experiences for consulting firms Consulting firms can create meaningful experiences by understanding user needs and positioning appropriate content Personalize experience to engage • Targeted cased studies • Industry information • Home page directed towards user context • Position thought leadership across the buying lifecycle to drive conversion
- 29. 2828 6 STEP APPROACH TO CLIENT ENGAGEMENT ON YOUR WEBSITE 1 BUYING LIFECYCLE & CONTEXTUAL EXPERIENCE 2 CONTENT MARKETING 3 ENGAGING EXPERIENCE 4 WEBSITE CONVERSION 5 MEASURE ENGAGEMENT 6 TECHNOLOGY THAT ENGAGES
- 30. 29 Consultingfirmsgeneratefewclientinquiries fromtheironlinecontent-only14%generated morethan100inquiriesannually Fewfirmshaveanautomatedtheprocessof sendingonlineviewerinformationtobusiness developers -only21%saytheirsalespeopleactively usetheinformationmarketersgivethemaboutonline viewers State of Thought Leadership Marketing on websites While consulting firms have no shortage of innovative insights, many of those ideas don't appear to make it to their websites Source – 2013 Survey by the Bloom Group and AMCF
- 31. 30 Thought Leadership Your website is the ideal vehicle for thought leadership marketing (TLM) to drive client Acquisition through engagement WEBSITE WHITE PAPERS WEBINARS EVENTS BLOGS FORUMS
- 33. 32 ConsiderSocialContent Infographics Video Blogs Webinars Whitepapers Usedifferenttypesofcontent
- 35. 34 56% 56 PERCENT OF B2B MARKETERS REPORTED ACQUIRING NEW BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS BY UTILIZING SOCIAL MEDIA Social Media Marketing Report. 2012
- 36. 35 Social Media Adoption The consulting world has now embraced social media. But many of social media’s most potent tools remain untouched Source – A Research Report by The Bloom Group, BlissPR and the AMCF What are the Key Barriers to Using Social Media in Thought Leadership Marketing?
- 37. 36 VisibleSocialMediaButtons Bigboldbuttonscatchesyoureye Smallsubtlebuttonssuitssomesites Integrate whereit makes sense Nexttothoughtleadershipcontent Integrating Social Media
- 38. 3737 6 STEP APPROACH TO CLIENT ENGAGEMENT ON YOUR WEBSITE 1 BUYING LIFECYCLE & CONTEXTUAL EXPERIENCE 2 CONTENT MARKETING 3 ENGAGING EXPERIENCE 4 WEBSITE CONVERSION 5 MEASURE ENGAGEMENT 6 TECHNOLOGY THAT ENGAGES
- 39. 38 Consulting firms should focus on creating engaging experiences that are measurable User experience is a broad range of disciplines with the objective delivering satisfying and engaging experiences User Experience • Branding • Usability • Information architecture • Design Engaging Experience • Easy to find thought leadership •Easy to read Brand alignment
- 40. 39 Site map and Navigation Sitemap Doestheorderofthemainmenu reflectwhatisimportanttovisitors? Doesinformationhierarchyalign withexpectations? Navigation Howdeepmustvisitorsgotogetto whattheyneed? Domenussupporta“firstglance” overviewofnavigationoptions? PageStructure Istheinformationstructuredinorder asisfollowedbypeopleseyes? Doesithavesufficientwhitespace tomaketheinformationstandout? Typology forreadability Isthereanappropriateuseoffont size,type,colorandlineheightto guidetheeye?
- 41. 40 100M THE NUMBER OF SMARTPHONE USERS EXCEEDS 100 MILLION WITHIN THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF 2012. comScore, Inc. 2012
- 42. 41 AdoptingaMobile-firstStrategy A Mobile-first Strategy Think about your website as MOBILE site first—start with mobile as the premise for your site Why mobile-first? 1. Opportunity: A growing use of tablets and smartphones 2. Constraints: Screen size, Network speed, Modes of use 3. Capabilities: Location (GPS), Visual input, Gesturing “WE REALLY NEED TO SHIFT NOW TO START THINKING ABOUT BUILDING MOBILE FIRST. THIS IS AN EVEN BIGGER SHIFT THAN THE PC REVOLUTION.” Kevin Lynch, CTO Adobe “WE'RE JUST NOW STARTING TO THINK ABOUT MOBILE FIRST AND DESKTOP SECOND FOR A LOT OF OUR PRODUCTS.” Kate Aronowitz, Design Director Facebook
- 43. 42 Responsivedesign Onewebsite:Notaseparatemobile anddesktopsite HTML5&CSS3:Newtechnologies tocreatesitesthatrespondtoscreen sizesandorientation Easytomaintainandupdate Futureproofing:Doyouknowwhatis next? GettingtoaMobile-firstStrategy
- 44. 43 Improve Findability: Site Search Multi-faceted site search is critical to highly satisfying and effective user experience 90%companiesreportthatsearchistheNo.1meansofnavigationontheirsite - SearchTechnology:ResurrectingtheWeb’sWorkhorse,JupiterMediaMetrix 82%ofvisitorsuseSiteSearchtofindtheinformationneeded - SpecializeYourSite’s Search,ForresterResearch 49% of visitors do not bother to reformulate their search queries after first failed results - JakobNielsen,2011
- 45. 44 Facetedsearch Ability todrillindeepertofindinformation Optimizeandfinetunesearchtosurface therightresults GoodPractice Use“Search”or“Find”insteadof“Go” Includeasamplesearchqueryinthe inputtosuggesttouserswhatfunction canbeusedfor. Search is your welcome mat
- 46. 45 Position your leaders Great bio pages Letyourpeopleshinethrough Reflectthecultureofthefirm,while lettingthepersonbethefocus Imageryisimportant Look to law firms for examples of great bio pages
- 47. 4646 6 STEP APPROACH TO CLIENT ENGAGEMENT ON YOUR WEBSITE 1 BUYING LIFECYCLE & CONTEXTUAL EXPERIENCE 2 CONTENT MARKETING 3 ENGAGING EXPERIENCE 4 WEBSITE CONVERSION 5 MEASURE ENGAGEMENT 6 TECHNOLOGY THAT ENGAGES
- 48. 47 SEORankingdrivetraffic 66.7%ofallusersclickononeofthe topthreelinks inGoogle Perceptionisametric UserswillperceiveSEOrankingasa rankingof industryleadership Toprankingsmeanmore leadsandclients Themorepeoplewhocometoyour website,themorepotentialclients youattract WhySEOisimportant?
- 49. 48 Drivetraffictoindustryand practicepages Focusonhightrafficindustry/brand agnostickeywordsby vertical/practice Geotargettoincreaseglobal reachandtraffic Havegeotargetedapproachfor vertical/practicerelatedkeywords Geotargetedlandingpages Improvecontent relationshipsandattribution withinthesite Providevisibilitytothought leaders SEOrecommendations
- 50. 49 Merchandise your product – make whitepaper seem like a significant item Simple and persuasive content Obvious and Engaging call to action Simple forms Call to action ‘tips’prospects over Call to action is key to driving conversion
- 51. 50 Call to action buttons, offers, copy and navigation drives lead conversion What tactics drive conversion? Simple tactics drive leads
- 52. 5151 6 STEP APPROACH TO CLIENT ENGAGEMENT ON YOUR WEBSITE 1 BUYING LIFECYCLE & CONTEXTUAL EXPERIENCE 2 CONTENT MARKETING 3 ENGAGING EXPERIENCE 4 WEBSITE CONVERSION 5 MEASURE ENGAGEMENT 6 TECHNOLOGY THAT ENGAGES
- 53. 52 Beyond web analytics Identify hot and cold leads and those in between Cold Hot Too late
- 54. 53 Define your lead scoring model to measure engagement Score Description Marketing Action A4 The right prospect but no interest. Priority but may need specific “why now” messaging. B1 Good fit and very interested. Send to sales queue for follow-up. C1 Not the idea prospect but very interested. Will they ever be a good fit? Continue to nurture. D4 Wrong Fit. No interest. Fulfill request and segment out. 53
- 56. 5555 6 STEP APPROACH TO CLIENT ENGAGEMENT ON YOUR WEBSITE 1 BUYING LIFECYCLE & CONTEXTUAL EXPERIENCE 2 CONTENT MARKETING 3 ENGAGING EXPERIENCE 4 WEBSITE CONVERSION 5 MEASURE ENGAGEMENT 6 TECHNOLOGY THAT ENGAGES
- 57. 56 What technologies impact conversion Several platforms engage to drive conversion.
- 58. 57 Your website is part of an integrated demand generation eco-system