What you’ll need to showcase your Firm and stand out from competitors. 

It’s remarkable how the many changes in marketing over the past three decades have served to consolidate the website as a centrepiece of professional service firms’ messaging to their community. This article discusses what’s required to make your web presence outstanding, by progressing it to what I call “Level 3”. Along the way, I’ll share observations about what typically prevents practitioners from having a website that does them justice.

In the beginning – Level Zero to Level One

There are certain situations where you might not have a website at all – the commencement of a new firm or setting up a new division are common reasons for starting from scratch. First priority is of course to “Get something up there”. I call these Level 1 or “Name, rank and serial number” websites. They are static electronic brochures that provide a quick overview of the firm, vague promises of freshness and personal service, along with basic contact details. This demonstrates that you’re in business but won’t persuade a potential client to pick up the phone.

A catalyst for improvement – advancing to Level Two

At some later point, there’s a catalyst to upgrade the website. Perhaps it’s looking at the website of a competitor or a new shareholder coming into the business. It’s remarkable how many practitioners joining my business coaching program would look at their website for the first time in years and think “Geez. This could do with some work.” A good web developer helps here, cajoling you to provide more information about what the firm does and then employing a modern layout which works well on a smartphone. So much the better if professionally taken photos of your team are featured. Whilst this Level 2 website will catapult you ahead, it remains a static electronic brochure that says little about what makes your firm special.

Level Three – where you need to be

This is where you give a clearer indication of the value you add to the clients you like to work with. Note that this doesn’t include how you do it but simply provides enough substance to demonstrate that you know what you are talking about.

Here are ways in which a Level 3 website will dramatically improve your marketing prospects –

1. The existing About Us section will be revitalised, sharing interesting information about the Firm, its history, operating principles and/or underlying philosophy
   Importantly, About Us will now be complemented by compelling About You descriptions of the Firm’s ideal clients
2. Team member profiles will extend beyond bland statements of qualifications and experience to include specialties, unique experience and interests outside of work
   The photos will now include shots with clients, perhaps at their premises. Potentially, you’ll have some video footage as well of you speaking about what you do and/or with clients
3. The services you provide will go beyond “Me too” bullet points, to describe how your ideal clients benefit. You’ll also replace the bland “ABC Co is great. You should use them too” testimonials with crisply written case studies which succinctly describe how you have solved problems typically encountered by your ideal clients, complemented by the photography described above
4. Interactivity will also be much higher, providing the opportunity to download unique opinion pieces, undertake interactive questionnaires and/or subscribe to your mailing list
5. And there will be a Careers tab, advertising current positions vacant, along with encouraging others interested in joining the firm to reach out. Why not?

Getting to Level 3

Whilst most practitioners acknowledge the value of a Level 3 website, the challenge comes from making this a reality. It’s here where we must address four stumbling blocks –

1. Practitioners much prefer to be doing client work than writing marketing copy, hence exasperating their web developer with ongoing “Sorry, I’ve been busy” excuses
2. Practitioners think the quality of their work should be enough to sell itself – that’s a problem for a prospective ideal client who hasn’t seen yet it
3. Aligned with the above, practitioners are reluctant to say “We’re really good”, deflecting with such questions such as “Doesn’t everyone do this?”
4. Writer’s block. Frankly, most practitioners would rather run through a burning building than lock themselves away for a few hours to fill in a blank screen with marketing copy

The answer to these inhibitors is remarkably simple – engage someone who enjoys writing to create marketing copy for you. Expect this to be front ended by completing some simple questions or even better, undergoing a short interview process to draw out the “hidden gems” which will make your website outstanding. All of this can be done remarkably quickly, thereby allowing your web developer to deliver a site worthy of the wonderful work you do.