In this day and age, website services are always important. But during shelter-in-place orders, they’re crucial. Small and medium-sized businesses are closing at an alarming rate because they either can’t do business online, or they could—but they aren’t set up for success. For those reps who offer website services, we highly recommend that you filter for those SMBs that could do business online, and help them to stay afloat.
Filtering 101:
If you work in sales, you know what discovery questions (and answers) lead to your best customers. You can turn those questions into data segments and fill your funnel with the prospects who need you the most.
Let’s say you run an agency that provides professional websites and related services, and your prospect is Jay, CEO of Jay’s Jewelry. Your discovery questions could include the following:
1. Is Jay’s website on an out-dated platform?
This one is straightforward. If it’s outdated, say on an HTML platform, it’s not going to function properly and that drives away customers. Websites, like real estate, are not one-and-done investments. You have to repaint and re-caulk regularly to be functional and attractive. And if you don’t, it costs you more in the long run.
2. Is Jay advertising, investing in SEO, and active on social sites?
If Jay is advertising his website, but the site itself is old, then the pitch is that he is investing in promoting his site, but not the site itself. He needs to take a step back and make sure that he’s driving visitors to a site that will convert them to customers. Otherwise, it’s advertising money wasted. Also: if Jay has a budget for advertising, he can probably afford to spruce up his website.
3. Is Jay actually selling his products on the site?
If he’s not, then he needs help with e-commerce. Does his website support the tools he needs? If he is selling online, is he using an up-to-date, secure payment gateway?
Signals indicate need and budget
Some data signals will indicate a need, and others will indicate a budget. These two work hand-in-hand. Afterall, if a company needs your services but doesn’t have the budget for it, that’s not a great fit. If they’re spending money on advertising, that indicates a marketing budget. Here are some examples of the signals you may want to track:
Budget Signals
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Need Signals
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Certain need and budget signals can be combined to segment customers or prospects. Crafting a strategy with signal science is an important component to developing your sales and marketing strategy. With BuzzBoard, all of this is easily automated and, if you work with a CRM, it can be integrated with virtually any platform.
I love the data in this software!
It is detailed and shows pain points where improvement is needed. It helps the client to see where solutions can be used. The customer service team is AMAZING. They have gone so far as to send me leads during this trying time.
Erica Garza
Owner
Round 2 Media Group
Read more about signal science here, or chat with a BuzzBoard support team member for helping selecting the right signals for your business.
These days, small businesses are overwhelmed with decisions, paperwork, and all the emotions that come with trying to run a business during a pandemic. If they’re not operating online as well as they could be, that could make all the difference. Give them a ring and share your expertise.
