Your website is often the first place somebody looks to learn more about your company and its products or services. Is your site helping prospects move forward in their consideration and buying process? Here�s a checklist of questions to ask yourself:

Does your website make it immediately clear what your company does and who it serves?

• he most common applications for your products or services?
• The types of businesses or institutions you serve? business? education? government?
• The size of organizations your company serves? large? medium? small?
• The geographies you serve? local areas? states? countries? regions of the world?

Is it easy for your prospects and customers to find their way around your website?

• Do you have the database ready to go?
• Do you have the data entry people or outside services lined up to get the inquirers into the database?

Do you have a program in place to �qualify� sales leads before sending them to your salespeople, reps, dealers or distributors?

• Are there clear, consistent and well-organized menus?
• Is there a functional search mechanism?
• Are text links to related or in-depth information included?
• Are graphics clickable?

Does your website quickly communicate your company�s unique selling proposition?

• Explain why your company is a better choice than the competition?
• Address your prospective customers� needs from their point of view?

Does your website back up those claims?

• Explaining the experience and expertise of your people? their depth of industry experience? their education and industry credentials
• Listing a sampling of the companies and institutions your company serves?
• Providing testimonials from happy customers? case studies explaining how you solved your customers� problems?
• Showing the certifications and awards your company has won from customers and industry groups?

Does your website explain the additional resources you can bring to bear for your customers?

• Can you determine your cost per lead, cost per qualified lead and cost per sale?
• The pre- and post-sales support services you offer your customers?
• The companies you partner with to bring value-added solutions to your customers?

Does your website contain lots of offers designed to engage prospects and start sales-winning relationships?

• Appropriate for both business and technical decision makers?
• For each stage of the prospects� buying cycle? early? middle? late?
• Being made on every appropriate page of your site?

Does your website make it easy for your prospects and customers to take the next steps in their consideration or buying process?

• Does every page of your website include strong calls to action? Is your company�s contact information easily found on every page?

Does your website make it easy to place an order?

• Is entering orders as easy as it should or could be?
• Does the shopping cart work as smoothly as it should?
• Do your ordering processes and forms avoid making the customer start over if they make a mistake?
• Do you allow visitors to save shipping and payment information for future visits?

Are there multiple ways for prospective customers to request assistance or additional information about your company and its products or services?

Can they request this information by

• Phone?
• Text chat?
• Email?
• Requesting a callback?
• Downloading a document?
• Filling out a form?

M. H. "Mac" McIntosh is described by many as one of America�s leading business-to-business sales and marketing consultants and an expert on the subject of sales leads. He is president of Mac McIntosh Incorporated, a sales and marketing consulting firm specializing in helping companies get more high-quality sales leads and turn them into sales. For more information, to read additional articles by Mac, or to request a free subscription to his newsletter, Sales Lead Report�, please visit www.sales-lead-experts.com

See his Listing on Experts.com.

©Copyright 2005 - All Rights Reserved

DO NOT REPRODUCE WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION BY AUTHOR.