As more and more businesses are embracing cloud technologies, the need for dependable Managed Service Providers (MSPs) is increasing. And while most service providers are doing a great job at marketing, some of them are lagging behind. In order to become a well-established MSP, it is imperative that you focus on your marketing strengths, but at the same time, avoid mistakes that could potentially bringing you down.
Here are some of the main marketing mistakes MSPs must avoid at all costs:
- Using a Poor Website Design
A business website serves as the company’s storefront. Just like a business owner ensures that their brick and mortar store not only looks appealing, but also allows their customers to do business easily, you must build your website, keeping these things in mind. It is surprising how so many MSPs’ websites are so bland. Many providers don’t even bother displaying an image of an actual person, when the MSP business has a lot to do with building relationships alone.
Apart from ensuring that your website looks simple and appealing you must take some additional steps to improve the conversion rate. Important links of whitepapers, brochures, and forms, etc. should be easily available for the visitors. You can also add a live-chat feature if possible. Many are not quite comfortable calling businesses on phone, or writing emails. A chat feature is simple and provides quick answers the visitors may have.
- Telling, Not Showing
Don’t tell your leads how your state of the art technology is based on such-and-such proprietary algorithms, or that your systems are backed by some of the best security mechanisms. For instance, if you are an MSP who provides cloud backup services, show them how your cloud backup facility can protect their business if data breaches occur, or how they can save more than 50% or more of their existing IT costs by using your services. Customers are rarely swayed by tech jargon or an MSPs personal accomplishments. Instead, show them how your service can actually benefit them through facts and numbers, and you have piqued their interest.
- Using an Inefficient Lead Generation System
A business depends on its customers. However, you always have to start with a prospect, which is converted into a customer over time. To improve this conversion rate, it is important that you have an excellent lead generation system in place. It should cover everything, starting from lead identification, to lead nurturing, and then finally lead conversion. Here a few points to keep in mind:
- Creating a profile for quality leads: How do you identify the quality leads? Not every person who shows interest in your service is likely to close a deal. Thus, you must maintain a standard profile that you can compare your leads against. If they meet the profile, you can add them to your database of high-quality leads.
- Nurturing the Leads: Once you have filtered your leads, you can start working on getting them to close. Following up with them is extremely important here. This is how you keep tabs on the entire operation. Make sure you ask the right questions when you contact them. Some examples include: “What kind of features are you looking for in your managed services provider?”, “Is there something we can do to make this work?”
Marketing is extremely important for every MSP. By ensuring you don’t make the same mistakes that most new MSPs are making, you can improve your business considerably.
