Welcome to my new series: Consultant Website Breakdown.
In this series, I’ll show you examples of the best consulting websites that generate business.
Each breakdown will include 2 videos.
The first video will explain what the consulting website does well.
The second video will explain what the consulting website could do better.
These consulting websites inspire my Consultant Website Template Kit.
With this series, you’ll understand the best of consulting websites. Use these posts to learn and apply the best practices of consulting website design.
As always, I want to help you attract and develop more business through your website.
And there’s no better way to teach you how than by showing you the best consulting websites.
Overview – The Process Consultant
I was listening to the Consulting Success Podcast with Ian James. Ian is The Process Consultant.
Once the topic of marketing came up, things got very interesting.
Ian’s approach to marketing resonated with me.
Here are two quotes from the podcast episode:
“I am a bit of an introvert and I loathe facing a roomful of people and having to force myself to be in their presence and talk to them. I forced myself to do it. I got a couple of clients one of who was a long-term client and that got me through the depressing stages.”
“If I’m looking for new clients, what I have done is I’ve set my website up as a lead generation machine. That’s it. I don’t do anything else. I don’t do cold calling. I don’t do networking. I’m busy working and I want to spend my time working on client sites. Eventually, I learned how to do my marketing online to the point where people would pick up the phone. For me, I can pick up the phone and my sales process from that point onwards is about qualification and some negotiation, but you’ve got to start with lead generation.”
This is exactly what I want to help consultants achieve with their own website.
Networking and cold-calling are optional for him. Instead, he’s set up his consulting website as a lead-generation machine.
Read on to learn how he does it.
What It Does Well
Ian’s website is well-designed because it does what he wants it to do — generate leads.
Here are 3 things it the consulting website does well:
Content
Ian’s website is chock-full of content. With his content, he’s not blogging. He’s not writing about how his summer is going. He’s writing to solve problems. He’s explaining things. And by reading his content, his ideal clients are able to get results — or understand how to get him. After browsing Ian’s site, you’re left with no doubt that he’s an expert on processes. That’s because of his content.
Lead Generation
As Ian says in the podcast, his website is his lead-generation machine. And as a lead-generation machine, it’s built very well. Notice the free whitepaper. Notice the Newsletter page. Every page has a purpose. His website is built to generate leads.
Contact
In relation to the website’s lead generation abilities, Ian’s contact page is also very well done. It’s very friendly, inviting, and simple. He also features his phone number. This is a good idea if it’s necessary for you to speak with leads on the phone.
What Could Be Improved
No website is perfect. There is always room for improvement.
Here are 3 things I think Ian could do to get even better results from his website:
Navigation
You’ll notice that there are many menu tabs on Ian’s site. He’s even split it into two separate menus. I like to stick with the general rule of thumb of 4-7 menu items. With this amount of menu tabs, you’re forced to think about what to choose. I think he could simplify this and provide a more seamless experience.
Call-to-actions
Even though the website is an effective lead-generation machine, I don’t think it’s at its full lead-generation potential. The call-to-actions — the buttons or links that evoke the prospect to take action — could be more prominent. The contact page from the menu doesn’t stand out. The actual buttons don’t contrast from the primary colors. The free white paper image isn’t obviously a link. The opt-in form is tucked away at the bottom.
Readability
You’ll notice that the font is quite small. I think he could improve the readability of his site by increasing the font size. For a consultant with a content-heavy website, readability is critical. If you provide a difficult reading experience, you’re making it harder for your clients to understand how you add value to their business.
Action Step
The big takeaway from Ian’s website?
You come away from the website without a doubt: Ian is an expert on process.
What are you an expert on?
Does your consulting website communicate that from top to bottom?
If you’re looking for process improvement, and you come across Ian’s website, you’re going to get value from reading his website.
Unlike a brochure website, his website is mostly about his prospects. He educates them. And in doing so, he helps them select him for their process consulting needs.
You want to do the same for your consulting website. Leave no doubt in your prospects mind that you are the expert in your field.