Do you feel pressure to spend thousands of dollars on a new website?
Does this pressure make you feel uncomfortable considering your current website doesn’t generate business results for your consulting business?
“You need a new website!” is something every designer, marketer, or agency will tell you every few years.
You’re open to the idea of a new website. But like any business owner, you want to make sure you get a positive return on your investment.
As a web consultant, I build websites and advise on web strategy for consultants and boutique consulting firms. It would be easy for me to say that every consultant or firm could use a new website.
But not every consultant or consulting firm needs a new website. This article covers 4 reasons a new website for your consulting business isn’t the best investment.
If any of these apply scenarios apply to you, then ask yourself in another 2 years if you need a new website. Now, your resources are better spent elsewhere.
By the end of this article, you will know…
- Which consultants don’t need to worry about getting a new website
- What makes a new website a good investment for consultants — and what doesn’t
- Next steps for consultants who think a new website would be good for their business
Does Every Consultant Need A New Website?
“You must have a professional website, complete with graphics, text, e-mail links, and assorted bells and whistles, testimonials, video, positioning papers, and so forth. This can cost from $3500 to $10,000.”
-Alan Weiss, Million Dollar Consulting
Alan is right here — but this quote doesn’t show what a professional consulting website can do. A professional, well-designed consulting website makes a great marketing tool. It will help you attract and develop new business.
As a consultant, you don’t want to spend $3500 to $10K on graphics, text, and email link. But you’ll happily spend that much if it can generate you 10, 20, 30 leads per month — which means you’ll get an outstanding return on your investment.
For some consultants, your digital presence (including your website) isn’t the best way to market your business — or you’re not at that stage just yet.
Here are 4 indicators that a new website isn’t the best investment for your consulting business:
1. Your current website is already performing well
If your website is already acquiring qualified leads for your business and helping boost your bottom line (even if it was built a few years ago), then don’t be so quick to change it.
It can be tempting to have your website re-designed when your competitors are updating. Some of your competitors may have fancy graphics, video, and other assorted bells and whistles. It may look enticing, but these features don’t guarantee business results. Especially for consultants.
Focus on your clients and your prospects, not your competitors.
“So my point is, why even bother worrying about our competitors. Why not focus exclusively on being closer to our clients? Let’s have our clients drive our business instead of our competitors.”
–The Consultant With The Pink Hair
If your website is already attracting clients, then it’s already doing its job. And you’re already letting clients drive your business as opposed to your competitors.
There is only one scenario where you should re-design your current consulting website when it’s already performing well: if it’s unresponsive and doesn’t work on all devices and browsers.
If it doesn’t work across all browsers, devices, and resolutions, it’s putting your business and your trustworthiness at risk.
An unresponsive website is a credibility killer. It’s frustrating for your prospects to browse and read. The are plenty of benefits of a responsive consulting website — and turning your already high-performing website into one that works on all devices will have a profound impact on your business.
2. Your business is brand new
If your consulting business is brand new, you have other ways to spend your money than on a brand new website. Use a good consultant website template to start. Keep it simple, direct, and use it to publish content and generate consultations.
Using an effective template, your website can still generate leads and consultations. You can also use platforms like LinkedIn, Quora, and Medium for your content marketing and writing. But as a brand new consultancy, your time is best spent on networking, outreach, and building up your expertise.
You’re in the process of building a reputation. Once you’ve done that, your designer will have an easier job of communicating your value and your brand through your website.
3. You’ve mastered other forms of marketing
Your website is a marketing tool. It’s one of the “5 Marketing Musts for Consultants” (as a part of your Digital Presence), along with Networking, Speaking, Writing, and Trade Associations.
If you have an endless line of talks lined up, and your very active with trade associations, chances are you have enough work to keep you busy.
Rather than try out a new form of marketing, it’s more efficient for you to perfect the methods already working for you.
If you love speaking and networking (and get all of your leads that way), chances you’re not a huge writer. To use your website effectively, you’re going to have to use it as a publishing vehicle.
If you have no problem finding leads and attracting clients through other methods (besides referrals), focusing on your website to attract clients will take your time away from the methods you’re already good at.
Why not stick with what’s working?
4. You have other problems in your business
While over 80% of consulting firms list attracting and developing new business as their #1 issue, there are some firms that simply don’t need more clients. You may have problems finding and keeping talent, or with innovation and new ideas.
A new website won’t solve these problems. An effective consulting website is a marketing asset and business development tool. It’s meant to generate leads and sales.
If you don’t need marketing and sales (if you don’t need more clients), then a new website isn’t going to help your business. You can build always build one for branding purposes, but don’t expect it to help with converting your website traffic into leads and clients.
Next Steps
If you’ve determined that you don’t need a new website, then continue to market and sell yourself like you already know how to. Better yet — share what you know to consultants who struggle with their marketing. Consultants like Alan Weiss and David Fields do a lot of work to help consultants, and it has rewarded them tremendously.
If you have gone through this list and think a new website would help solve problems for your business, download the Consultant Website Planning Worksheet.
To develop a website that creates marketing wins for your business, you need a plan. And this worksheet will help you get clear on your plan. It will help steer your designer, developer, or agency away from creating a pretty website — and instead, one that is focused on generating tangible, real business results.
It may not be as fun as picking colors or finding a new logo, but it will help you get closer to turning your website into a business development machine.