Randi Brawley doesn’t hold anything back when she advises why it’s critical for businesses to have a professionally crafted presence on the Internet. According to Brawley, principal of Synerge-Marketing, LLC, Fairfield, Connecticut, there’s no better way for a company — and naturally an independent manufacturers’ representative agency — to get in front of potential customers and manufacturers than if they have a professional website.

Admittedly, this is hardly news for MANA members. More than a decade ago when Agency Sales first took a look at its members’ presence on the Internet and particularly with their own company websites, fewer than half of the association’s members had a site. Just three years later more than half could boast of having websites. Certainly today the majority of MANA members note that they can easily be found on the Internet; but, the fact remains that there are still some agencies without websites and there are many others that haven’t done all they can to maximize their presence on the Internet.

Brawley, whose company focuses on addressing the needs of small- and medium-sized businesses in marketing themselves online in a professional, compelling way, explains that “It’s really quite simple. A company must have a website in order to get in front of customers. If they’re selling a product or an existing customer has a question or a problem, they need to be able to search for you to get answers. By having a website, you’re in the running. Without one, customers will go to the competition. You just won’t be in the game.”

Proof You’re in Business

Since opening her doors for business close to a decade ago, Brawley explains that in that relatively short period of time, there has been a bit of an adjustment on how companies view whether they should have websites or not. “It really depends upon the industry in which you work. I’d say that in general there’s now a view that if you don’t have a website, people don’t really consider you to be in business.”

Once again that view can vary depending upon the industry. “There are some businesses (e.g., companies that provide services that aren’t technical in nature — plumbing, masonry, etc.) where you don’t need a website. You can get by with a presence on Facebook, for instance. But if it’s important that you reach people online and that customers and prospects are able to reach you online, then a website is a given.”

Once it’s been decided that your agency had better have a website or needs an update to an existing site, Agency Sales and consultants that the magazine has frequently interviewed have long cautioned to seek references and stay far away from brothers-in-law or friends of a friend who maintain they can do the job for them. The question remains, however, where can an agency locate someone who can do a professional job for them?

Professional Help

“There are a lot of ways to build a website” says Brawley. “What you do depends upon your goals and objectives — but no matter what you do, you need the help of a professional. Then when it comes to facing the task of deciding what it is that you need, that’s where a professional can help. When it comes down to finding the right web provider, a lot of it depends upon your budget. Consider for a moment if your average individual sales are quite substantial, as they might be with medical equipment. Chances are then that you can afford to make more of an investment in your website than if you sell commodity products like bearings, and the average sale isn’t that great.

“Then take a look at the number of people who usually look for your product. How many competitors do you have? What opportunities are there for you? Are you in a niche market?

“No matter how you answer those questions, you can put together a template for what you need.”

That last word — “need” — would appear to be key here. Brawley maintains that what any company “needs” is a combination of the following:

• Visibility — “What will you do to get in front of people?”
• Usability — “Make sure that your site is easy to use.”
• Functionality — “Is your client base tech-savvy? Are they an older or a younger audience? Can they figure out how to navigate your site?”
• Profitability — “What’s the sense of printing an attractive brochure and then locking it in a closet? So too is it with a website. If it looks good but never gets in front of someone, how profitable will it be?”

Locating the Right Partner

With all of the aforementioned pieces in place, it’s critical to partner up with the right partner to get the job done. Keeping in mind the already-mentioned cautions about staying away from the friend-of-a-friend designer, Brawley explains that there are a few different kinds of companies engaged in creating websites. “You’ve got the companies that specialize in design and then you’ve got technical firms. Often with the former, the obvious focus of their work is on design. If what they concentrate on is the appearance of your site and don’t talk about content and conversion, or making it easy for a customer to contact you, then there’s a problem. If someone doesn’t understand technology and marketing, they’ll have a problem communicating your message.

Design vs. Technical

“Technical firms, on the other hand, can be great at building the back end of the site, but they don’t necessarily consider your marketing goals. In my opinion, when looking for someone to work with, be sure they have a marketing focus. Always keep in mind the answer to the question ‘How will people contact us?’”

Staying on the subject of having customers follow up by contacting your company, Brawley notes, “The most important thing you’re trying to accomplish here is to have someone call you. That’s why it’s so important to have a contact form or phone number on each of your website pages.”

Another consideration, if not a downright “red flag,” is a company’s reluctance to provide references when they are contacted to work on a website. “If someone says they work with a multitude of companies but they don’t want people bothering them for references, be cautious. It’s an absolute definite that you speak to a company’s clients to determine the quality of their work.”

How long should it take to get your website up and running? According to Brawley, “The timeline for your project depends on the complexity and size of your project. The number of design concepts, how many layouts and pages, the functionality of your site and amount of customization all play a role in the timeliness for delivery.” She adds that her company can usually create a simple website within six to eight weeks. “Early in the process, however, you should receive a timeline for your project based on the scope of the work.”

The Social Media Fit

Given the growth and proliferation of social media, Brawley notes that in conjunction with a company’s business website, the use of tools such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., “is really all about branding and awareness vs. sales. I’d maintain that it’s rare that you get a sale from your social media activity. What you do get is circulation of your name and brand in circles of individuals who might be interested in what you provide.” She notes that for companies that do engage in social media activity about 80 percent of their posts are of the fun or informational nature and 20 percent concerns the promotion of the company. “What’s most important here is to generate referral sources. That’s why it’s so important to post items of interest to people who can recommend your company.”

Two additional areas that Brawley stresses as important website considerations are search engine optimization and mobile friendliness.

Search engine optimization (or maximizing the number of visitors to a particular website by ensuring that the site appears high on the list of results returned by a search engine) — Building a website and not having anyone see it calls to mind the adage “Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door.” But what if no one knows you’ve built that mousetrap?

Considering that problem, Brawley says “Yes. It is disappointing to invest in a website that doesn’t get the traffic you expect. If it’s any consolation, you’re not alone. If your site wasn’t built to be ‘search engine friendly’ or if your business is in a very competitive niche, you’ll need help. There are many ways to make your current site more visible to search engines and other areas of the Web.” She notes that it’s important to create and revise websites with search engines in mind, using design and programming practices that are compliant with search engine guidelines. Over time, search engines’ rules and algorithms change so it’s important to periodically reevaluate your site and make sure it’s up to date and complies with new rules.

Mobile friendliness — Keeping in mind that more than one-billion people access the web from mobile devices, Brawley stresses the importance of a site having a mobile friendly responsive web design. “Make sure that whomever you work with on your website is conversant with mobile friendly designs and knows why it is important.”

Finally, she advises, “Whatever course you decide to follow when it comes to creating or updating your company website, definitely don’t be led astray. If you don’t do it right the first time, then you’re going to have to go through the entire process all over again.”

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For more information on Synerge-Marketing, LLC, visit their website at www.synergemarketing.com.

MANA welcomes your comments on this article. Write to us at [email protected].