One of the most common and overlooked mistakes that we see from clients is not displaying their contact details online or having outdated or incorrect information.
It’s a simple mistake due to lack of care and attention to their profiles but has big ramifications for their lead generation and revenue lines. Making it hard for prospects to contact you - find your phone number and email address online - is pretty simple to fix so read on to see how best to do it.
Fix your contact information
Imagine you have worked hard to get your name, your business and products on the front page of Google, a prospect clicks through to read about you, loves your brand and wants to call you, but can't - what a waste!
It's a simple problem to fix, but many people don't think about it or check their digital assets regularly enough. Follow this simple 5 step process to complete a thorough review.
Step 1: Start with a review of all your online sites. Google yourself to make sure that you don't miss any you are mentioned on. Review the first 3 pages of your name in list view AND image view. Images are based on a different algorithm so you will find any sites you forgot about, especially that pesky MySpace that still pops up once in awhile. Make a list of them and check them off systematically.
Here are some of the biggest sites and tips for each:
Google Business listing: make sure the address is up to date, it has the correct business hours, a photo of your office, phone number and website.
Personal LinkedIn Profile: update your contact details under the Contact tab, on the right-hand side of the screen. Check your email address, is it your business one? If you are looking for a new job perhaps you want to use your personal email instead. The same applies to your contact number, do you want your office number or your mobile, it's your choice. And make sure you take advantage of the three website links by pointing people to your personal website, business website and your best social media sites. Also place your details at the end of your biography and in any current roles you have. (For more on LinkedIn get our free eBook here)
Facebook: make sure you include your website and contact details on both your personal and business accounts.
Twitter: make sure your profile is pointing to the correct website.
Step 2: Write down the preferred contact information you want people to find. This might differ if you have multiple businesses or between business and personal social media. Ensure you create a clear path for customers to follow from your social media to website assets, to yourself or team to complete the sale. If they want to buy, don't make it hard for them!
Note: In most social media sites there is a place for you to put a URL, email and phone number. Make sure this on your business and personal media. Why put it on your personal social? Two reasons, friends often become clients or refer others to you and secondly, personal social still appears in Google search results so prospects might see these sites and you can direct them to your business website. If you don’t tell them where to go, they might just find someone else.
Step 3: Give people multiple options. Just because you like people to call you doesn't mean they like to talk on the phone. Some like to email or instant message. Have multiple ways of connecting to you.
Step 4: Put your details in multiple places. As with the LinkedIn example, don't make clients search for your contact information, put it in multiple places so when they have the urge to contact you the information is right there.
Step 5: Ensure that your website has plenty of contact options. The basics are to have the company phone number, address, email address on the front page of your website. Where you put it will depend on your business and sales process. However, as a general guide, the top right of the screen is a great place and again in the footer.
Put a contact tab in the header as people are used to having that link there, so don't be tricky and put it somewhere hard to find. If it is in the header it appears on each page so if they like a blog or particular piece of contact they can always contact you.
If you have a team, ensure their individual contact information (and links to social media) is under their photo and bios. It shows a sense of openness and confidence to give access to people on your website.
How much information to put online?
One challenge of putting all of your contact information online is that everyone can easily access you, whether you like it or not. We believe the benefits of being contactable, outweigh the detraction. That said, in some industries, it might not be appropriate to put your mobile phone number on your website, or your personal email address on your Facebook page. Each profession has it's own nuances so use your discretion, but make your decisions intentionally, not just by accident.
I hope you found this blog useful and stay tuned for next week when we will discuss effective calls to action in your content.
Regards, Andrew
P.S. If you are looking to boost your career or business in 2017, come along to our Make Your Passion Your Careerevent Monday 17th July 2017- 6:00 Pm to 9:00pm
