MSP Basics: Differentiation
Ever done a Google search for Managed IT in your area? Let me give you a hint about what you might find..
First off, you will see the ads and then the local listings…
When you click on the links for the folks in your area you might notice a trend I started to see years ago.. all of the websites look the same… let me give you an overview..
Header: Menu with phone number, email and links across the top
Sub Header: hero image of either computers or stock image that looks like a stock image of people pretending to work together
Body Text: Includes the following phrases:
“We keep your computers running”
“ We keep you secure”
“ We give great service”
“ We are the best at what we do”
Next section is usually a pile of industry logos (Microsoft Logo, Cisco Logo and brands that no one knows about except techies
Footer: Address, phone number and contact email
The pages are more stock images with some basic text about managed services and a list of services included - some will include pricing.. some won’t.
Sound familiar? Did I just describe your site?
Here are the issues with the format above:
You look like everyone else, eventually all of the content is just noise to your prospect.
The site is trying to portray a LARGE presence with generality, when in reality it does the opposite. Your prospects are smart enough to know that you have stock images and no real thought was put into this site.. it looks and feels like everything else.
The sites are using terms that mean something to people in the industry, but don’t do a thing to speak to your prospect
There is nothing personal about the site, nothing about you, your team, what you offer and WHY you do what you do
The site is flat, devoid of emotion and thus does not stoke any fire inside of your prospect. Thus, why would the prospect remember you or want to do business with you
Testimonials are bland and look and feel like all other ones out there on other sites.
The prospect walks away from your site knowing that like all the competition in your area you “fix things” and “keep things running” - awesome.. how is that different?
In marketing there is a lot of talk about differentiation. Think of any brands who use this well? Let me give you some hints. Yeti. How is Yeti different then other coolers? Let me tell you how they differentiated themselves from say Igloo coolers:
Yeti established themselves as a high end brand based on price point
They created a “better” product in that their coolers are built for toughness and vacuum seal. They innovated a product that has been the same for decades.
The brand wrapped itself in the cloak of outdoor audiences with all of their messaging and content. Look at their video series - they profile every day outdoorsman doing some cool things.. some videos don’t even show the coolers. They just want to affiliate with these individuals to give them credibility.
Their website totally reflects who they are as a company with a compelling story about their founding and their mission.
The price point feels justified based on the quality of the product as communicated via their branding, messaging and raving endorsers who are shown using them in adverse conditions. (if it works for them, then it will work for me)
This is differentation. Their whole presence as a brand looks and feels very different then good old Igloo. Suddenly the brand who has been around forever feels like a cooler you would just use for your kids soccer game oranges. But you would need a Yeti for your 20’ Boston Whaler Center Console or overlanding expedition.
How can we apply this to your MSP business? Yeti set out to solve a problem.. outdoors people needed a gold standard bearer cooler that could stand up to elements and keep things cold for long periods of time. They solved a core problem.
Apply this to your own branding and website. How are you different?
Ask yourself these questions while developing your website…
What problems are we solving and what is unique about how we go about solving them?
How can you make your site personable.. meaning reveal something about you, your organization or how you have developed as a company?
Can you develop content that speaks to the owner and solves a problem they are looking to solve? Don’t feed them tech jargon. Owners don’t care. They want to trust you, not know what tech you use to accomplish your goals.
If your goal is to service your local area, then why not go out and take some photos of the local area and use them for your website?
Be the face of your brand. If you started the business, a page should be dedicated to you, your story and WHY you do what you do. People buy passion. Find ways to infuse your passion into every piece of content on your website.
I coach people that the front page of your site should include a short passion filled bio about you and your company, a list of problems you solve and if possible, a measure of ROI achieved by working with you. What is the customer going to gain by going with and trusting you
lastly a clear Call to Action (CTA) should be on the front page. Some CTA’s:
Schedule a call with you
Ebook or some other type of content (must provide an email)
Newsletter sign up
Webinar sign up or other event sign up
Marketing is about standing apart. How can you embody the Yeti approach?
Some parting thoughts..
Be creative. Don't be afraid to think outside the box and come up with new and innovative ways to differentiate your business.
Be consistent. Once you've found a way to differentiate your business, make sure you stick with it. Consistency is key when it comes to building a strong brand identity.
Be patient. It takes time to build a strong brand and differentiate your business from the competition. Don't expect overnight results. Just keep at it and you'll eventually see success.