Barbara Walters Price

Is a Web Site Ever "Finished"?

In 2006, we will launch a redesigned website and the whole effort pretty much scares the bahoey out of me.  Why?  Evolution. 

As Mercer Capital evolves, so must our website.  If we make a wrong decision re platform, we can be stuck with something destined for extinction much faster than is feasible.  I have to keep in mind that it's easy to become seduced by the newest and hippest technology and design styles -- the herd mentality.  But it's my job to keep focused on the core purpose of the site ... to ultimately turn visitors into buyers.

Notice the intentionality of what I said.   If you're not focused on turning visitors into buyers, you are wasting your time (and money) and theirs.

Throw in the extra wrinkle of managing different constituencies during the redesign process, all of whom have very strong opinions.  (For a great discussion on managing change, see Bruce Allen's Marketing Catalyst blog.)  Too many cooks not only spoil the soup, they make it unrecognizable.

The hard truth is, we may have to sacrifice some design elements in order to absolutely ensure functionality and the ability to customize on a moment's notice so that we have the opportunity to leverage the site to turn visitors into buyers.

Case in point: Monday afternoon, one of the speakers at the Heckerling conference where we are exhibiting recommended one of our articles to the attendees and suggested that they visit our website to download it.  Among other things, I called my associate back at the office who immediately posted a prominent welcome message to Heckerling attendees on our website along with a link to the referenced article making us look smart and responsive.

So, is a website ever "finished"?  As fate would have it, in an e-mail from Marketing Sherpa today, I was given the answer in an article entitled "Two Best E-Mail Marketing Pledges for 2006."

Pledge #2. To make your site more successful in 2006

"Repeat after me: My site is a dynamic marketing tool and it will never be finished ... and that's ok."

I say "Amen" to that.  Stay tuned to see how it all progresses!

Being the Booth Babe

I'm writing to you from Miami Beach where my firm, Mercer Capital, is exhibiting at the Philip E. Heckerling Conference.  This conference is attended by about 2,000 gift and estate tax attorneys and other financial planning professionals.  Mercer Capital is here because we provide valuation services for gift and estate tax matters and the attendees are either a referral source or a future referral source.

As a marketing professional, you always spend time planning and preparing for a show like this.  What to give away?  What is the "theme" of the booth experience?  Does the theme enhance your firm's brand image? 

All of these questions are important and their answers should be reasoned rather than haphazard.  However, it all comes down to what connects to the people you are trying to reach on a human level.  In other words, you have to think of them as people, not as prospects.  You should seek to befriend, not necessarily to impress.

Business Valuation : How Important?

I came across this short article from Stuart Kahan, Executive Editor, CPA Wealth Provider in WebCPA.

In it, Mr. Kahan suggests that every company, whether public or private, have a current business valuation.  He quotes two prominent business appraisers and lists the American Society of Appraiser's top five reasons why this is a good idea.

At the outset, let me say I agree with everything in the article. 

Let me also say that after twenty years in the role of marketing director for a business valuation firm, I know for a fact that this is not a marketing strategy that works.

In all fairness to Mr. Kahan, he is writing to providers of business valuation services and it's comforting to know that our services are so important.   But the hard truth is that the vast majority of business valuations are rendered because the client has to have one due to some outside pressure or regulatory requirement.  They have a pain that has to be relieved. 

Business owners don't have their businesses valued because it's a good idea.  Getting a yearly physical is also a good idea but most of us only visit the doctor when we have a pain that has to be relieved.   

Marketing Lesson:  If you provide business valuation services, spend your marketing dollars marketing to the gate-keepers (attorneys, CPAs, trust officers, etc.), not to the end client.  The gate-keepers understand what you do and know when it's needed.  The client could care less until he needs your services and then heeds the advice of the gate-keeper in the referral.