Today we’re going to talk about something that’s critical to your MSP: your website! Specifically, how your website converts visitors into leads.

If your website isn’t pulling in leads or calls, then it’s not doing its job. What’s worse, it could be driving your prospects away…

Let’s get into the top 6 mistakes that MSPs make on their website and how you can avoid these pitfalls!

1. Failing to Clearly Communicate Services to Prospects

Here’s a quick test: Open your website and view it from the perspective of a first-time visitor. Could your describe exactly what your company does and who it serves? If not, then your site is failing you!

Visitors need to know immediately what you offer and why they should care to be on your website. For example, a lot of MSPs use verbiage like, “Technology Solutions For Your Business”. This wording doesn’t tell your visitors anything, and it certainly isn’t compelling enough to get your visitors to do anything on your website!

Instead, try specific verbiage like, “Providing AI to support small businesses in [CITY] for [# OF YEARS]”.  This type of description is clear and tells your visitor a lot: what you do, where you do it, and how long you’ve been doing it!

2. No Clear Call to Action

Website visitors need clear directions. Ask yourself these questions:

• What do you want your visitors to do when they land on your site?
  • Do you want them to call you?
  • Do you want them to schedule a consultation?
  • Do you want them to download a white paper?

Many MSPs have a vague CTA, or nothing at all. Without a clear call to action, your visitors are going to be left guessing what to do on your website. Most of the time, they are simply going to leave if they can’t figure out what to do!

Does your website support and encourage the next steps that you want your prospects to take? For example, if you want them to call you, make sure your phone number is big and bold with a CTA like “Call Now To Speak To An IT Expert!” If you want them to schedule a meeting, then put a prominent button right at the top of your website that says, “Schedule A Free Consultation!”

3. Lack of Focus on Local SEO

In the MSP world, local presence is a huge trust factor. When we were in MSP, we had a presence in northwest Ohio. We expanded beyond that, but with our advertising and website presence we focused on appearing local. Most clients want to know if the provider they choose is nearby, familiar with the area, and capable of providing onsite support if needed!

You may never go out and do that support, but prospective clients need to understand that you can if it’s possible. You don’t want your prospects to have to guess where you are. Be upfront about your location and the areas you serve! If you are currently using an 800 number, we recommend switching to using a local number.

For example, a CTA like, “Serving the Chicago area for over 20 years” tells users that you’re serving that area locally. You could also include a map with your location on your website!

4. Too Many Stock Photos

People do business with people, not faceless companies! Yet so many MSP websites rely on cheesy stock photography.

You know the pictures I’m talking about: everybody’s smiling and happy, looking at their laptops in a perfectly staged office…

And you know what? That doesn’t tell visitors anything about who you are! Your prospects want to know who they’re dealing with, and stock images just don’t build that trust: they feel impersonal and fake.

Instead, include photos of your office, your team, and some behind-the-scenes shots of technicians in action. This can really help to increase engagement with your visitors and build trust, even though you’re not even doing anything for them yet!

5. Lack of Reason to Call Your MSP

Here’s an important question: Why should someone call your MSP over the MSP down the street?

This is something that your website needs to communicate, but 9 times out of 10, MSP websites don’t communicate that! Many fall into the trap of just listing services without offering a compelling reason for why to choose them.

If every MSP in your area says the same thing, why would anyone pick you? It’s harsh, but true!

You need a differentiator that clearly sets you apart. Include specific messaging about how your team does things; really spell out to visitors how you can help them in your own unique way.

When we were an MSP, our big differentiator was cloud, and our messaging centered around how cloud could specifically help our prospective clients.

This big differentiator will be different for each MSP, but for some additional guidance, make sure to check out our blog: “How MSPs Should Differentiate Themselves From Their Competition to Win More Business.”

6. No Social Proof/Testimonials

This one is simple: prospects want to know that other businesses trust you and have success working with you! If your website doesn’t have testimonials or case studies, you are missing out on valuable social proof…

Add a testimonial section. Include video testimonials from happy customers that had great results and you’ll be surprised by how much it benefits your MSP.  

Static testimonials work great too, but video testimonials are the best way to show people how well you work with customers since they truly show your customer’s emotions.

 

Time to Give Your Website An Upgrade!

We hope this blog has helped you start thinking of ways you can improve your MSP’s website! Start by picking a couple of these recommendations to execute on: simple adjustments go a long way in helping your conversions.

Today, I’m going to leave you with a quote from Zig Ziglar: “If people like you they’ll listen to you, but if they trust you they’ll do business with you.”

Thanks for reading, and have a great week!