Janitorial Supply Website Deadly Sin #3: Limp-Wristed Cyber-Handshakes

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People buy from people they know, like and trust…especially in the janitorial supply industry. In our world of connecting via mouse clicks and keyboard strJanitorial website handshakeokes, it is imperative that you maximize the electronic conduit to meet, impress, and connect with your prospects in a meaningful way.

Are you unknowingly committing the deadly sin of the “Limp-Wristed Cyber-Handshake” on your janitorial website? In our evaluation of several hundred janitorial supply websites, we found a majority of them were committing this deadly sin in one way or another.

You can begin to avoid this website deadly sin by posting on your website smiling photos of you and your staff, as well as your warehouse, loading dock, and fleet.  The more pictures portraying you and your company as real people, the better. Add a few blurbs about who they are, what they like about their jobs, and their favorite interests.

This technique not only sets you apart from the big boxes, but enables you to virtually open your front door to website visitors, invite them in, and pour them a hot cup of coffee at your breakroom table.

A word of caution …we’ve seen websites that heavily rely upon stock photography.  As great as stock photos can be in certain situations, relying solely on stock photos can give an impression of your business being a “cookie-cutter” or artificial … much like model homes posing as a real family home.  You cannot fully connect with people using pictures that are not authentic.

When you take photos for your website, try to avoid the “mug shot” look.  Position people at desks or counters, smiling at either the camera or with customers, and looking friendly.  Other photos can be of your delivery trucks, warehouse pictures, training session photos, or various shots of your showroom and the products on display.

At JanSanOptimize.com, we specialize in building affordable, effective janitorial supply websites … without committing any deadly website sin.  Whether you need a complete website “re-boot” or a re-fresh on a few pages, we have a package to meet your needs.

Janitorial Supply Websites: Where’s the Beef?

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Where's The Beef

Check out this iconic 1984 commercial

In the iconic 1984 commercial for Wendy’s hamburgers , three elderly women were contemplating the size of the hamburger bun versus the size of the hamburger.  This short :30 commercial catapulted feisty Clara Peller into stardom with just three words … “Where’s the Beef?”

We’re not talking hamburgers, here.  We’re talking websites in the janitorial and maintenance supply industry.  However the concept is quite similar in delivering the “beef” to capture prospects and convert them into customers.  Just as Clara Peller continued to patronize Wendy’s in additional commercials, your website is the primary vehicle to initially grab attention, impress prospects, and set you apart from your competition.

What is the main reason people use the internet?  They are looking for “the beef” … information that will answer a question or solve a problem.  As explained in Google’s “Zero Moment of Truth” model, people use search engines to research, visit websites, and make their preliminary purchase decisions.

Many believe that landing on page one of a search is the way to generate business.  Although having your website listing on the first page of a Google search is ideal, studies show people typically visit between 5-10 websites before making a decision. If you are listed several times on page one, it’s probable that visiting your site once will be adequate for searchers, and subsequent visits will result in quick clicks off the site.

Therefore, it is crucial that your website is impressive and delivers the beef in the first visit.

The initial split-second impression conveyed through your website is tied to the graphic layout and “eye-appeal.”  Is your home page attractive and inviting?  Does it immediately convey you have valuable information and expertise?  Will visitors automatically understand you are in the janitorial and maintenance supply industry? Are you professional-looking?

Past the initial looks, the real selling point of your business is the “beef” on your website.  And it needs to be prime beef, not choice or select.  And lots of it.

Do you have a full listing of all your manufacturers, descriptions, links to their websites, and links to MSDS sheets? Are you connecting on a personal level with your content?  Are there pictures of your employees with an invitation to contact the significant officers directly? People buy from people they know, like, and trust.  It starts with the introduction made via your website.

Is there a resource page that is updated regularly with timely industry information? What about a blog with regular postings of success stories of how you met customers’ needs or new products in your line?  E-Newsletters do “double-duty” these days as they connect with customers and can be re-purposed for website content.

We have evaluated hundreds of janitorial  distributor websites, and find that many are lacking the “beef.”  For that matter, there are many manufacturer websites that are also lacking content.

Many websites in the janitorial industry remind us of the Wendy’s commercial with the “big buns” … lots of fluff and maybe a small pickle.  Without the beef, these businesses are missing the online opportunity to differentiate themselves from the big-box, order-only competitors.

We offer several difference marketing services that bring the beef to your website and drive traffic to your e-commerce pages. Whether you need a complete website “re-boot” or a “re-fresh” on a few pages, we have a package to meet your needs.

How Much is a Facebook “Like” Worth in Janitorial Supply Marketing?

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Like-worth-pennies

Studies show the average Facebook “like” is worth 21 cents in sales.

Facebook.  It is a marketing tool that many believe is a cost-effective way to increase sales.

But is it?  In the janitorial and maintenance supply industry, how much is a facebook “like” really worth?

Let’s take a look at a study conducted by Ecwid, an e-shopping cart provider, that looked closely at data from 40,000+ Facebook stores that run its software.  The 12-month cumulative sales from the storefronts that use its software was then compared against each store’s “likes.”  On average, each Facebook “like” equated to just 21 cents in annual sales.

Perhaps the more “likes,” the higher the ROI.  Not so, according to this same study.  The 25 percent of Ecwid-powered storefronts with the most “likes” only earned 13 cents per “like” per year.

In considering the effectiveness of Facebook in the janitorial supply industry, let’s consider the end-user in this industry.  Most are busy during the day away from their computer and engaged in the details of facility maintenance. If your customer is in the housekeeping department, there is precious little time to dedicate to perusing social media posts and responding to them when there are rooms to turn, floors to burnish, and new products to review.

Your time is valuable, as well.  Who is responsible for maintaining your facebook account and increasing your “likes?”  Although not a huge time-factor, it does take effort to create informative and engaging posts, take photos and upload them, and encourage people to “like” you.

If it is someone in your company who is handling this effort, how much time is taken away from other income producing activities?  If you have outsourced this activity, how much money are you investing for the return on the investment?  Would those dollars be better spent in other marketing efforts?

We’ve tracked a distributor who began a Facebook account about six months ago … they have accumulated a total of 24 “likes.”  Let’s pretend that all 24 “likes” are customers … not family, friends, or reciprocating “likes” (we’ll “like” you if you “like” us).

If we apply the ROI according to the Ecwid study, this distributor’s Facebook marketing activity generated a $5.04 in sales for the year.  Obviously, we don’t know exactly the actual sales increase the 24 “likes” produced, but the message seems clear.  There needs to be careful evaluation of any marketing program, including Facebook.

At JanSanOptimize.com we consider the full marketing picture in the janitorial supply industry, your place in the marketplace, and the best marketing options for your particular situation so you get the biggest bang for your marketing buck. Check out the marketing services we provide for the janitorial supply industry.

> Read the full article on the Ecwid Facebook study

E-Newsletters and Their Place in Janitorial Supply Marketing

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Download your FREE E-Guide to E-Newsletters at www.JanSanOptimize.com

Never before has the JanSan industry had so many marketing options available to small, independent distributors and boutique manufacturers with so many ways to reach customers in an affordable and effective way.

Perhaps the most effective and affordable of  these new electronic tools is e-Newsletters.  However, not many manufacturers or distributors participate in a regular e-newsletter program.

In a recent survey, we found that just 20% of independent distributors were using some form of e-Newsletter to communicate to their customers and prospects.  It is not surprising to find that over 70% claimed they would use an e-Newsletter in their marketing if there was an easy way to do so.

E-Newsletters can level the playing ground for the small distributor and manufacturer by providing the means to stay in front of customers and prospects.  People buy from people they know, like, and trust.  Implementing an e-newsletter program brings you and your company in front of people on a regular basis and provides the means to let them get to know you better, trust your expertise, and eventually buy from you.

The key to success, however, is consistency, content and appearance.  In our years of providing marketing services to the janitorial supply industry, we’ve seen how our customers struggle to maintain an ongoing marketing program.

When successful, professional, e-Newsletter program keeps you top-of-mind in an impressive manner it puts you on the same ground as competitors with marketing budgets that far surpass yours.

Let us share some of our secrets to consistent implementation of an e-Newsletter program:

  1. Plan your editorial schedule.  Do not wait until the last minute to figure out what topics you will discuss.  Take the time in advance to plan your topics, articles, and products that you will highlight each month.
  2. Tie topic to products you carry.  If you have online ordering, hyperlink the product mention in the newsletter  to your order entry program.
  3. Take the time to write the content ahead of time.  If you wait until the day before you are to send your monthly message, you will find yourself consumed by other business matters and you will quickly get off-schedule.
  4. Don’t be afraid to take content and information from your manufacturers.  They can be the best source of information!
  5.  The graphic impact is particularly important in the visual world we live in.  Make sure your graphics are appealing and sized correctly.  Test and re-test your message so you are confident there are no strange spaces, line breaks, or bad images.

These are just a few pointers … you can download more tips and guidance for free with our “e-Guide to JanSan e-Newsletters” at http://www.JanSanOptimize.com. 

Check out our 6-month e-Newsletter Starter Program!

JanSan Websites: 99% Small Biz Owners Trust Search Engines to Find Suppliers Online

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How important is your JanSan website?  According to a study commissioned by Google,  99% of small business owners report they find search engines to be the most effective tool for finding suppliers.

With that though in mind, we took a random survey of janitorial supply distributor websites.  We found that a surprising 25% of JanSan distributors had no website presence. 

Websites have now become a significant sales tool for B2B companies.  If 99% of small business owners say search engines are the most effective tool for finding suppliers and you don’t have a website (and an adequate Google ranking), you are missing a significant sales opportunity.

Your Jan San website provides the opportunity to quickly convey your company’s janitorial and maintenance expertise, your philosophy on customer service, and connect with prospects on several levels.

As an example, do you have photos of your key officers and staff?  Is there an image of your storefront?  People buy from people they know, like and trust.

The overall look, feel, and most importantly, the content of your website communicates who you are and begins to connect and cultivate a relationship with prospects.

On that note, we found in our random survey, that another 20% of JanSan distributor websites had either a very dated look or the site was basically an “order only” portal with little to no content about the organization, the expertise, or an attractive overview of the offerings.

JanSanOptmiize.com offers a complementary audit of your online presence, including a top-line evaluation of your search engine optimization.

Call us for more information, or email ginny@petru.biz

5 Reasons to Praise Promotional Postcards

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In this age of mouse clicks and finger touches, it is easy to categorize the good old-fashioned postcard as a marketing device of the past.Postcard example

But is it?  Let’s look at these reasons to praise the promotional postcard.

  1.  100% Deliverable!  E-Mail campaigns are extremely effective to the prospects they reach and they are a phenomenal way to nurture leads.  However, the reality is that each e-mail message is subject to filters, bounces, and delete keys.  Marketers are happy with an average open rate of between  7 – 15% to fresh lists.  Compare this to a USPS deliver rate of 100%.
  2. Hard to delete without looking.  E-mail communications can be filtered into junk drawers and never viewed by the recipient.  Even when the communications are seen by the recipient, it is easy to hit a delete key.  Holding a physical piece of paper in your hand forces you to look at it before you toss it into the trash container.
  3. Quick communication of your message. The layout of a postcard quickly communicates your message in a graphic and memorable way.  A picture says a thousand words, and a postcard communicates the visual impact faster and more effectively than an email message.
  4. No CAN-SPAM-type regulations.  You can purchase mailing lists or create your own list from various business resources and mail with no concerns of legal ramifications
  5. Effectively motivates Generation X.   Sure, we’ve all heard how younger professionals depend on twitter and facebook for information, but according to a U.S. Postal Service survey, “Gen X, Gen Y and the Mail”,  74 percent of Generation X and 68 percent of Generation Y read and respond to physical mail just like their older counterparts.

JanSanOptimize.com will optimize your JanSan postcard campaign, producing and implementing it quickly and economically.

Google’s ZMOT in JanSan Website Marketing: What It Is & Why You Should Care

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The Jan/San sales cycle, as we knew it just a few years ago, has been changed forever. The main reason: the internet.

In a few mouse clicks, there is a wealth of information available to the janitorial supplies purchaser, such as product information, company reviews, and item pricing, to name a few.  Prospects can quickly evaluate any number of providers and products to solve their problems in minutes … sometimes seconds.

Purchasers’ proactive search for information has been identified by Google’s marketing gurus as the “Zero Moment of Truth” or ZMOT.

Google’s Jim Lecinski, managing director of US Sales and Service, explains ZMOT as the time when a potential buyer picks up his or her laptop, smartphone, or tablet and starts searching for products and services.  The decision to buy a facility maintenance product, such as floor machine, cleaning chemical or microfiber mop, is determined before they actually pick up the phone and call.

As Lecinski notes, “Your customers’ first impression — and quite possible their final decision — will be made in that moment: ZMOT.”

How do you take advantage of ZMOT and win?

Start with a visually impressive Jan/San website that people can find.  Once you are found, you must provide interesting content to involve the visitor and illustrate your professional expertise.  You become a trusted resource … people buy from people they know, like and trust.

Use photos of your company’s main staff members and a little personal information about them.  Let your visitors feel a connection with them by providing background information such as how long they have been in the Jan/San industry, were they raised in the area, and which local team do they follow.

Refresh your Jan/San website content on a regular basis and keep it interesting.  Visitors want to be assured the supplier they choose is professional, and they make judgments about you based on the image portrayed on your website.

Integrate your website information into a number of online marketing vehicles, such as e-Newsletters, Blogs and Facebook.

Finally, provide an easy way for prospects to purchase through a reliable e-commerce site.

For more ideas on how you can win the Jan/San ZMOT, contact Ginny Petru at http://www.JanSanOptimize.com!

Should JanSan Companies Stop Cold Calling?

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I was particularly interested in a recent article by Nathan Yerian,  “Two Reasons to Stop Cold Calling, Now.”  With the incredible plethora of marketing communication vehicles available to reach customers and prospects, it might make sense to hang up the cold calling receiver for good.Rep making cold calls

Consider the alternative uses of your sales team’s time and energies.

The point of making cold calls is to find leads and determine if those leads are worth the pursuit. By implementing a sound inbound and outbound marketing plan, you will find you are generating those warm and hot leads that all sales people are searching for.  The question then, is pretty simple.  Shouldn’t you sales team be spending their time in cultivating the relationship with these “warm leads” instead of cold-calling?

Consider the tools available to nurture a lead relationship and eventually convert them to a sale:

  1. E-newsletters: Receiving a monthly e-newsletter that is packed with JanSan industry trends, new products, ways to keep facilities healthier, and how your company meets the needs of your audience will establish you as an expert, keep your name top-of-mind, and make you look good.
  2. SEO Website: Your website is your most important sales person.  Quite often it is the first impression a prospect has of your company.  Your current customers are probably getting “wooed” by your competitors, and they are probably going online to see what that competitor can offer.  How do you look “online” compared to your competitors?
  3. Website Updates: You should be updating your website on a regular basis with new information, updates on your products/services, and “success stories” of how you are solving customer problems. This helps in your SEO (search engine optimization) as well as continuing to attract your customers and prospects.  Create and offer a free “white paper” on a cleaning subject particularly suitable for your audience and market. In order to access the information on your website, visitors need to provide an email address.
  4. Direct Mail: Don’t discount the value of getting a hard piece of paper into the hands of your customers.  An advantage of direct mail is the 100% delivery guarantee.  No doubt, it is harder to delete a colorful, informative postcard compared to an e-mail message.

For more ideas on how to get away from cold-calling, generate more leads, and convert leads into customers, call Ginny Petru at JanSanOptimize.com.

5 Ways to Grow Your JanSan E-Mail List

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Growing E-mail Address ListIf you do not have an extensive list of e-mail addresses of customers and prospects, you are not alone.  It is quite common for us to run across clients who feel they should have more e-mail addresses for their e-marketing activities, and are wondering the best way to do so.  Here are five ideas to capture e-mail addresses for marketing purposes:

  1.  If you send physical invoices, include a “buckslip” note informing your customers you are implementing a new communication program utilizing e-mail and request they call or e-mail you with their business e-mail address.  Inside sales reps can follow-up via phone with customers who do not respond.
  2. Add a capture form on your website, blog, or facebook page asking visitors to sign-up for your informative newsletter and “be the first” to know about special deals.
  3. Create a White Paper or “Guide” on a particular maintenance subject that is geared towards a particular audience in your market.  In order to download or access the guide, the visitor needs to provide a name and e-mail address.
  4. Every time your customer service department fields a phone query, they should be asking for the caller’s business e-mail for follow-up.
  5. Participate in local shows and events that are appropriate for connecting with your target audience.  Offer a free giveaway that attendees must provide contact information to enter.  As an example:  If your Chamber of Commerce holds an annual Business Expo, offer a drawing for free product or service.  Consider approaching your vendors to see if they can provide assistance in defraying costs in return for the local publicity.

And don’t forget to add any lead that is provided to you from your suppliers! Even if the lead seems quite cold, regular contact can warm it up.