The Internet created a level playing field. The website for a one man business could be made to look and behave just like the one for the biggest corporation. Businesses can hide behind these big brand websites to hide how small or large they are.
However, small businesses can be more flexible to their clients, reacting faster to their needs. Instead of providing a complex and never ending list of services, they can offer just a few and do them really well. So why not show that with your website?
This I believe is the way that small businesses should be. If you are a ‘one man band’ then don’t hide behind a big site and use ‘We’ when it should me ‘I’ or ‘Me’. It can be very attractive to future clients that they are dealing with the same person in real life as the person on the website. You are effectively the business and part of your branding.
Let me give you an example, something a friend told me about a few months back…
My friend runs a blog and shares his knowledge of the property market on his blog. He find expensive places to live in France for people with a lot of money, he is also a one man band. Sometimes he slips in a post about his life, writes about his favourite band or book. Initially he was worried that he was ‘off topic’ and not totally focused on his business activities.
However, he found that prospective clients were more willing to deal with him because they already felt as if they knew him. I suppose you could say the ‘ice was broken’ and half the sales battle was over. They felt more comfortable getting in contact because of the occasional personal posting.
Most expat businesses in France are one man bands. A single person with an expertise trying to make money. Your unique selling point is you! There are alot of builders, carpenters, plumbers, translators, website builders etc etc etc. What can make you stand out from the crowd is that your personality and ability can show through your site. Before they pick up the phone and make that important call to you, they have already decided to trust you. You have already convinced them you can solve their problem.
Great advice. I tend to do the personal stuff on my blog and keep the property site focused on property. Even so, I think my voice comes through on the property site – I get a lot of mail from people saying how much they like it.
Cheers,
Sam
Thanks for leaving a comment Sam, it does make a difference to a site when some personality comes through
Hi Bob,
I couldn’t agree more! I have been having the same conversation with a few French business owner revently “Nous sommes”, “je”. The entrepreneur’s story is interesting and customers want to know who they are buying from.