Laser focus vs shotgun approach

No. This is not a post on firearms (real or fictional), or about the best way to take down a Storm Trooper. This is a post on making sure your website reflects your company's approach.

There are two kinds of company: the ones that try to do a wide range of things, and the ones that focus on a single area of expertise, or a single product, and focus all their energy upon this like a laser. Here's two examples of what I mean:

1. Shotgun

Tesco's. If you want something, the chances are you can get it from Tesco's. In fact, the chances are that you can get 90% of all the stuff you need from Tesco's, and the rest probably isn't "essential" anyway. The more I think about it, the more I struggle to think of situations where you can't get everything from your local super-store (haircuts, and dental work spring to mind - but they aren't consumables in the strictest sense - and if you view your dentist as a consumable, then you have issues far beyond what this blog can solve. I digress). Tesco's have a bit shotgun loaded with popular products, and they fire it at people.

Unsurprisingly, their website does the same thing.

2. Laser

On the other end of the spectrum, are companies like Black Circles (who sell only car tyres), Monster Tackle (who only sell fishing accessories), and The Dolls House Emporium. I'm not a massive fan of any of these (OK, I do have a penchant for car tyres), but if I need a specialist product, I'm left in no doubt after visiting these sites that I've come to the right place.

So what about you?

This blog is targeted at SME's in the UK. It's therefore likely that you are a laser focused company, and specialise in a particular niche. At the very least, you'll likely be providing a particular type of service, or selling B2B in a particular industry. And if you aren't, that's fine too. It doesn't matter whether or not your business is successful by having laser focus, or by wielding a shotgun, what matters is:

Make sure your website mirrors your approach.

If you are a shotgun, have a website packed full of information and products. Your customers will expect it, and it will work well - it mirrors what you do. However, if you are a laser, make sure that your website is ONLY focused on what your company offers, and how it brings benefit to your potential customers. Everything else must go.

Though I try and follow my own advice, I will admit I'm guilty of the same thing. I make websites, and I develop excellent strategy for website owners. The real value of what I do lies in the latter, but in any case, they work hand in hand. On my website, www.alphawavemedia.co.uk, on the services page I list "hosting". Hosting is something that I do as a reseller, and the service I provide is your standard excellent top of the range package. Hosting is cross-selling to existing clients, and for as long as I continue to do it in an excellent fashion, it will always be profitable. And yet, I've never had a customer come to me for hosting, and then ask for a website. It's always website first.

Why on earth do I have hosting as a separately listed service on my website? Well I don't. Not any more. Why? Because I am laser focused on providing excellent web strategy. I do this by building websites, improving existing websites, and running effective online marketing campaigns.

Go through your website, and see if you can cut any fat out. The websites I listed above work because they are completely focused on what they do. If you are an SME and your customers are coming to you online, it's because they want to find the real specialists in the field, not the jack-of-all-trades. If they wanted an online shop that did everything, they've got a dozen places to go already. Add value by focusing on your core services and products.

Why does this matter? Because once you've made that work, and have a good following and happy customers, THEN you can expand and bring in new products. Amazon used to sell books, Play.com used to sell only DVD's. Get the niche right, then expand.

Ben