When ICON International – one of the pioneers in the corporate barter field – approached Ampersand, they not only wanted an entirely re-envisioned website; they also needed a marketing partner who could help them seek out and deliver a very specific kind of prospect.
Ask most people what “corporate barter” is, and most would reply, “Oh, that’s when companies trade stuff with each other.” And, that’s exactly the problem…because, it’s exactly wrong.
Adding to the challenge, many companies that have tried corporate barter transactions ended up burned by inexperienced partners who failed to understand and properly manage the intricate nuances of the industry.
Making things worse; a site analysis turned up some troubling data. Overall traffic, especially for a site with such specialized content, was strong. Unfortunately, 81% of visitors came to the site twice or less. 90% of visitors “bounced” (visited one page, and left). 95% spend less than one minute on the site. And, less than 2% viewed the “Contact Us” page (far fewer actually used it). The message was clear: the existing site was not working as a lead gen vehicle, or a sales support tool.
We began by diving deep. We interviewed the entire ICON executive team to define the right kind of clients ICON needed to grow its book of business. We then surveyed existing clients to better understand their motivations behind choosing corporate barter as well as their perceptions of ICON and the competition.
Armed with that info we distilled the key message of corporate barter: “Exchanging unneeded or underperforming assets for normal business purchases over a span of time – with both parties getting added value from the deal.”
We then built a site architecture and creative/copy platform with a carefully crafted search engine optimization and key word purchase program designed to reach the exact prospects ICON need to speak with. And provided multiple paths to the content those prospects needed to move along the transaction funnel: qualifications and background on the people behind ICON and case studies that help bring an abstract idea into real world focus.
Visitors to the new ICON site are now greeted with a clear message of corporate barter and the factors that set ICON apart – including their implied authority as the company that (literally) “wrote the book” on corporate barter.
Prospects follow a path based on their interest/experience with corporate barter – thus sending directly them to the sections of the site that appeal to their specific needs and interests. The result: a clear, engaging site that meets visitors where they are, quickly sends them where they need to be and provides plenty of opportunities to begin engaging actively with ICON.
Site traffic is up. Dwell time is up. Page views are WAY up. Visitors are downloading resources and book chapters. And, the prospects who reach out for more information are routinely better qualified, more interested and further along in their decision-making process than they ever were.
In short, ICON wouldn’t barter their new site for anything!
