How to increase remote sales conversions of website design services

Coral Wood • 20 June 2023

One of the most valuable services a web hosting company can offer customers purchasing domains is website design services. But one of the biggest pain points we hear from hosting companies is that they are struggling to sell these services remotely.

In this blog, we breakdown why this is such a common concern for hosting companies and how you can enable your sales team to better sell remotely.

Why selling website design services is difficult (and how to make it easier)

1. Your sales agents may not be talking to the right people

A common mistake when selling web design services at scale is trusting an often new to the industry, or even new to sales, sales agent to effectively judge what qualifies a customer for a sale. We’ve heard from numerous clients that their sales agents do not qualify any clients that have recently had a site redesign. This is a huge mistake .

Why? Because business leaders who have recently had their site re-designed often have unresolved issues that have only come to light after rolling out their new design. From breaking changes to poor loading times, a recently designed but poorly built site, these prospects are hot leads that shouldn’t be ignored.

What to do

Try and understand your leads as much as possible. Bulk test your leads with tools like Insites to understand where your agents should be spending their time. If you’ve got data on previous sales, use this to work out where you’re strongest and you can then filter new leads by this criteria.

2. You’re speaking a language your prospects (and even your sales agents) don’t understand

We’ve already acknowledged that more often than not, sales agents are either new to digital web design service sales or even selling itself. So it’s no wonder that a lot of our clients report a lack of contextual knowledge has left prospects confused about exactly why they need these services, and sales agents confused about how to distill the jargon into an easy to understand sales pitch.

  What to do

Make sure whichever auditing tool your sales team are using to analyse or audit a prospect’s site is giving your sales agents everything they need to know to effectively communicate, and sell, with a customer. Breaking down the jargon better enables your sales agents to sell with confidence, leading to increased trust with the prospect.

3. Keep your sales process short

Whether your prospect SMB owners are looking to fix a problem or are looking around for a new website, they are are ready to appoint a website design service team. If their sales are dependent on a wholesale redesign, then it’s even more important to act quickly. Why? Because they’ll be shopping around and you’ll likely not be the only team they speak to.

  What to do

Cut the sales time in half with powerful data. Hard hitting facts like slow speed, broken links, and a lack of accessibility are all points that your sales team can use to drive. Do this by pulling audits of the site that gives you a figure against a problem. Doing this gives sales agents a good overview of the prospect’s site and may even highlight problems your prospect isn’t even aware of yet – a.k.a. a big win for your sales agent.

4. Your quality checks are inconsistent

How are you measuring design quality checks? If you’re not, you need to start now. And if you are, how consistent are they? One of the biggest reasons the selling website design services falls down is because qualifying prospects and their website designs are inconsistent. For sales agent without a background in design, or even sales for that matter, they could be guessing who is and who is not a qualifiable prospect.

  What to do

In your auditing process, ensure your sales agents have manual checks with context for clarity to keep your prospective qualifying processes consistent and effective.

Acquire web design service clients with site auditing tools

Sales teams sell better with Insites which gives you a report on any business’s online presence in just 60 seconds. These digital audit reports let your sales team know what the key problems are, delivers data without the added jargon, and allows you to add manual checks so that your sales agents can consistently check and qualify prospective’s and their websites. Get Insites and see your web design services sales closing rate increase.

Happy auditing!

 The Insites Team

How to communicate the hidden costs of poor keyword research to your SMB clients

by Coral Wood • 7 May 2025
Small business owners often view keyword research as an optional extra or a luxury they can't afford. As a digital marketing provider, you know the truth is quite the opposite - poor keyword research can silently drain their resources while delivering underwhelming results. Let's explore how to effectively communicate these hidden costs to your SMB clients in language they'll understand. The invisible drain on marketing budgets When speaking with small business owners, it's crucial to frame keyword research as an investment rather than an expense. Without proper research, your clients are essentially throwing money into digital marketing efforts that may never reach their intended audience. For instance, a local plumber targeting generic terms like "plumbing services" instead of location-specific phrases such as "emergency plumber in Southampton" is competing unnecessarily with national brands and services far outside their coverage area. This means higher costs per click, lower conversion rates, and marketing spend that delivers minimal return. Time wasted on creating the wrong content Another hidden cost that resonates with busy small business owners is time wastage. Without strategic keyword research, businesses often produce content that simply doesn't align with what their potential customers are actually searching for. Explain to your clients how creating blog posts, service pages or social content without keyword insights is like opening a shop without researching what products the local community wants to buy. They might be investing hours creating content about boiler maintenance when their potential customers are frantically searching for "emergency pipe repair near me." Lost opportunities to competitors Perhaps the most compelling hidden cost is the competitive disadvantage. While your SMB clients hesitate on keyword research, their competitors may be capturing valuable search visibility.` Show your clients real examples of local competitors ranking well for lucrative keywords they could be targeting. This concrete demonstration of missed opportunities often resonates more effectively than theoretical discussions about SEO principles. Diminished trust and authority Small businesses rely heavily on reputation and trust. Without strategic keyword targeting, they miss opportunities to establish themselves as local authorities in their field. Explain how properly researched content that answers specific customer questions positions them as experts. Without this research foundation, they're missing chances to be the business that appears when a potential customer searches "how to choose the right accountant for my small business" or "best family dentist for nervous children." Making the case for proper keyword research When presenting solutions, focus on these practical benefits: More efficient marketing spend : Target customers who are actually looking for their specific services in their specific location. Better conversion rates : Attract visitors with actual purchase intent rather than casual browsers. Strategic content development : Stop guessing what content to create and start knowing exactly what your customers want to learn. Measurable results : Show how properly researched keywords provide clearer metrics for success. Start small and demonstrate value For SMBs unconvinced about keyword research, suggest starting with a focused pilot project. Choose one service area or product line and perform proper keyword research for just this segment. Track the results carefully and use this as evidence for expanding your research to other areas of the business. This approach allows sceptical clients to see real-world benefits without committing to a comprehensive strategy upfront. Once they witness the improved performance, the hidden costs of poor research become much more tangible. Translation before selling Communicating the hidden costs of poor keyword research isn't about technical jargon or intimidating statistics. It's about translating SEO principles into business language that resonates with small business owners' practical concerns: wasted money, wasted time, missed opportunities, and diminished market position. By framing keyword research as a crucial investment rather than an optional expense, you help your SMB clients understand why cutting corners here ultimately costs them more in the long run. Want to help your SMB clients avoid the hidden costs of poor keyword research? Discover the power of Insites Keyword Intelligence , part of the Insites for Sales solution. Book a discovery call today to learn more about our tools for digital marketing providers.
A woman is typing on a laptop computer.

Get cited in AI : 7 strategies for digital marketing providers and their SMB clients

by Izzy Fletcher • 1 May 2025
Discover 7 proven strategies to improve your digital marketing company's AI visibility and get cited in ChatGPT, Claude, and other AI tools. Learn how to position your brand as an authoritative source for SMB digital solutions.
A group of people are sitting around a table talking to each other.

Selling SEO vs AEO if you're a digital marketing solution provider

by Izzy Fletcher • 23 April 2025
New research reveals that top Google performers aren't always winning in AI tools like ChatGPT. Discover how your digital marketing agency can leverage both SEO and AEO strategies to deliver greater value to SMB clients and stay ahead of competitors. Includes practical implementation tips and industry-specific insights.
A person is holding a button with the number 63 on it

Google's new landing page screenshots and what they mean for digital marketing agencies

by Izzy Fletcher • 15 April 2025
Google now shows landing page screenshots in Demand Gen ads. Learn how digital marketing agencies can turn this update into new revenue opportunities with Insites auditing tools.
A cartoon illustration of a robot with a smile on its face.

What digital marketing agencies need to know about the EU AI act

by Izzy Fletcher • 8 April 2025
Learn how digital marketing agencies can navigate EU AI Act compliance while turning new regulations into a competitive advantage. Discover practical strategies for AI governance that help win more SMB clients despite compliance changes.
A man and a woman are sitting at a desk with laptops.

Empowering non-technical sales teams to sell digital marketing services confidently

by Izzy Fletcher • 3 April 2025
Discover how large digital marketing agencies empower non-technical sales teams to confidently sell SEO, websites, and local listings without technical expertise. Learn proven strategies that help enterprise sales teams increase conversion rates while reducing onboarding time, and see how Insites helps bridge the knowledge gap for large agencies with 10+ sales representatives.
A cartoon of a woman looking through binoculars on a pink background.

How to prepare your sales team for the rise of the AI-literate generation

by Izzy Fletcher • 1 April 2025
Today's students are becoming AI fluent at unprecedented rates. Soon, they'll be the SMB owners your sales team is pitching to with different digital expectations. Learn how Google's education initiatives are accelerating this shift and what it means for enterprise marketing providers. Discover practical strategies to prepare your sales team for the rise of AI-literate clients who expect instant insights, sophisticated solutions, and AI-powered digital marketing approaches. Read our latest insights on navigating this transformation and positioning your services for the next generation of business owners.
A hand is holding a magnifying glass over a laptop screen that says top secret.

The secret lead generation tactic digital marketing agencies are using to attract small-medium businesses

by Izzy Fletcher • 31 March 2025
Discover how leading digital marketing agencies use self-service audit widgets to generate qualified SMB leads while providing immediate value. Learn how to implement this strategy with a proven flywheel approach and industry-specific tips.RetryClaude can make mistakes. Please double-check the responses.
A yellow arrow is pointing up on a pink and black background.

New tariffs spark fear with marketers. How can sales team can navigate the squeeze of ad spend?

by Izzy Fletcher • 27 March 2025
Discover how your sales team can demonstrate clear ROI to budget-conscious SMBs. Learn 3 key strategies that help digital marketing agencies convert more prospects even when budgets are tight.

These Google Business Profile updates will help your clients dominate local search

by Izzy Fletcher • 19 March 2025
Google's new review QR code feature creates perfect sales opportunities for digital marketing agencies. Learn about Google's expanded data sources, and how Insites' Local Grid can help your sales team close more deals with SMB clients seeking local SEO services.
Show More