Top 3 Ways to Get Courier Work Through Your Website

For many modern businesses, setting up a corporate or business website is about as common as printing out a business card. However, there are still those who hesitate in getting a website and many regard it as unnecessary. The evidence suggests otherwise, however: every business needs an online presence. If you’re setting one up, here are some ways to fully maximise its use and gain a steady stream of inbound courier work.

Powerful Marketing Tool

There are still many drivers who can be described as Luddites when it comes to technology, and so they suffer the consequences when it comes to securing on-going courier work. But it must be said that the important thing to understand is that the Internet is a great equaliser: if you have a website, you'll be on an even keel with every other company out there.

In terms of marketing, you should join an online exchange – where trading of jobs and services are carried out in a dynamic setting. However, having your own website for potential clients to link back to is highly effective when it comes to bidding for those jobs, so a client can see exactly who you are.

Making a website and just leaving it to its own devices is not good enough though. You should understand the purpose of using it as a marketing tool. Today, everybody is connected: people use the Internet not only to get information but also to buy stuff and check out available services. Therefore, it's imperative to establish a strong presence online. Use your website to market your business on social media as well. Make a Facebook page, or a Google+ page, or a Twitter account—but you should still have your very own home on the Internet. Your website conveys the message that you’re a business who is serious about connecting with your customers.

Educate Potential Customers about your Business

A well-crafted and planned website should include all the relevant information about your company and the services you offer, written in such a way that excites and inspires potential clients. By educating potential customers, you can let them know in no uncertain terms what you can do for them, and the lengths you will go to satisfy their needs. Only when customers know what you represent can they make a decision. The result? More courier work and increased exposure - which is invaluable in the current economic climate.

Be Helpful

You may see this as opportunistic, but it is actually clever marketing. By assisting people online (with tips, forums, and other forms of interaction), you may be able to solve some of their problems or address their concerns. Do this long enough and well enough and you may soon earn some pretty great word of mouth marketing. However, there is a fine line between being helpful and spamming—sites like Yahoo! Answers can easily tell if you’re providing answers only to point to your website. Moreover, another way to be helpful is to offer a free forum on your website, where customers can discuss your service and what you offer in terms of courier work, for example. If you can afford it, provide a Live Chat function, too; if not, at least install a function where customers can leave a message for you.

Norman Dulwich is a correspondent for Courier Exchange, the world's largest neutral trading hub for same day courier work in the express freight exchange industry. Over 2,500 transport exchange businesses are networked together through their website, trading jobs and capacity in a safe 'wholesale' environment.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.