If your ideal member was looking for help to build their business, would they find your chamber website if they weren’t specifically looking for the chamber? In addition to a solid content marketing plan, a Chamber FAQ page could be the “SEO ranking gold” that you were looking for.
Once they find your site, does it answer all of their questions? Could someone who is interested in chamber membership at 3 a.m. find the info they want and the application to join at that moment?
Hopefully so–because your preferred working hours are not always your potential member’s ideal time to buy.
And with the increase in start-up businesses and freelancing, you may have more people visiting after hours than ever before.
Imagine, for instance, a struggling freelancer or some business new to your area. They may have had some initial success in bringing in clients or customers but things have started to drop off as the novelty wore off. Or maybe they have sold to all of their friends and family but have yet to build up repeat business.
And now they’re looking for help.
They are desperate. They don’t want to go back to working for someone else so they Google search for ideas. If they aren’t thinking of the chamber, maybe you’ve worked hard at your content marketing and maybe one of your resources or blog posts shows up in their search.
If not, your chamber FAQ page could become a quick SEO win for you and for that potential new member.
Conversion Basics for Your Chamber Website
So what would a first-time visitor or solutions-oriented struggling business owner or freelancer want to find on your chamber website?
Answers.
The question is, do you have them?
A solid chamber website should have the following pages or content:
- A “Join Now” button.
Yes, I’m leading with this although it won’t be the first thing they click in this example. Yet it needs to be there. Buying, whether we’re talking about a membership or mascara, is an emotional decision for many people. The more friction exists in the buying process, the less likely a conversion is. Make it easy for people to join if they want to and don’t make them fill out a 3-page application at 3 in the morning. There’s plenty of time for that later.
This “Join the Chamber” button is on every page of the Taylor County Chamber of Commerce website. - Why You Should Join the Chamber Page (or infographic/visual).
Sum up the reasons they should join in an easy to understand visual, chart, graph, infographic, etc. This puts you in command of the narrative and translates the solution in terms that mean something to the struggling business and details what they will receive. - An Events Calendar.
If people want to get to know you, an event is probably one of the easiest ways to do it. Plus, as recovery progresses a lot of people want to get out of their homes and mingle again. Your website should have a list of fun ways to meet up. Some chambers include community events in this list as well so that their site becomes a resource for anyone looking into life in the community. - Member Pricing/Tiers.
This one is always controversial. To list prices or not to list prices, that is the question. The chambers who argue against published pricing say that they need to better understand the needs and size of the business before they know how much membership will cost for the business. While that makes sense, it also brings up the question of what is your most valuable commodity? The answer is probably time. Most people will argue that chamber membership is affordable for everyone but for those who are new businesses or really struggling, every dollar matters. If they truly can’t afford membership, why not let them self-disqualify without tying up your membership director’s time? On the other hand, if you can guarantee a minimum return on their investment that would cover their membership costs, you may want to speak with them. - An FAQ Page.
From a content marketing perspective, an FAQ page is the jackpot of good, valuable content etched in SEO gold. It allows you as the chamber to talk about what you want (keeping in mind what is highly prized by your ideal audience) and create some magic SEO juice as you can use keywords easily and naturally and it lends itself to some good real estate for keywords in headers and questions.
So what should you include on your chamber FAQ page?
How to Choose Questions for Your Chamber FAQ Page
An FAQ page is a rich nugget of SEO bliss for you and an easy way to provide important answers fast for potential members.
The first step to drafting one is thinking about what you are asked on a regular basis. Any question you get frequently (hence the F in FAQ) is good fodder for this page.
Second, do the research. We had an SEO expert do some research for you (see the questions suggested in the section below) but do some of your own research too. Think about questions someone in your area might ask that would lead them to you such as: “Is the chamber a good investment for my business?” and “Is joining a chamber of commerce expensive?” These types of questions are potential buying signals. The answers can help you attract more web traffic in areas that could lead to conversions.
Go to Google and start typing in the questions you might expect a business owner to ask. As you type, Google will show you a drop down with suggestions based on actual searches.
Finally, consider what answers someone would need to see that would make them press the “Join Now” button.
Speaking of which, it doesn’t hurt to put a “Join Now” button at the bottom of your FAQ page.
After all, if you answered their questions, they may be ready to join. Don’t make them return to your front page or wherever else the application is. Help them move easily to the conversion stage.
Good SEO Questions to Answer on Your Chamber FAQ Page
Here are a few proven questions to get started on the basics of a solid chamber FAQ page.
In addition to words, add to your FAQ page’s SEO strength by creating videos in YouTube, embed them in your FAQ page and share them to social media.
How to Join the Local Chamber of Commerce
This sounds like you should just have a big “Click to Join” button, but they may really want to know if they qualify, what kind of businesses can join, how much it costs or if it can be done online. Answer those questions before you pop the question.
How Does the Chamber of Commerce Help Businesses?
Someone who is asking this question assumes the chamber does help. This is a warm lead! Don’t go into a lot of detail but mention all the top ways you help. Hyperlink to other content around your website too but open those links in new tabs so no one will lose their place on the current page.
Where to Find Networking Groups / Business Events in ____________________ (your city)
This how you get your committees, business leads groups, mentor programs, leadership programs, the women in business group, or your young professionals group in front of an audience that is seeking exactly what they have to offer. Briefly list all the options in the FAQ and then link to the specific detail page on your site.
How Does the Chamber Help With Small Business Marketing?
The relevant search phrase is “small business marketing.” They aren’t thinking about the chamber specifically but they definitely need marketing assistance. If you want to avoid competing with national marketing companies, make sure that your answer to this question includes the phrase “small business marketing help in ___________ (your city.”
This is your cue to highlight sponsorships, ad opportunities, webinars on marketing basics, and any other way you provide small business marketing help to your members. Many small businesses don’t have marketing departments, but they’ll never get any customers without devoting some time to marketing and learning about the different kinds. If you offer a crash course or know someone who can help, this is a great place to showcase that.
How Can the Chamber Help My Business?
People also search for variations on “What can the chamber of commerce do for me?”
Here’s your opportunity to shine.
How do you help your members? Tell their stories and how you provided assistance here. Link to a testimonials or case studies page if you have one. Make this section easy to skim so that readers can quickly see how you can help by reading existing examples.
Check your web traffic for last month. Look at unique views and length of time on page. You may not realize it but people are considering membership even when your doors are closed. That’s why it’s incredibly important to ensure they have access to the information they need to further understand that chamber membership is for them.
