A lot of people design their business websites to make direct sales. That’s great, but in some cases such an approach is not appropriate.

For example a small service-oriented business like a landscaping company or computer repair service is more likely to use a website as a prospecting tool. Likewise, many network marketers are using their websites to build their contact list or promote some type of free e-zine.

If you are using the web to gather leads for your business, it is crucial that your site is a very clear representation of what you have to offer a prospective customer. This will save you loads of time and frustration in the long run, and will result in higher backend conversions.

It’s best to seek a business relationship only with those people who want specifically what you have to offer.

There may be hundreds of people selling the same product or service as you. But it’s a safe bet that you are not 100% identical to all of your competitors.

Perhaps you charge slightly more or slightly less for a particular product. Or maybe you have a radically different approach to rendering a given service.

Give your prospects as much information as possible about how you operate, what you charge, how they can expect to be treated, what you are unwilling to do in terms of scope of service, etc. Ideally, you want to capture clients who are a great fit for your individual business philosophy.

If you are intentionally vague with your promotional copy, you might end up doing business with people who don’t like you or your methods of operation. Of course this is going to happen, but you can eliminate some of the headaches associated with poor-fit clients by pre-qualifying your audience.

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Tim Whiston is a full-time entrepreneur and internet marketer. He publishes a monthly ezine, has written multiple e-books, and assists small businesses in his local area with the development of a web presence.