Doing business online with consultants - #2

When it comes to scoring the "ease of doing business online," it could be deemed unfair if we compared consultants' websites with the top in Big Tech like Amazon, Apple, and Google. But how would consultants' websites stand out against the sites of peanut butter brands, a not so glamorous - even run-of-the-mill – product?

Economically, peanut butter and consultants have more in common than you think. Both are multi-billion industries, and 10+ more prominent brands (like Jif, Skippy, Peter Pan, Nutella, Smucker's, Hershey's, and Planters) dominate the market next to an extensive roster of smaller specialists (like Crazy Richard's and Thailand's #1 Happy Mate). It's consumed worldwide (although dominantly in the US).

Peanut butter is mainly one ingredient (nuts) with some additives like oil, honey, and salt[iii]. Consultancy is usually one ingredient too (hours) and some additives (a laptop, a phone, post-it notes). The price of nuts is transparent through the futures market[iv]. The cost of consultancy is open through generally acceptable day rates.

Sure, peanut butter is B2C, and consultancy is B2B. But peanut butter brands have to woo the larger retailers like the consultants need to keep the ministries’ and multinationals' favor. In the retail arena, peanut butter brands have to fight against the large advertising budgets in detergents, snacks, and soft drinks. In consultancy, firms have to defend their share of the clients' wallets against technology vendors. Peanut butter brands face households that make peanut butter themselves, just like managers who Google their advice together on their own.

Both peanut butter brands and consultancy firms have more than enough reasons to spend much effort to make doing business with them very easy. Very easy. Useful information. Take the client by the hand. Cater to differences among client segments. Inform responsibly about the products' pluses and minuses. Be open to questions. And all that in an attractive and easy to use online environment.

Well, do they? Both of them?