by Paul DiModica

HotSauce Technologies, Inc.
www.hotsaucepos.com

Recently, I Googled "restaurant software" on the Internet and received over 6,000,000 hits. Sitting at the top of my Google search, in the number one position for pay-per-click (P.P.C.) advertising was a company called HotSauce Technologies, Inc.

As a new segment of BDM News that I will do from time to time, I'm going to review this Website on their value communication. (DigitalHatch--Value Forward Group has never worked with them and we do not know its principals).

HotSauce Technologies is a software application company that sells Point-of-Sale software to single unit restaurant owners and hospitality chains. They have industry specific applications for hospitality sub-vertical business segments including quick service restaurants, table service restaurants, bar/nightclubs and food delivery businesses.

By positioning themselves in the top Google ad sponsorship levels, they are spending aggressively to generate inbound leads. But spending money does not mean you capture qualified leads or communicate your value correctly to new prospects. Recent studies indicate that the average business buyer spends 8 seconds or less at a Website Home page before they make a decision to stay and linger or leave because the Website content is not relevant.

Websites are brand facing value to new prospects and existing customers. If your Website is pretty but does not generate inbound qualified leads, then it is a wasted investment. If you are spending money on pay-per-click Internet adverting -- driving prospects to your Website and they are not converted into customers -- then again you are wasting your investment.

To review HotSauce Technologies Website, I used the Value Forward Business Value Communication Scale.

10 Point Value Forward Business
Communication Scale

1. Is the company telephone number displayed on the top of the Home page and every page in the Website?
   
   No -- The telephone number is not visible which forces me to go to their contact page if I wanted to call them. Also, if I printed one of the pages to keep their information on hand, I would have to revisit the Website to find that information.
   
   
2. Does the Home page describe how their offering increases income, decreases expenses, or manages business risks?
   
   No -- Their Home page talks about them -- not how they help prospects increase a prospect's business success.
   
   
3. Does the Website offer a free newsletter, whitepaper or a device for thought leadership education?
   
   No -- They send me to their Website by spending money on pay-per-click advertising and then lose me by not offering me some business content that positions them as specialist instead of a generalist like 50 other restaurant software companies.
   
   
4. Does the Website capture email?
   
   No -- There are no engagement devices to capture the prospect's email. Some companies offer free downloads or whitepapers to capture the email address of a prospect.
   
   
5. Is the company's sales value proposition centrally displayed on the home page?
   
   No -- There is no unique sales value proposition on the Home page describing how their offering specifically helps buyers.
   
   
6. Does the Website use prospect-specific industry language?
   
   No -- The copy talks about who they are without using hospitality industry language.
   
   
7. Does the Website have flash or music on home page?
   
   No -- That’s good! Business Websites should load in 8 seconds or less and not have a lot of Flash.
   
   
8. Do the inside Webpages describe value accurately and in detail?
   
   Yes -- The Website copy describes the company offerings well.
   
   
9. Does the Website have testimonials?
   
   No -- There are no client testimonials anywhere on the Website.
   
   
10. Does the Website identify specifically through their copy or navigation buttons who their buyers are by business vertical or by business title?
    
    Yes -- The Website segments vertical industry offerings by subnavigation buttons.

Correct answers:

Each correct answer is worth 10%.

Website Revenue Capture Success Score for
HotSauce Technologies = 30%

Website Revenue Capture Analysis

HotSauce Technology’s Website is a cosmetically attractive business asset that is not working effectively to communicate their unique value to qualified prospects. Unfortunately, they will never be able to follow up on qualified leads that visit their site because as they spend money and send visitors to their site, they only capture those who pick up the phone and call.

Business Recommendations

1. Freeze your pay-per-click advertising -- you are wasting your money.
2. Redesign the content of your Website to focus on how your software application helps targeted prospects rather than who you are.
3. Add marketing engagement devices that capture your prospect email address (voluntarily) such as a whitepaper download.
4. Drop the scrolling "What's New" box on your Website Home page that has press releases dated 3 years ago. Replace it with testimonials.
5. Develop a precise sales value proposition that communicates your value up front as soon as your prospect hits your Home page.
6. Add hospitality language to your copy that talks about how your application helps restaurateurs become successful. Include content that talks about how your software helps a prospect (i.e., increased table turns, reduced tip calculation errors or increased labor scheduling productivity)?

Websites are revenue capture tools
. . . not brochures!

Note: DigitalHatch--Value Forward Group is not affiliated with HotSauce Technologies. This review is provided solely as an opinion using the Value Forward techniques and recommendations based on the available information on their Website. All trademarks, registered trademarks, brand names, registered brand names, logos, and company logo's found on this review are the property of their perspective owners and Value Forward Group, Inc. makes no claims to their ownership.

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