Having a good looking website isn’t a bad thing… a great first impression is one of the keys to converting people. A pretty website will draw in a visitor immediately, but it won’t convert them.
When someone arrives on your website, they need three questions answered immediately:
- What does your business offer?
- How will it make my life better?
- What do I need to do to get it?
Once your potential customer lands on your website, everything should feel like a wonderful (scenic) journey; an interesting story. As Seth Godin says: “People do not buy goods or services; they buy relationships, stories, and magic.”
This tip focuses on the elements that, if put to use will make your website more engaging… which means more leads will convert from the traffic that comes to it.
7 Steps to Engaging People on Your Website
While your website’s design may be what sets you apart from your competitors, the content needs to engage and carry your potential customers through the conversion funnel. You want both your design and content to welcome and envelope the customer. So, how do you level up your content to inspire and engage your customers? Make sure it is anchored on the 7 brand pillars of storytelling:
Your Customer = Your Hero
Your customer is looking for a solution to their pain points. Making them the hero of your story means approaching your writing from the perspective of ‘I understand you’. For potential customers, hearing you describe them immediately builds a rapport with your business because they see you as someone who can relate to them.
Identify their problem
The deeper and clearer you understand their needs (the problem) and are able to convey them, the better. In order to fully engage with them, identify not just the outward need (they need a widget), but dig and understand the deeper needs… Why do they need it? How does it impact their lives? When you do this, you connect with a person on an emotional level. We all have this deep desire that someone would just “get” us. Someone who would fully understand.
introduce Yourself as the guide
Your job in the entire process is to say “I know what you’re facing, and I can help”. You need to come to the table with empathy (I understand what you’re dealing with), and authority (I know how to fix it). What experience do you have? What training or prior job helps you not just see the need, but be able to identify and bring the solution into reality? Client testimonials, certifications, and simply “I’ve been doing this ___ years”, all feed into the fact that you know what you’re doing.
Outline the plan for Success
Once they understand that you get their need, giving them a clear path to solving their problem is the next logical step. What does the process look like in order to become a client of yours? For most service-based and consultant/coaching businesses, there’s a process:
- Identify & clarify their needs
- Put together & present the plan (a solutions or proposal document)
- Answer questions
- Sign the contract
- Get started
- …and, these are what the 1st steps look like
The plan should also include showing them the path to success. As you’re outlining the path they will take, tie in the success that will come if they move forward on the path. The point is to inspire them.
Another important element at this point is to clear away any hesitations that they may have. This can include an FAQ section on your website, but should also include relevant information as you’re talking about the solution.
Give a call to action
It may seem like a “duh” moment, but, without a call to action, they may never feel compelled to do anything or they may see you only as a source of information and then go elsewhere to someone else who has a clear message on what to do next. Make sure that you give them a clear Call to Action, to take that step & become a client.
Paint the picture of success
Your customer needs to see a clear picture of how amazing the benefits and outcomes of using your product or service will be. Do you have any testimonials from previous clients? Any analytics surrounding the success of your product or service? Show them off as your medals of honor! When they see that your product or service has worked for real people, potential customers will want to be part of the wave of success too.
Show what is at stake
While it’s important to let your customers know what they’ll gain from choosing to use your products or services, you need “a bit of salt”. It’s just as important to outline what the consequences will be should they opt not to use your product or service. When this aspect of the story is contrasted with what success looks like, it becomes crystal clear on the decision they need to make.
Exercise: Assess your website using what you now know about the 7 pillars of storytelling. Does your website address each of the pillars?
As a bonus, remember to analyze your website from time to time to see if your strategy worked, and identify areas of improvement. Make sure your visitors can navigate easily through your website regardless of the device they are using.
Your Online Partner… for Success
Now more than ever you need a website that is more than a pretty business card. You need one that has its sleeves rolled up and working for you. We’re here to make sure your website is working just as hard as you are. Take advantage of a free 30-minute session with Christy to explore ways to take your site to the next level.