Recently I’ve had a number of people talk to me about their websites. Their main concern is that they are getting people visiting the site but no action as a result. So I thought it might be opportune to discuss some of the improvements you can make to your website.
So let me ask a question… you’re probably old enough to know the answer if you are around my age!
What is the long since disappeared equivalent of a website?
The answer is quite simple. It’s the Yellow Pages! Remember them? Who used the Yellow Pages and what were they used for?
The major reasons were that people needed to find out information, particularly reasons to do business with someone, to learn more about their background, capabilities and experience or to get their contact details.
In a nutshell, they wanted reasons to do business with a company or individual. So, the idea of giving people “reasons why” is as old as marketing itself. By giving people great reasons why it makes it easy for them to buy.
Work less, charge more and have your customers loving it!
Marketing Magic
So, if we use the reasons why approach that a very effective Yellow Pages advertisement used, and apply it to your website, we will ensure your website will work its backside off for you.
First of all they’ve made a decision. They say “I want a veterinary surgeon”, “I want a lawyer”, “I want a washing machine” and then “Where do I get one?” And that’s when going to the web becomes the logical choice. It’s the first step in making a buying decision. They want some advice, some help to convince them they should use such-and-such a person or firm.
They will almost certainly google the trade or business they want and the suburb they are in like “lawyer Frankston”
Getting you up in the google rankings is a subject in itself for another time but, assuming that you and your business come up, it’s essential your web site sucks their eyes into the screen with a great headline.
You’ve got to put yourself in the shoes of your customers when they go to the web. What do they want to know? If they’re looking for a lawyer then you need to say something about how to choose a lawyer. If they’re wanting to buy some roof tiles then you need to flag them down with questions they might need to know about roof tiles. If they’re looking for a gardener, a headline that says “Three things you must know about a gardener” will grab them.
You see, they’re seeking information, advice and assistance so the headline has to promise that information. Thus, think about what you can use as a headline to flag them down, to attract their attention.
If you are having problems, maybe you’d like to use a cookie cutter headline like “If you’re looking for a blank (Whatever you do) you’re at the right place!” or a creative variation of that.
If you are an engineer, your headline might be “If you’re looking for an engineer here’s why you should call us!” If you are a refrigerator repairer then your headline would be “If you’re looking for great refrigeration repair read on!” A good attention flagging down headline.
However, when you make claims like those, you must always prove them. I’ll talk about how to do that in the next and succeeding articles.
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