The Five Words That Guarantee Your Website Will
Never Generate Any Leads:
“It's Just An Informational Site.”
I hear this all the time. “It's just an information site. We don't need any sales copy.” And in a way, they're right. They don't need a site that looks like an advertisement or a sales pitch. But then, neither does anyone else. Let me explain.
Every successful site on the Web is an informational site. People don't search the web looking for advertisements and sales pitches. They are looking for information. And the quickest way to turn them off is to slap them with a sales pitch as soon as they hit your site.
However, most of the sites business people tell me are “informational only” look just like a sales pitch or advertisement. There's no “information.” Just a lot of “we do this” and “this is our specialty” or “Our product…” or “Our service…” or “Our firm…”
Is this what people see when they come to your “informational” site?
There's an old saying in marketing:
"People buy the hole, not the drill."
What people are looking for is someone who understands their problems and can solve them. They really don't want to read how great you, your firm or your product are.
Or worse yet is the site that is filled with “corpspeak” or “geekspeak.” People want to be communicated with in the same language they speak. If you were talking to a potential client for the first time, would you say, “We tailor strategic solutions to minimize your tax exposure” or “I'll work hard with your firm to help you reduce your taxes.”
The last common problem I find with “informational” sites is the home page that is massive blocks of text. According to leading web experts like Dr. Jakob Nielsen of the Nielsen Norman Group, people “scan” web pages. It is uncomfortable reading text on a computer. Therefore, people scan for highlights or bits of information they can quickly absorb that apply to their situation.
THEY WILL NOT WADE THROUGH PARAGRAPHS OF TEXT.
This means that if your “informational” site is crammed with paragraphs of text, even if there are a few graphics breaking it up, they will most likely move on to someone they feel is more helpful and direct. Your competitor is just a Google away.
- Contact me for an Online Marketing quote on writing powerful website copy that turns visitors into buyers
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If you've made any of these mistakes on your website, sending a potential client or customer to that site could guarantee they quickly and easily surf to your competitor's site. It's the World Wide Web. They can go anywhere they want.
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