Six Things You Must Know before Your Business Website Can be Successful
There are really only two things that matter for a business website:
1. Getting people to your website
2. Once there, getting them to buy, call, sign up or whatever you need them to do
So, how do you accomplish these two goals?
Search engine optimization and powerful copy that convinces people that you understand their problems and can offer them real solutions.
What you shouldn't do
The copy on your website must not start out telling people about your product or service. I know, I know, that’s your natural inclination. You believe in your product or service. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be in the business.
The problem is, people don’t come to your website looking for your product or service. For instance:
• People go to chiropractors because they can’t work with the intense pain they feel, not because they need a chiropractor
• People go to an insurance agent because they are afraid of medical bills they can’t afford or damage to their car they can’t afford to fix or their home burning down with no money to replace it. They aren’t looking for insurance or an agent. They’re looking for a good night’s sleep.
• People go to a hardware store because they are watching dollars drip down the drain, not because they want a washer.
So what should you do?
First, let them know you understand their problem; that you understand why they've come to you. Show them that you know why they have come to your site. And don’t give them a list of products or services.
Rather, explain that if they have “this” problem, they should follow the link to a page where they’ll find the solution. If they have “that” problem, follow the link to a page where they will find the appropriate solution. And so on down the page.
And what are the six things I must know?
There are six questions you must be able to answer if you want to make your website successful:
1. Who is your Prospect?
2. What is the Problem?
3. Why Hasn’t The Problem Been Solved?
4. What is Possible?
5. What is Different Now?
6. What Should the Customer do Now?
If you really sit down and answer these questions, you will have the basis of a brilliant marketing plan. You will also have everything you or any copy writer needs to write powerful copy for your website, brochures, business cards, sell sheets, leave behinds, billboards, radio ads or anything else marketing related.
Can I get a little help with these six questions?
Actually, you can get a lot of help. The following link is to a pdf form called The Six Most Powerful Questions in Web Writing. You can just pull up the form, type in your answers, and save it on your hard drive or print it out to give to someone.
And this link is to an article called The Six Most Powerful Questions in Web Writing. It is full of helpful hints to guide you to the answers for each of the questions.
- Contact me for an Online Marketing quote on writing powerful website copy that turns visitors into buyers
- Contact me for an Online Marketing quote on effective search engine optimization that puts you ahead of your competitors
If you use both of these these tools, I guarantee they will change the way you think about your website and your marketing as a whole.
Please click this link to forward: Six Things You Must Know before Your Website can be Successful to any business person you know that may be struggling with making their website produce sales or leads or are struggling with making their marketing more effective.
Search engine optimization or getting people to your website, will be covered in the December '07 article.
Successful Presentation Skills are Key in Making the Sale
By Roshini Rajkumar
During more than two decades as a public speaker and a decade in front of the camera in TV news, you might say I got comfortable in front of a crowd. What I didn’t fully realize then was how uncomfortable many people are about public speaking in front of either a small crowd or a large audience.
As a trainer, I’ve figured out a few things which I think could help the 75% or more people out there who shudder with public presentation fears. Before we examine those things, let me share something else I’ve found interesting as I meet with various professionals in different industries. Their companies give them lots of training in their subject matter…what I call content training. But no one really supports or directs them in presentation skills improvement.
So ultimately, most people are learning more about what they do and what they sell. But they’re NOT learning how to express their topic well to potential customers. That means in the Content vs. Presentation analysis, making the sale goes hand in hand with the best presenter of that product or service. And generally, the people who win the most business tend to be the ones who present their material well…regardless of how well they know their content.
If you could choose, wouldn’t you prefer to know your CONTENT and also be the best you can be at PRESENTING it? In other words, why not try to match your content knowledge with your presentation savvy? Make each half of the equation come together to create the entire package.
So the next time you prepare for that large group presentation or multi-million-dollar pitch to the VP of Company X, ask yourself this: Have I practiced HOW I want to present the materials as much as I’ve reviewed and KNOW the materials? That involves image, voice, and subtextual message delivery.
When you can match both halves of this equation, you should never fear public speaking, or one-on-one pitching, or even chatting up that gorgeous someone across the room ever again.
Roshini Rajkumar is a media consultant and presentation trainer. She started Roshini Multi Media in 2006 after nearly a decade on-air in television news which gave her insider knowledge of the media.
She is also commercial and voice-over talent.
In June 2007, Roshini joined WCCO Radio's on-air team. Roshini keeps her own performance tuned up through her on-air work and as a keynote speaker and professional emcee.
Thank you for reading this issue of WordsmithBob's Small Business Marketing Secrets, published monthly. Bob has been helping businesses turn their websites into 24/7 sales machines since 2000.
If you want to create a website that actually leads to sales or sales leads, please contact WordsmithBob or call 612-226-7667.
Visit my BLOG for more tips and tricks for websites, Internet marketing, copy writing and marketing in general.
Need help developing an effective slogan, "hook" or 60 second commercial for your firm? Contact WordsmithBob.com right now!
In This Issue
• Six Things You Must Know before Your Website Can be Successful
• Guest article from Media Consultant/ Presentation Trainer Roshini Rajkumar
• Website Marketing Tip
• Get web saavy!. Visit WordsmithBLOG!
Special Offer
• Get a free, no-obligation, website analysis (a $300 value)
Website Copy Writing tip
When someone gets to your website, you have 3-5 seconds to capture their attention before they give up and move on to your competitor.
To do that requires a powerful headline that convinces them you have what they want.
For more on this subject, read article:
Five Keys to Writing Killer Web Page Headlines
Bob McClain or WordsmithBob, has been studying and perfecting his skills in:
• Web writing
• Web marketing
• Web copy
• Search Engine Optimization
since 2000.
He is also a restaurant reviewer for Twin Cities Dining Guide.com in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a volunteer with The Rose Ensemble in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and Vice President of the Power Networkers chapter of BNI.