4 June 2018 - Richard Shire
When you think about building a Website you might think initially about the platform you should use, the domain name or even the colour scheme but none of these can be addressed properly without taking these steps first.
It is easy to miss this step, especially if you have been in business for some time beforehand. You might think you already know your message but it is a valuable process to revisit before you build your website.
Your message is unique to you and your business, to define it consider what you want your ideal client to know? What do you want them to understand? How will their life or experiences change because of the benefits of your product or service?
You can define your message in a paragraph and once you have done so, print it and put it somewhere that you and your staff can see it. The words of your message should be at the heart of everything you do including customer services, social media posts, leaflets and especially your website.
When you are ready to create your website your intention should be to communicate this message quickly efficiently and clearly so every visitor can ascertain immediately when they arrive on your page who you are, who you help and what you can do for them.
Your website isn’t really for you at all, it’s for your ideal client. You cannot begin to design a website without knowing who you are designing it for. Your ideal client may or may not be the clientele you are currently attracting so if you feel that you are getting customers or enquires from people who are not ideal then consider spending some more time defining exactly who you want to work with before you move forward.
Where most people go wrong here is they define ideal client based only on that person’s need for the product or service they sell. So if you created websites for people and you only identified your ideal client as a business owner who needs a website then you are missing out on the complexities of the human condition.
You need to define who they are, their age, their marital status, their pleasures in life, their stress. What keeps them up at night? What frightens them?
All this information helps you to create a detailed avatar of your ideal client as a whole human being not just a potential client. People by based on emotion, how your product/service makes them feel. You cannot even begin to understand how to do this without taking the time to recognise what makes them tick first.
Based on the same concept of people buying based on emotions, you want to identify why you are selling your product/service in the first place? What is your motivation? What change will your business create in the lives of others? Why does this matter to you?
Stepping forward with your why should be central to your marketing. It is proven to have a bigger impact than leading with your what (talking about what you sell all the time and not communicating why). This is about building relationships and showing people your value through human connection. It is these connections that lead to conversions.
Here at Aspire Shire we specialise in creating websites that convert but having clarity on theses steps is a huge part of that. We want you to know what you want, who you are and who you serve. If you know the answers to these questions and are ready to see real results from your website, connect with us today for a free consultation.