We all love to show off our websites.
Particularly when we’re new to a business, or when we’re just starting out, having a website makes us feel like we are a real business.
(At least that’s how I felt!)
So we show them to everyone we meet. We tell people to go look at our sites and enjoy all the gushing comments:
“It looks great!”
“So professional!”
“I love your branding!”
And then we wait.
We wait for those sales to come.
And nothing happens.
So we go to Google Analytics, check we’re getting traffic. Maybe we need just a little more, so we run some google adword campaigns, and some Facebook Ads.
And your traffic goes up, but there are still no sales.
The only sales you get are through referrals and people you meet at networking meetings. Your website does nothing but sit there looking pretty.
But imagine if your website could actually make sales for you on auto-pilot.
Imagine if people who landed on your website actually started booking calls with you, signing up for your services, or buying your products.
How would that change things?
If you want to make sure your website starts working for you, doing what you want it to do, other than having a very fast load speed (but I’ll write about that another day), there are FOUR things you must include:
1. A Clear Statement of the problem you solve (and what your solution is).
Don’t try to be clever.
Don’t try to be cute.
Don’t try to be funny.
At least not in your tagline - unless you can do it while making sure you still communicate clearly while being faithful to who you are as a brand.
Throughout this post I’m going to referring to a fictional Lawn Care service called “AJB Horticulture”. (If there is a real AJB Horticulture out there, then I apologise! This is no reflection on you!)
To illustrate my first two points, I’d like to introduce you to AJB Horticulture’s FAKE website:
Beautiful right?
It’s not bad looking, it has a beautiful, compelling image, and their tagline:
“Green. Lush. Eternal.” - which in fairness is exactly how people want their lawns.
But, other than the word “Horticulture” in the admittedly poorly designed logo, there’s nothing that differentiates this site from anything else. It could be a website for a campsite, for a holiday destination, for plant food, or for an ecological charity that wants to keep the planet green, lush, and eternal.
But what if the site looked like this:
I know it’s not the prettiest site in the world. (but hey, I made this mock up in canva in about five minutes...)
But if you were to land on that page you are in no doubt about what AJB Horticulture does: They keep your lawn looking great so you can relax and enjoy it.
It’s clear.
Easy to understand.
Says exactly what it does on the tin! (so to speak!)
2. A clear call to action:
You must make sure your potential customer knows exactly what they need to do to buy from you.
Buttons that say “FIND OUT MORE”, “LEARN MORE”, or similar simply won’t work, as they are indirect calls to action. You need to be clear and direct.
Every time.
In our first example, there are no clear calls to action (CTAs). There’s no button to press, no instructions at all.
You could argue that having a menu option labelled “Our Services” or “Pricing” is an indication of where people should look, and you’d be right. But it’s not a Call To Action.
And it’s not super obvious.
There are two things about Example 2 that make it ideal.
Firstly there is a clear call to action: “Get a Quote”
It’s clear what you want visitors to do.
This CTA could be “BOOK NOW”, “ENTER STORE”, “BUY NOW”, or similar - so long as it is a clear action they must take.
Secondly, the positioning of the buttons is important.
When we visit websites we scan them in a Z pattern.
Putting the CTA in the top right and then bottom centre ensures your visitor sees your CTA quickly and knows exactly where to go to take the action you want them to take.
Here’s what I mean:
3. A clear transformational narrative:
You need to take your customer on a journey, from where they are now to where they’re going to be after buying from you or using your service.
This doesn’t need to be a long, drawn-out essay (unlike this blog post!), but you need to be clear about the problem your customer is facing, and how you solve it.
There is a clear structure taught by StoryBrand that can help you get this right (or contact me and I can help), but a short summary is this:
- Identify your customer’s problem.
- Give them a simple plan to follow. (In this case, getting a quote and employing your services)
- Show them the results of both FOLLOWING the plan to success, or NOT FOLLOWING the plan, which leads to failure.
That’s it.
So, here’s what AJB HORTICULTURE did before creating a clear Brand Narrative:
It’s simply a list of services with no clear CTA and, more importantly, no transformation. This is something so many people do on their websites; they list a load of features, with no explanation as to how this will benefit the customer or change their life.
Now here’s what AJB Horticulture’s site looked like after creating a Brand Narrative:
The text reads:
At the end of a busy week, you just want to be able to relax and enjoy your garden but instead you find yourself spending your whole time, mowing, weeding, and tending to the lawn. It can be so tiring and so frustrating.
Here at AJB Horticulture we share those frustrations and are passionate about helping people enjoy their outdoor spaces, which is why we've been in this business for over 18 years.
Whatever your lawn needs, we will keep it looking great so you and your family can simply relax and enjoy being together in the garden.
Click the button below to get a no obligations quote then relax knowing your garden is in safe hands.
The image shows a happy customer whose life has been transformed by their services, and the text promises they will do whatever you need so you can enjoy your garden.
You don’t have to think about which services you need, because ultimately all you want, as a potential customer, is a beautiful garden you can enjoy.
4. Proof your solution/service can help them achieve this:
This is where your testimonials and reviews come in.
Without them, how do people know you’ll actually help them get the results they want?
How will they know you’ll do what you say?
You must include reviews and testimonials on your site.
There are two ways of doing this:
1. Google Reviews.
These are trusted because Google is trusted. The more Google reviews you have when people search for you on Google, the more likely they are to click on your link and the more likely they are to trust you and buy from you.
2. Testimonials on your website
Include testimonials from former customers/clients on your website. Ideally with a photograph and a name. There is a big difference in someone’s mind between:
“AJB HORTICULTURE made my lawn look great. I highly recommend them.”
and
“AJB HORTICULTURE made my lawn look great. I highly recommend them.” - John Smith, Southampton
There are some great apps for getting reviews out there. Personally, I highly recommend Endorsal as this can pull in your Google Reviews as well as making it very easy to get your own reviews. It’s what I use on my own site (in case you wanted to see it in action.)
So, when you’re building your site, remember:
- Be clear about what you do.
- Have a clear call to action.
- Tell a transformational story.
- Include Testimonials.
I look forward to seeing the incredible results you’ll get when you implement these points.
It would do me a great honour if you could please share this post if you have found it useful.
Here’s to your success.
Alex
If you would like help implementing any of these points on your website, please book a free call with me by clicking here.
I look forward to hearing from you.