The Customer Focused Web Site: How To Convert a Laid Back Surfer
ARTICLE:
The Customer Focused Web Site:
How To Convert a Laid Back Surfer
Into a Fanatical Devotee
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by Barry W. Morris (c) 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Insert Surfer dude voice over...)
"Dude, it's totally knarly! I've got a site, ya know?
It gets tons of traffic, but like, dude, I'm not making
as many sales as I'd like. What's up with that, huh?"
OK. Not that kind of surfer. ;-)
"Yesterday I had 1500 hits on my home page, but
made only a few sales, why? Help!"
Sound familiar?
I was corresponding with Teresa, a copywriter
from Connecticut. Her daughter's have a business
web site called Pre-Wrap.com from which they sell
a product called...Pre-Wrap!
Teresa asked me about taking the site to the
next level. As many of you know already, asking me
a loaded question like that means an article is
soon to follow.
================
Like This One!
================
As I told Teresa....
You can generate traffic to any site, but if you
want to convert those casual surfers into return visitors
or paying customers, you'll need to create a
Customer-Focused Web Site (CFWS).
To use a baseball analogy, too many web sites try to
hit a home-run, i.e. close the sale, on the home
page.
It's not a sound strategy. Just ask Barry Bonds of
my hometown SF Giants.
Although every fan in the stadium expects
him to hit a home run each time he comes to the
plate, the odds are overwhelmingly against that
happening.
Likewise, if you're expecting to convert a
visitor into a paying customer or client on your
site's home page, the odds are overwhelmingly
against that occurring as well.
The only time this happens is when you have a
product so specialized, that normal buying
behaviors are redefined: Hyperdemand for the
product and you're the only distributor.
But if your site is like most others, you'll need
to be customer-focused. What does one look like?
The CFWS is easily recognized if you know what to
look for.
Here are just five common components that easily set
them apart and make them more successful in converting
surfers into return visitors and ultimately into paying
customers.
1. Establishing rapport with the target audience.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My son Justin is ten years old. If he wants to
get my attention, he simply calls my name.
"Dad?" That usually does it. Why? Because it's
my name!
If you want to gain the attention of
your target audience (TA), your home page, and
especially your opening paragraph, must call the
name of your TA.
Consider asking a probing question that
clearly addresses who you serve, their most
pressing issues, and a possible outcome of
the solutions you offer.
"Female athletes! Are you tired of constantly
stopping your game to get your hair under control?
Pre-Wrap can help!"
2. Clearly defining the problem faced by the TA.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
People have problems. They go online in search of
solutions. But most marketers make the mistake of
presenting their solutions without first addressing
the problem.
Why is this important? Discussing the problem helps
your visitor feel that you really understand where
they're coming from. By discussing the painful
issue that brought them to your site, you're
building your credibility as a solution provider
prior to presenting it.
It also further develops the rapport that you
established with your opening on the Home page.
Robert Middleton (www.actionplan.com) is
probably the best in the world at doing this.
Check out his site for examples.
3. Reinforcing solutions with testimonials.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you'd had success with your product or
service, the testimonials of your satisfied
customers can go a long way in furthering your
credibility and paving the way for more sales.
Each time I receive a complimentary email, I
immediately reply with a thank you email
and ask permission to use their quote. I've
never had anyone refuse.
Most people are happy to support your business
with a testimonial. What kind of testimonial
works the best?
Those that speak to with specific, quantifiable
results offered by real customers.
"Before Pre-Wrap, I was constantly stopping to
readjust my Scrunchy. The first time I used
Pre-Wrap was the first game I played without
having to worry about my hair."
Suzie Soccer, Mill Valley, CA
4. Providing clear navigational directions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some years ago I was in Washington, D.C. on business.
I had a free day and went on a walking tour on my
own. In seven hours, I toured the Lincoln Memorial,
the National Mall, the Vietnam Memorial , the Capitol
Building, the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, the
Smithsonian Museum of American History, the National
Portrait Gallery, and the Ford's Theater Museum.
Boy, did my feet hurt that night!
There's no way I could have done all that without a
clear path to follow. Knowing my next destination
was crucial to seeing it all within the time limit
available.
When a visitor comes to your site, do you provide
clear directions? Are you a friendly tour guide making
sure that your visitors see all the right things
or are you leaving them on their own to poke around
and then leave unsure of the reason for their visit?
Sadly, most sites don't provide adequate navigation.
They display a row of buttons or links and call it
navigation, but at best, it's a laundry list of options
that provide the visitor with little value.
Your visitor needs to be directed and guided.
As the site host, you know what you'd like your
visitor to ultimately do. Why not tell them?
I call this your most desired outcome (MDO).
For some it may be purchasing a product. For others,
it's calling you on the phone, or clicking on a link
to subscribe to a publication.
The MDO can only be achieved if the visitor
is guided through the pages that establish rapport, reduce
risk, represent your solution, and finally provide an
effective call to action.
5. Providing a strong call to action.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Without an offer and a call to action, there is
little hope that your visitor will be converted
into a return visitor or a paying customer.
An effective call to action reminds the visitor
of their problem, why what they've tried hasn't
worked, and why your solution will. It then provides
an incentive to act sooner rather than later.
"If you try our Pre-Wrap by (insert date), we'll
pay the shipping to anywhere in the continental
US and 50% off International shipping!"
==============
Final Thoughts
==============
There are certainly many more elements in a customer
focused web site that will aid you in converting
laid back surfer dudes into customers than have been
presented here.
This week, take a good look at your site.
Is it customer-focused? Are you customer-focused
or self-focused?
Here's a quick way to find out.
Read your home page and asnwer this question:
"Who do you mention first; your TA or you?"
That simple litmus test will tell you whether or
not your site needs some attention.
Thanks for reading,
Barry
The Customer Focused Web Site:
How To Convert a Laid Back Surfer
Into a Fanatical Devotee
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
by Barry W. Morris (c) 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Insert Surfer dude voice over...)
"Dude, it's totally knarly! I've got a site, ya know?
It gets tons of traffic, but like, dude, I'm not making
as many sales as I'd like. What's up with that, huh?"
OK. Not that kind of surfer. ;-)
"Yesterday I had 1500 hits on my home page, but
made only a few sales, why? Help!"
Sound familiar?
I was corresponding with Teresa, a copywriter
from Connecticut. Her daughter's have a business
web site called Pre-Wrap.com from which they sell
a product called...Pre-Wrap!
Teresa asked me about taking the site to the
next level. As many of you know already, asking me
a loaded question like that means an article is
soon to follow.
================
Like This One!
================
As I told Teresa....
You can generate traffic to any site, but if you
want to convert those casual surfers into return visitors
or paying customers, you'll need to create a
Customer-Focused Web Site (CFWS).
To use a baseball analogy, too many web sites try to
hit a home-run, i.e. close the sale, on the home
page.
It's not a sound strategy. Just ask Barry Bonds of
my hometown SF Giants.
Although every fan in the stadium expects
him to hit a home run each time he comes to the
plate, the odds are overwhelmingly against that
happening.
Likewise, if you're expecting to convert a
visitor into a paying customer or client on your
site's home page, the odds are overwhelmingly
against that occurring as well.
The only time this happens is when you have a
product so specialized, that normal buying
behaviors are redefined: Hyperdemand for the
product and you're the only distributor.
But if your site is like most others, you'll need
to be customer-focused. What does one look like?
The CFWS is easily recognized if you know what to
look for.
Here are just five common components that easily set
them apart and make them more successful in converting
surfers into return visitors and ultimately into paying
customers.
1. Establishing rapport with the target audience.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My son Justin is ten years old. If he wants to
get my attention, he simply calls my name.
"Dad?" That usually does it. Why? Because it's
my name!
If you want to gain the attention of
your target audience (TA), your home page, and
especially your opening paragraph, must call the
name of your TA.
Consider asking a probing question that
clearly addresses who you serve, their most
pressing issues, and a possible outcome of
the solutions you offer.
"Female athletes! Are you tired of constantly
stopping your game to get your hair under control?
Pre-Wrap can help!"
2. Clearly defining the problem faced by the TA.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
People have problems. They go online in search of
solutions. But most marketers make the mistake of
presenting their solutions without first addressing
the problem.
Why is this important? Discussing the problem helps
your visitor feel that you really understand where
they're coming from. By discussing the painful
issue that brought them to your site, you're
building your credibility as a solution provider
prior to presenting it.
It also further develops the rapport that you
established with your opening on the Home page.
Robert Middleton (www.actionplan.com) is
probably the best in the world at doing this.
Check out his site for examples.
3. Reinforcing solutions with testimonials.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you'd had success with your product or
service, the testimonials of your satisfied
customers can go a long way in furthering your
credibility and paving the way for more sales.
Each time I receive a complimentary email, I
immediately reply with a thank you email
and ask permission to use their quote. I've
never had anyone refuse.
Most people are happy to support your business
with a testimonial. What kind of testimonial
works the best?
Those that speak to with specific, quantifiable
results offered by real customers.
"Before Pre-Wrap, I was constantly stopping to
readjust my Scrunchy. The first time I used
Pre-Wrap was the first game I played without
having to worry about my hair."
Suzie Soccer, Mill Valley, CA
4. Providing clear navigational directions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some years ago I was in Washington, D.C. on business.
I had a free day and went on a walking tour on my
own. In seven hours, I toured the Lincoln Memorial,
the National Mall, the Vietnam Memorial , the Capitol
Building, the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, the
Smithsonian Museum of American History, the National
Portrait Gallery, and the Ford's Theater Museum.
Boy, did my feet hurt that night!
There's no way I could have done all that without a
clear path to follow. Knowing my next destination
was crucial to seeing it all within the time limit
available.
When a visitor comes to your site, do you provide
clear directions? Are you a friendly tour guide making
sure that your visitors see all the right things
or are you leaving them on their own to poke around
and then leave unsure of the reason for their visit?
Sadly, most sites don't provide adequate navigation.
They display a row of buttons or links and call it
navigation, but at best, it's a laundry list of options
that provide the visitor with little value.
Your visitor needs to be directed and guided.
As the site host, you know what you'd like your
visitor to ultimately do. Why not tell them?
I call this your most desired outcome (MDO).
For some it may be purchasing a product. For others,
it's calling you on the phone, or clicking on a link
to subscribe to a publication.
The MDO can only be achieved if the visitor
is guided through the pages that establish rapport, reduce
risk, represent your solution, and finally provide an
effective call to action.
5. Providing a strong call to action.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Without an offer and a call to action, there is
little hope that your visitor will be converted
into a return visitor or a paying customer.
An effective call to action reminds the visitor
of their problem, why what they've tried hasn't
worked, and why your solution will. It then provides
an incentive to act sooner rather than later.
"If you try our Pre-Wrap by (insert date), we'll
pay the shipping to anywhere in the continental
US and 50% off International shipping!"
==============
Final Thoughts
==============
There are certainly many more elements in a customer
focused web site that will aid you in converting
laid back surfer dudes into customers than have been
presented here.
This week, take a good look at your site.
Is it customer-focused? Are you customer-focused
or self-focused?
Here's a quick way to find out.
Read your home page and asnwer this question:
"Who do you mention first; your TA or you?"
That simple litmus test will tell you whether or
not your site needs some attention.
Thanks for reading,
Barry
posted by Barry W. Morris at
6:25 PM
