Website Redesign and Marketing to Grab Attention! (The Benefit Strategy)

Having a good website for your small business is mandatory for any entrepreneur who wants to be around long-term. Whether you are creating the website internally or with the help of professional web designers and marketers it is critical to do some strategic thinking up front.

Next time you are thinking of a major overhaul of your marketing and or website think about it from the perspective of your typical client. When we work with a new client we like to work strategic thinking into the initial process by asking you who your target audience is and what solutions or information they would likely be looking for on your website, social media or marketing materials.

Here are some questions we ask that we believe are important to think about before you spend the time and money on new marketing efforts:

• What sets you apart from your competition (aka your Unique Selling Proposition)?
• Do you focus on a specific niche, target audience, or demographic?
• What geographic area do you serve, and/or prefer not to serve (Regional, National, Global)?
• What do you know about your clients, especially why did they become your clients initially (if you don’t know ask a sampling of them)?
• Why do they stay your clients? What have clients and prospects said about you and your company? (Do you have any testimonials, what do they tell you about how you are perceived?
• Do the majority of your clients give you repeat business? How do you meet their needs and wants (solve their problem)?

Other things to think about before you redesign or create a new website:
Put yourself in your clients’ shoes when thinking about your website if you were the client what would you want to see and how would you navigate the website? (This is hard because you know a lot more about your industry than they do and it affects the way you look at things…the key is try to think about it as if you were someone who knew nothing about your industry but can really use your solution.)

What would you want your result to be as your client and how can you measure success i.e. buy, complete a contact us form, engage you on social media, bookmark the page, pick up the phone and call you, etc.

What do you think most visitors who visit your website want (often more than one):
information on your products or services,
a solution to an existing problem,
a bargain or lowest cost,
a large selection,
a better quality product or service,
a phone call or email?

It is crucial for you to think over and know the answers to questions like these in order to grab the attention of your website readers quickly.

Your website should be focused on the prospect and/or client so they can easily find what they need. If you start with all the little details of your company, products or services before they know they are interested in your solution they will move on to a competitor with a client solution focus.

Lead with benefits don’t “Sell”
Instead of focusing on details the future client may not care about yet, lead with the benefits or solutions your products or services can provide. Either list the various benefits or provide testimonial examples so your website readers can see how you have helped others in a similar predicament.

Make sure you make it easy for your future clients to buy, sign up, contact you, etc. If they have a hard time finding your phone number or placing an order there are plenty of competitors out there with easy to use websites also asking for their business.

Turning a website reader into a client is one of the most critical actions your website can perform. Try to guide them in a style that is more telling than selling. Be assertive but not annoying or aggressive.

Make it your first priority to understand your potential client. Again, look at your website through that client’s perspective. What do they individually want and need?

Focus your marketing by grabbing their attention with the Benefits and Solutions these future clients will receive, not on the details of your product/service that they only need after you have their attention.

Finally, tell them how they can achieve their goal and what you want them to do next. Get them to take the first step and you will have a pre-qualified prospect. Make sure you are ready to deliver on the expectations you have set through your website and marketing!

As we like to wrap up all our blog posts with a reminder to occasionally slow down to appreciate the good things in your life.

Stop and Smell the Roses…Remember to Enjoy being an Entrepreneur!