One of the biggest problems with Web sites is that the very first page on the site is turning people away.
Why? Because most Web site owners talk about themselves instead of talking about their Web site visitor.
You know what I mean. How often have you visited a Web site that starts off with the big bold heading "Welcome to XYX Company"?
And it only goes downhill from there.
The next paragraph says something like "XYZ Company has worked for 40 years in manufacturing, testing and selling ABC products to businesses around North America and the world. Blah blah blah ... who cares ... Yawn!"
That sort of introduction is almost guaranteed to lose you business!
But why is it so common? I think it's because people don't know what else to write!
So in this article I'm going to give you a formula for writing compelling text on your home page.
Here's the formula in a nutshell: BAD, WORSE, GOOD, HOW, YOU.
Here's how it works ...
I'm going to expand on these in a minute. But first notice that the first four are all about THEM, and you only start talking about YOU in the very last step.
OK, let's look at each of these in turn ...
=== 1. Show them what's BAD in their business/life. ===
What is your customer's biggest problem? What are they most worried about? What causes them to stay awake at night, tossing and turning?
The first step is simply to state that problem. That immediately gets rapport because it shows that you understand them. And it engages them as well.
For example, suppose you're a realtor looking for new clients, and you know that most vendors are worried about getting the best price for their house. You might start like this:
"Selling your home is one of the biggest financial decisions that you will make in your life. How can you be sure that you're getting the best price for it? And how can you be sure that your realtor is getting the best deal for YOU, not just the best commission for themselves?"
=== 2. Show them that it's WORSE than they thought. ===
OK, you've got their attention, but do they really understand how bad the problem is? What are the consequences of having this problem? If you dig a little deeper, you'll uncover the real costs associated with it.
For example, you might go on to say:
"You might choose a realtor who's local, or who has been referred to you, or maybe even some distant uncle who does this for a living. But what if they don't get the best deal for you? This could cost you a fortune! For instance, even if the price they get for you is just 1% lower than what it should be, that could amount to thousands of dollars. That's money out of YOUR pocket. And if you're planning to use that as a deposit on your new home, that 1% will cost you many MORE thousands of dollars interest in the coming years."
=== 3. Show them how GOOD it could be. ===
OK, now you've got them worried! They might have started out as neutral, bored or complacent. But now you've shown them the real cost, they are forced to think harder about their decision.
Now you show them the other side of the coin: If they didn't have this problem, what are the benefits to them?
For example:
"On the other hand, what if your agent got you 1% MORE than the normal price? A good agent can do that for you. Now that's extra money in your pocket! Money that you can use on a vacation. Or the college fund. Or an extra deposit on your new home, which could save you many times that amount in interest."
=== 4. Show them HOW to fix it. ===
Now you tell them - briefly - how to fix it. Like this:
"The secret of getting the best price for your house is to constantly sell its value, not its market price. If you know what your buyer's hot buttons are, you can make sure that all your marketing is aimed at pressing those buttons."
=== 5. Tell them how YOU can help. ===
Finally, you describe how YOU can help them to implement that solution, like this:
"Our team of trained professionals works closely with you to get the best possible price for your home. All of our realtors have at least 10 years experience in the market, all are currently active working with clients just like you, and all have Blah Blah qualifications. Contact us now for a free consultation, etc. etc."
=== Do you see how simple this is? ===
I hope you can see the simplicity and elegance of the BAD / WORSE / GOOD / HOW / YOU formula.
In just a few short paragraphs, it establishes rapport, demonstrates understanding, provides a solution, establishes your credibility, and encourages action.
For another example of this process in action, visit the front page of my Web site at http://GihanPerera.com.
Gihan Perera is the author of "Make More Money From Your Web Site". Visit http://www.firststep.com.au and get your free e-book "The Seven Fatal Mistakes That Almost Every Business Owner Makes on Their Web Site" - PLUS free resale rights.
As a webmaster, you want to keep your visitors content... Read More
What Will My Site Do?This is the first of eight... Read More
1. Who needs an artists website?Not everyone! If you are... Read More
Did you know that many folks make "buying decisions" when... Read More
10 Basic Things Your Website Should Have ...__ all short... Read More
In my last article entitled, Maximizing The True Value Of... Read More
Chris, a new consulting client, asked me to help him... Read More
Do you know why the majority of people use the... Read More
Once, I attempted to create a favicon (the little graphic... Read More
Wether you design your business brochures, flyers, web page, or... Read More
This article gives free tips on how to find a... Read More
Let's look at what your user wants to see at... Read More
Most people will agree there is nothing more annoying than... Read More
Effective navigation stands out. It's clear, obvious, and highly visible.You'll... Read More
Many Internet sites that try to sell you something have... Read More
The trend today to overuse animation in a website's opening... Read More
Making your site accessible means making it available to be... Read More
Back to basics. Forget funky design, good copywriting is the... Read More
**How Colors are Used in web design:**Demarcates screen elements into... Read More
What is the relationship between Marketing and Web designing? How... Read More
Want to see an excellently constructed website? As a writer... Read More
Should Generating Revenue From A Website Be The Prime Motivator?... Read More
In this article we will be looking at why you... Read More
You've designed your logo, and you're ready to print your... Read More
It's a fact, Page Not Found, known as a 404... Read More
If you have a web site to which people pay... Read More
If you are one of those who wonder how people... Read More
Color is everywhere and conveys a message even if we... Read More
As part of your event planning you should seriously consider... Read More
1. Don't load your web site with a lot of... Read More
To explain my point I need to first confuse the... Read More
You have only 10 seconds to impress your potential buyer.... Read More
There are two camps when it comes to flash web... Read More
It seems that almost every Tom Dick and Harry do... Read More
A Double Ad Tracker is an Ad-Tracker that points to... Read More
Sin #5Poor Spelling And GrammarWe all make mistakes when we... Read More
If you have a web site to which people pay... Read More
Since I'm a web designer, I have a tendency to... Read More
One of the challenges of moving a web site up... Read More
Projecting a professional image is paramount to your website's success.... Read More
I see a lot of mistakes, but here are the... Read More
A website should firstly be searched out by visitors before... Read More
If you own a web site or if you are... Read More
Squeeze pages are a very hot topic in the internet... Read More
Most of us know that we need to advertise our... Read More
Websites, there are literally billions of them out there in... Read More
There are many ways to add fancy bells and whistles... Read More
Why is the quality of your text layout and design... Read More
This is the second part of a two-part article about... Read More
It's been said again and again, when it comes to... Read More
Before you start worrying about marketing your website on the... Read More
The question that I most frequently hear from people is... Read More
These days, it seems that everyone has a website. Unfortunately,... Read More
Studies done by Jakob Nielson the man touted as the,... Read More
You have only 10 seconds to impress your potential buyer.... Read More
You know that I'm always extolling the virtues of an... Read More
Your website is your tool for showing the online community... Read More
The most important person that you need to please when... Read More
You have identified that to have an internet prescence would... Read More
When a prospect lands on your website will he or... Read More
Drop Capitals are frequently used in many newspapers, books and... Read More
FACT: 30 to 60% of visitors tend to drop off... Read More
Countdown to Armageddon - at least you'd think so judging... Read More
Design sells. It's something that all of us know, but... Read More
This is a two-part article about creating a web site... Read More
Over the course of the last decade, the Internet has... Read More
Web Design |