Your business website might be the first thing potential customers will see when they’re searching Google. If they click a link to your website, are you making a good first impression?
Meeting customers online is different than meeting them in person. With the way people search today, you only have a few fleeting seconds to catch their attention.
- Do people like the way you look?
- Are you telling website visitors exactly what it is you do or sell?
- Can people understand what it is you’re saying?
- Do you talk about yourself, or do you talk about them?
The future of your relationship is by making a good impression, and quickly.
We have a few ideas for getting someone’s interest in making them stay longer, and taking the important step of contacting you!
Present a Professional Look
When you meet a potential client in person, you make a point to dress nicely and be well groomed.
This should be the same for your website. What is the well groomed website wearing this season? Clean lines, easy navigation, and a wonderful user experience is always in style.
Your first paragraph needs to be a quick summary of your business and what you do. Quick and to the point. Tell us who you are, what you do, and why you do it while presenting a clean, quiet design.
Use Your Brand Voice
If your business had a personality, what would it be – happy, funny, or stuffy? That’s your brand voice. The words on your website need to be written in your voice.
We’ve all met people we thought we’d like to get to know, then they spoke and you realized there was no need to proceed further.
Your website needs to speak to your visitors the same way a good friend would. Be conversational, make sure everything is easy to understand, and write in short sentences and with short paragraphs.
Ditch the Corporate Lingo and Be Conversational
Have you ever visited a website and you have no idea what they’re talking about or what in the world they do? You try to understand the industry mumbo jumbo, but you finally give up and visit their competitor’s website instead.
Just talk to people visiting your website. Write like you’re speaking to one person and make them feel like they’re the only one that’s important in that moment.
As you write, picture people in your head and write as though you are having a private conversation with them. Be their friend. “I am writing this for you and no one else.”
Always use an active voice rather than passive. The conversation should come across as something that is happening right now.
Focus on Your Visitor’s Needs
Don’t be pushy and salesy. Think about your website visitor and what it is they need.
Today’s marketing needs to be about building friendships and relationships first. People want to do business with people they like so focus on getting to know people first. Make it about them, not you. Push your ego aside and focus on them.
- Why did they choose to visit your website?
- How can you solve their problem?
Hiring a business or making a purchase is an emotional decision. Get to know them first and the sale will come naturally.
Keep People on Your Website Longer
Give visitors a reason to stay on your website longer or, better yet, come back.
- Offer lots of helpful tips in your blog.
- Give away a free course or a short consultation.
- Give visitors a free report of industry tips.
When you show you care about them and their own success, it shows how much you value the relationships you have with customers and clients.
Go Make Some Magic!
Follow these guidelines for making a wonderful impression and it will be easy to turn your website visitors into friends and clients.
[sc_fs_multi_faq headline-0=”h3″ question-0=”Is a first impression based mostly on design?” answer-0=”For most people, yes, they react immediately to design elements. Visual styles like color, font choice, text readability, and images all play a big part in how users feel when they visit your website. Show your design to friends who will give you an honest opinion. You want to know what they FEEL when they first see your website. ” image-0=”” headline-1=”h3″ question-1=”Should I have big images on my home page?” answer-1=”The main image on your home page is called a hero image. People’s eyes are drawn to this image and it will help establish that first impression. It should tell a story with great visual appeal. Since they are usually quite large, make sure these images are high quality and professional.” image-1=”” count=”2″ html=”true” css_class=””]
