Strategic Storytelling
A website's not just about an online presence. It's an indispensable tool for your business. 28% of business is conducted online. Whether promoting your brand, launching a new venture, or taking an established business to another level, a well-crafted website can make the difference between success and failure.
You know the website must make an impression and deliver a top-notch user experience. A responsive and mobile-friendly website will do that. But what essential building blocks go into creating a successful website?
Let's go unto the breach once more, dear friend and get into the critical components of a website. We'll nail your website's foundation so visitors know who you are and how you will change their lives.
Say Hello (and More) on Your Homepage
Think of your homepage as a greeter on the front door of your shop. It creates the first impression and offers a glimpse into your business identity. It's the most complex of your pages and helps direct visitors to other parts of the website (and down your sales funnel).
To guide them toward a sale, you need to build a story and support it with buttery navigation and captivating visuals. Here's how you should organize the content on your website's homepage:
The Hero Section - It comes at the top of your homepage. It includes an image (or a video) to greet your visitor. Write a tagline about how your brand will change their lives to hook customers in. Include a call-to-action to guide them to the next steps.
Your Value Proposition - What benefits does your product or service offer your customer? Create a long list, pare it down to the best 3 or 4, and assemble it into a digestible message.
Proof - Use testimonials or show who you've worked with. Show your authority to assure your customer you're the guy (or gal) to deliver the goods.
Pricing - Depending on your business, you can feature your products with tantalizing descriptions. Or you can lay out the pricing options available for your services.
Contact Information - Don't forget to tell your customers how to get a hold of you and to take the next steps.
Once your homepage is in order, your website is most of the way there. You need a few more pieces to give your customers a reason to click and boost your business.
4 Questions You Want to Answer in Your About Page
The main question you want to answer in your About page isn't, "Who am I?" It's, "Why should you do business with me?" Answering that question should include four components:
How did you start your business?
Why did you start your business?
What do you do better than anyone else in your space?
Which values do you hold dear?
Use your About page to connect with your target audience. Make it about you, but make it about them too. You want your customers to see parts of themselves in your brand. After they read your story, you want them to say, "I want them to be part of my story."
The ONE Thing You Absolutely Must Do in Your Services (or Product) Pages
So many brands make the same mistake. They talk about themselves rather than their audience. They tell the reader how they're innovative or passionate (and other buzzwords). But the audience wants to know how your business will transform their lives. So, how do you speak to the audience? By writing benefits in addition to the product or service features.
A feature is a part of your product or service. A benefit tells your customer the positive impact the feature will have on them.
For example, 100% leather is a boot's feature. The customer benefits from the feature because it looks rugged and lasts longer.
Features and benefits work together. Benefits make the promise, but the features show how you can deliver on that promise.
Features are exciting. But you must talk about the benefits that transform their lives to have copy on your services and product pages that move the customer in action. Look at how Aklasu shows how the feature like Wool Interlining gets turned into a benefit with “Perfect knots. Wrinkle-free ties. Everyday.” Wool interlining may not mean anything to some shoppers. But you can bet they want perfect looking ties everyday.
Asking one critical question gives your customer an image of their transformation through your service. Read more about how to write fantastic website copy in the blog article: So What: Writing Fantastic Website Copy that Makes Your Audience Move.
What else does your website need?
Alright, we're almost there. You've got your homepage, about page, and services set up. There are a few more pieces left in the puzzle.
Navigation along the top of the page directs the visitor to your other pages.
You can use a search bar to help visitors look for a piece of content or product easier. Depending on your business, it may not be necessary.
Your website's footer includes links to the most essential parts of your website, your contact information and links to social media.
Your contact information should be everywhere. Buttery buttons with tantalizing CTAs should follow your visitors as they navigate your website. Create a contact page with your email, phone number, and address. Make it simple to get a hold of you and show them how easy it is to work with you, too.
Now that you've got the main pieces of a website, it's time to sit back and watch the leads and sales roll in, right? Not quite. There's one more piece that's gonna help you reach your business goals.
Content that Offers Value
You'll hear people tell you to write a blog post every week. It's a great idea, but let's step back and start with one piece of content for your website designed to generate leads.
A lead generator is a piece of content that visitors can access by submitting their email addresses. You can then use the email address to contact them to offer your product or services (while following anti-spam laws, of course).
You can also go the ungated route and offer your content friction-free without the visitor having to submit their email. You create goodwill with your visitors, but clarify how they can take the following steps.
A great lead generator offers loads of value for your audience. It comes in all shapes and sizes. HubSpot offers free business and marketing resources in exchange for email addresses. Online retailers offer email content that gives exclusive access to sales and fresh products.
Find what your customers value and build your lead generator from there. Create content that benefits your ideal customer to show them how you can transform their lives.
Show the value your business delivers and how you understand their problem. You're good to go once you have these website components in order.
But know that this is the minimum. Crafting the right message with sharp website copy turns your website into a lead-generating and sales machine.
If I can be helpful, message me at hello@jerichobundac.ca.
