Picture this — you’re at a networking event and find yourself in a conversation with a serial networker. This person is very confident, knows their elevator pitch, and is ready to share it with whoever will listen. This is not necessarily a bad thing, nor are we trying to shame anyone, however, when the conversation becomes one-sided it becomes an 🙄😒 situation.
There are many mistakes that people make on their website, but today we are talking about the biggest website mistake we see. A mistake that costs leads, contact forms, and overall time spent on the site and, really, with your brand.
🛑 Mistake: Your website is ALL about you. 🛑
Hear me out. You may be saying…”But our website is supposed to be about us. It’s how we tell our story and how people will come to us.” We agree, but more importantly, you need to communicate two things on your site:
- The problem you solve for them
- Why they should come to YOU
Let’s dive into those two items, because we need to correct this mistake on your website, like yesterday.
1. What Problem Do You Solve?
This is why people come to your website. They don’t care what industry you are in — they have a problem and they need you to solve it.
- My back hurts, I need a massage.
- My lawn looks like crap, I need someone to help me keep it up.
- My child is struggling in school, I need a system to help her reach her potential.
If you aren’t answering exactly what you offer in the hero section of your website, you’re losing business every day. Think about the problem you solve for your customer. If you need to — simplify it. If you aren’t sure if you’ve simplified it enough, use a tool like Hemingway Editor (https://hemingwayapp.com/) to see where your words are landing.
2. Why should they give you their money?
Okay, now that you’re telling people that you solve a problem, you’re headed in the right direction. But, hold tight, you aren’t done. Now you need to tell them why they should come to you. This is important.
A former boss of ours once told me, “Don’t sell the industry, sell the brand” after reviewing a creative execution I had designed. That line has stuck with me ever since. For example, you don’t have the budget to convince the world to get their lawn service set up with just anyone. You must convince them that they need to hire you. How? [Glad you asked.]
- Trust – testimonials, affiliations, awards
- Authority – years in business, happy customers
- Results – actual results (sales, return on investment, etc.), video testimonial
The Clarity Formula
Use the two questions above to create a statement that will live in your hero section.
WHAT PROBLEM YOU SOLVE + WHY YOU = SALES
Examples:
Airfocus
Customer Problem: You have unorganized product management.
Why Airfocus: A modular system with plenty of integrations with the tools you already use.
yours Coaching
Customer Problem: Personal stress and struggles, desire to live a life you love.
Why yours: yours gives you a plan to get closer to a life that you love.
Jenni Kayne
Customer Problem: My home doesn’t have the aesthetic I want; I need quality pieces.
Why Jenni Kayne: Home products that are quality and timeless.
Venmo
Customer Problem: Struggling to split payments or pay your friends when you don’t have cash.
Why Venmo: Safe, fast payment with many users.
Challenge Time
Take the next 20 minutes and write some sample hero statements. Leave them and come back tomorrow and revise until you feel it passes the simplicity test and that it resonates with your customers. Feel free to test it with some of them.