I get it - I do. You're working on a new website, and you're cruising the web looking at what's out there.
And there's some shiny things happening that are hard to ignore.
The images are whooshing around.
The buttons do a little jiggle.
And you want it all!
STOP. Just stop right there and wipe the drool off your chin.
A website only needs 3 things to do it's job.
Do you even know what it's job is? Yeah - got ya there didn't I?
A Website's Job
A website should get people the right people to talk to you.
Pretty simple statement, but there's a lot happening there.
1. "the right people" = your future raving fans. The people that if you had 100 of them that you worked with you'd be on cloud 9. You would never be afraid of the phone ringing again because they're calling you and you love working with them.
2. "to talk to you" = starting a conversation. This could be them reaching out because they want to hire you, or it could be as simple as dropping a comment on a blog. Either way, they've given permission you talk with them instead of at them.
So a website has an important job to do.
How do we get it to work like it should?
Simple -- 3 little things.
1. Your Website Must Be Easy to Understand
A lot to unpack in that simple statement...
It should be easy to understand...
- WHAT you do
- WHO you do it for
- WHY they need it from you
I'm going to be real honest with you — most people get this very wrong.
They use fluffy stuff like "I help you reach your goals" or "I help you actualize your dreams and make them reality."
Here's why that doesn't work.
"My goals" could be anything from NOT finishing the entire tub of ice cream tonight to making sure I get to my next appointment tomorrow on time.
"My dreams" could include hiring Joshua Buchanan to come clean my house - because daaaaammmmnnn.
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You need to tie what you do to something tangible that I can easily understand and see the value of.
Action Step >> Go to your website's home page at the very top. Is it really obvious what you do, who you do it for, and why they need it from you? Ask some other people to do the same thing - what do they think?
2. It Must Be Easy to Find Your Way Around Your Website
"A confused mind doesn't buy." - said by someone important that I don't remember, but it's still valid.
Most people hit your website because they have one question in mind and want an answer.
It might be an obvious question like "what do you do?"
Or a less obvious one like "should websites have sliders?"
Either way, it starts with one question and one person seeking a solution.
As they find answers, more questions evolve.
"What do you do?" turns into things like "What does it cost?" or "How long will it take?" or "Why should I hire you?"
If your website is confusing to navigate, they can't find an answer from you, so they bounce away to someone else that will answer their question.
Action Step >>
Go to your website and start a timer. How long does it take you to answer "Why should I hire you?" Ask some other people to do the same.
3. Your Website Should Call the Reader to Take an Action That Makes Sense
Let me be very very clear on that one — the action you're asking someone to do should make sense to them.
If you run a consulting firm and you put a button smack up in your header that says "Take the Quiz" that doesn't make sense.
If you said "Book a Discovery Call" that would make sense.
You should consider the page someone is on and what they are trying to get out of it and create an action that's appropriate.
For example, someone hits your about page because they are trying to figure out if they want to work with you. So "Book a Discovery Call" is a reasonable call-to-action.
Do You Agree or Disagree?
Drop a comment below and let me know - do you agree or disagree? What do you think is most important on a website?
Curious How Your Website Stacks Up?
Send me a link to your current website. I’ll review it for FREE and send a video back that talks through any simple steps I see to start getting you more results.
