In this article, you will learn how to focus the content of your website to increase your website’s conversion rate. As well as the importance of great content.
One of the hardest things when planning out your new website or website re-design is the content for the site. Even hiring a copywriter to do this for you can be a difficult task, as you still need to guide them in what you want your website to say and the message you want to send to potential new clients.
Getting clear on your branding, as done in the previous chapter, takes you a long way in getting your voice and brand personality defined.
However, your website’s visitor needs to know what you’re all about in the first few seconds of landing on your site. Being clear and concise are the most important things when writing content. So how do you create great content?
Directing Website Content
On the surface, good conversion rates are based on showcasing your business, conveying its attributes and competitive advantages.
The reality is that clients don’t care about your business as much as you do. They are looking for a solution which meets an identified need and is in their best interest. Good conversion rates are therefore actually about optimising decisions via presenting benefits for the client not showcasing how good your company and its performance is.
Content needs to connect with clients AND compel them to take action. Every site has different conversion goals – what do you want the reader to do? Subscribe, call you, email you, buy something or click on a link to another page? You need to decide this upfront and then bear your decision in mind as the focus throughout your website. Essentially this makes the process of pinpointing who your ideal client and target market (covered in chapter 1) the starting point of any successful conversion process.
Evolving Landscapes of Website Content
The online services landscape is constantly evolving. A few years ago, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) was seen to be the solution to everything you needed. With the advent of search algorithms, comprehensive analytics and Google being able to detect quality over “spam” (to name but a few)
In this current instant information and gratification era, you need to capture someone’s attention immediately when visiting your website or they will leave. With an increase in distractions, you might only have as little as 5 seconds to convince them to stay on your site.
As a result, content plays an increasingly important role in this evolving landscape. Without great content, you can lose out on the opportunity to convert browsers to clients.
There is no one-size-fits all approach to increasing conversion rates. What works in one industry or even on one website doesn’t necessarily translate to ensuring success elsewhere. In chapter 1 you determined your specific target market. Successful content always bears this target market in mind while also understanding what will work on your specific website for this audience.
Brand Story
A brand story veers away from the traditional approach of advertising, to one which seeks to inspire an emotional reaction. Essentially it shifts your content from a feature focus (service information) to a benefit focus. Thereby relaying information about how your service is the solution that fulfils your potential client’s needs.
The Simply Digital Design worksheet will continue to assist you on your website building journey. It works well alongside one of the most effective marketing tools available, the StoryBrand framework. The StoryBrand framework teaches and guides you on how to invite potential clients into a story. Then through a cohesive narrative, shows how utilising your service is in their best interest.
The StoryBrand framework works around 7 principles:
- A Character (Hero): Showing your potential client that they are your focus
- Has a Problem (Villain):
- And Meets a Guide:
- Who Gives Them a Plan:
- And Calls Them to Action…
- That Ends in Success…
- And Helps Them Avoid Failure.
Practically these translate into:
- Showing your potential client that they are your focus
- Confirming their problem and the challenges it’s causing them
- Introducing your service
- Showcasing how you can help them
- Giving them an easy, clear cut way forward
- Outlining how they will succeed using your service
- Showing them what pitfalls, they can evade when use your service
While this seems uncomplicated, keeping your content’s message simple and on-point is easier said than done. Two effective ways to better succeed with this approach is to:
- Read Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listenby, the CEO of StoryBrand, Donald Miller
- Attend a Discovery Workshop which uses the Story Brand principles to assist you to clarify and focus your messaging.
Our Discovery Workshop (BrandGPS) includes going through the StoryBrand principles and creating your StoryBrand script. We will also plan out your Home Page and website based on both StoryBrand and the Digital Marketers Converting Homepage principles. If you’re ready to create your client converting website, book a free chat and we’ll discuss next steps
Reaping Rewards
Is this all this time and effort worth it? YES!
Can this process be delayed until you have things up and running? NO!
Investing in your website upfront is the first step to legitimizing your service. How often, even after a good recommendation, do you google someone or something before engaging further? This means that making sure that your content says the right thing and conveys a story which is enticing, not off putting, is invaluable. When successfully carried out, the time and capital spent investing in your website’s content can be paid off as early as when you successfully land your first client.
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