Barbara Musser is an inspirational speaker and trainer and has designed and facilitated personal growth and transformational workshops for the past 20 years. She mentors women and teenage girls in living their unique purpose, and works 1:1 and in groups with people who want to break through and transform their lives. For more information about Barbara, visit her website at: www.BarbaraMusser.com
I’ve been surfing a lot of speakers’ and coaches’ websites recently and there is one thing that I am seeing consistently. There’s no clear direction for your viewers to take on your site. There is no way for them to know what they are to do and, in a horrifyingly large number of sites, no way for a potential client to contact the person whose site they are on. I have been to multiple sites in the last month that literally had no way to contact the person other than going through a social media site like LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter. Not good.
What’s the Goal?
When I coach speakers, trainers and coaches about their sites, one of the first things we talk about is “what is the goal?” I always get a blank stare at that question and that’s because in transitioning from the world of paper to the virtual realm many people have confused websites with brochures. They’ve been told that they no longer need a brochure because they have a website and so they see their website as a glorified brochure serving the same passive purpose. But this misses all of the best opportunities in an online presence. A website isn’t just a place to tell people about your services, it’s a place to get into relationship with your prospect and get them to contact you.
It Shouldn’t Be All About You
In fact, it shouldn’t be about you at all until the prospect knows that it’s about them. You have 2.3 seconds to catch a prospect’s attention when they are surfing. If you don’t put, front and center, exactly what it is that they are looking for, then you won’t get a chance to tell them anything else. This is the ultimate form of the “me” generation. If they don’t see what they want, they’re gone. So your landing pages should be all about the prospect initially. It is when they stay a little longer that they get to learn about you.
Have a Plan
Once you have a prospect’s attention, you had better have a plan for what you want to do with it. Have a funnel that you take them through, a series of places you want them to go to learn more, go deeper, and get connected with you. Think of it like a blind date. First, you want to make a good first impression (let them know they are in the right place on your landing page), then get them to smile (get them to look around and read more about you), then maybe flirt with you a little (sign up for a white paper, newsletter or autoresponder program). Eventually, you’re hoping for a second date and perhaps even a goodnight kiss (and their phone number).
Be Personable and Interesting – Not Arrogant and Self-Centered
The way you get these things on a date is to take an interest in the other person and show them the parts of yourself that you think they might find attractive. Instead, what most people are doing on their sites is being the boorish date who talks incessantly about themselves and says how great they are. No one wants to date that person – or hire them.
To Buy Or To Engage?
And I’m going to come back to the goal again. Are you someone that people need to talk to before they exchange money with you (like speakers for hire)? Or are people buying programs on the web in CD, ebook, teleseminar, or download form? If it’s the former, then your goal is to get a phone call or a request that you call them. If the latter, then your goal is the sale. Your site should be set up with those things in mind. People should know what is expected of them to take the relationship to the next level and your call to action should be clear. Simply putting your phone number on your site doesn’t say “Call me” (but it does help, people!) You have to ask for the sale or ask for the call if you want to get it.
Creating Relationships On The Web
The best way to move a prospect forward is to create a relationship with them. To learn more about this process, join my class that’s running on April 12,13, & 14 “Creating Relationships On The Web – How to Dive Deep With People You’ve Never Met“. The course normally runs for $299.00, but for my readers here, save $100 and get it for only $199.00 by following the link above.
