Are You Making These Mistakes on Your Website?
At GuardianSolutionsLLC.com, we've worked with many companies across the US and everyone of them is different. Even if two companies are competitors in the same city, there are distinct differences. However, the one thing I see that is always the same is the mistakes they make with the content on their websites.
Weitis noun
: website copy written from the “we” perspective
Have you ever met a new person at a party, and all they do is talk about themselves? If you’re like me, you can’t wait to get away from them. Well, your website might be suffering from the same malady. I call it “Weitis,” and it could be one of the reasons why your website doesn’t convert traffic into leads.
When you read through the copy on your website, is it filled with “we do this”, “we do that”, “we won this”, “we”, “we”, “we”, etc.?
If the answer is yes, it is time to update your website. Your website is your 24/7/365 salesperson who should be providing potential customers with the information they want to know, not what you want them to know.
You may have heard the acronym “WIIFM,” also known as “What’s In It for Me?” When you’re writing website copy, you need to write from the perspective of the person who will buy from you. What can I expect when I work with you? For example, this sentence came from a custom home builder’s website located in New Jersey (the town has been changed to protect the unknowing):
As a custom home builder locally located in some NJ town, our job is to balance function and design so you can enjoy every aspect of your home from the moment you step through the front door or out into your backyard.
This sentence is in the intro paragraph on the website. I don’t know about you, but I have never said I need to find a builder that will balance function and design to build a house for me. As a consumer I would say, “I want to build a custom home on my land in Some City, Colorado. I’d like to have it completed by September, is that possible? Where do I get the construction loan? How much money do you require to start? I don’t have a floor plan yet. Where do I get one? Oh, and I want it to be a stress free experience.” Essentially you need to be thinking like the customer. What do they want to know before contacting you? What do they want to know once they have chosen you? And most importantly, why should they choose you over all the other companies out there? And that is a great segue into …
About Us
Another thing I see often is that the About Us page offers very generalized information. If you have a large corporation with a lot of employees, being general makes sense. But if you have a handful of employees, you need to be warmer and more personal on your About Us page.
People do business with people they know and like. Your About Us page is where you can get people to like you and your company. When you have a smaller company, you are typically selling yourself. So, what makes your business unique from the others? Why did you start this business? What is it about your approach to business that customers would take comfort in? For instance, we wrote content for one of our clients who served in the military. We wrote a bit about his time in the military and about his work ethic resembling his work ethic in the military. That resonates with people and many of his customers have told him the content on his website is why they chose him.
If you have a team, introduce your customer-facing team members. Talk about what they do for customers and why you depend on them. It doesn’t have to be lengthy, but it does have to build your customers’ confidence about choosing your company.
Calls to Action
Your calls-to-action are how you get conversions from your website (i.e., leads.) Frequently on websites I will see multiple calls-to-action on the same page, or calls-to-action in a sentence such as “Contact us for a free price quote.” Here are a few things to keep in mind about your call-to-action:
- You should have one primary call-to-action per page such as “Get Started Now”, or “Request a Price Quote Today.”
- Put your call-to-action in a button rather than in text at the end of a paragraph. The average click-through rate for calls-to-action is 4.23%. When you put your call-to- action in a button, the average click-through rate increases to 5.31%.
- Rather than send people to your generic contact us page, have a form that matches the call-to-action.
- And last, keep your call-to-action forms simple. Don’t ask for 10 pieces of information. You can get the information you want when you get the prospect on the phone. The less you ask for, the more conversions you will get.
Conclusion
When building a website to generate leads, many things must be in place. By addressing your customers' needs and presenting a clear, compelling call-to-action, you can significantly improve your website's conversion rate. Focus on providing valuable information and ensure that visitors understand why they should choose your services, making your website a powerful tool for generating leads.