Today I delivered a talk as part of Jennifer Bourn‘s Content Camp (Website Copy Edition). My session was on your offer pages, and the follow-up to the talk is a working session where we get to have a discussion and answer questions. In that conversation I got to connect with a lot of folks that build websites for other people. It got me thinking about everyone who builds websites for others – and one core question that I think every freelancer and agency has to ask their customers: “Is your website working for you?”
Now to be clear, I'm not asking – is it working? As in, does the site load up and show the pages you've created.
I'm asking a different question. Is the site delivering results?
I think there are four things that a site should deliver to its owner. Here they are.
1. Inspire Confidence
A website today is like a business card of years ago. If you hand someone a business card that was printed at home on your printer, people will know. If you send people to a website that is void of testimonials and case studies, then it likely isn't working the way it should.
If you're a freelancer or agency working with a customer, it's critical to show them some of the work you've done to help others with sites that deliver on this result. Then show them sites that don't. The comparison should be significant. Simply ask them, “which of these sites would you buy from?”
2. Align Perspectives
One of the reasons I publish posts on my site so often is because I want to make sure that the people who come for advice have enough content to evaluate me by. Coaching clients, for example, should be able to read my “take” on things and see if we line up.
When you're offering a service or selling a product, you have to craft your offer. And that offer will resolve some pain points. Are those the right pain points for your targets? Only they will know.
But if your site articulates your opinion, and it helps people choose you (or quickly depart), then you know your site is working for you. It's doing its job.
3. Offer Your Products or Services
When your website is working for you it functions as your best salesperson. It is able to provide opportunities for people to say yes and buy or hire you. But it means you have to do more than simply present your offer.
You also need to mitigate the stress someone has before making a decision. That's why answers to common pre-sales questions are so important. Make sure you're addressing objections as if you were sitting across from your prospect.
4. Connect With You
Not everyone will be ready to make a buying / hiring decision. But that's not a problem. Sometimes you have to warm up that traffic before a site delivers results.
So make sure that every site has multiple ways to engage with people who have questions or concerns. I have several different forms on the site that let people reach out to me (to schedule a call, to send me a message, to see if I'm available to speak at an event, etc.).
Those are my four…
Those are my four. When you're building websites what jobs are you hiring it to do? And if you haven't spent a lot of time thinking about it, I suggest you do, because you might be missing out.
Have a job that I missed? Hit reply or use that contact form and let me know.