Saturday, September 12, 2009

Business Growth Friday - Is Your Intrnet Site Asking The Right Questions?

This is a textual version of components from the September 11 Business Growth Friday broadcast. The full show is archived for your listening pleasure at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/PeterPocklington


ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

Since today's program is originally broadcasting on September 11, 2009 - an anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center in New York, when so many innocent citizens of so many countries lost their lives - I would like as my thank you to them and those who follow the example of the brave emergency rescue teams who respond daily by risking their lives for the lives of others, to offer a prayer of remembrance for all who have been taken from us too soon.

They grow not old, as we that are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun - and in the morning
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.


With regard to the subject of today's show, using your internet presence to elicit the response you are looking for most from your customer, a YES YES YES YES YES,

I thank my team of mentors

Thank You to Kendall Summerhawk - my first marketing mentor whose "it's not about you it's about them" maxim serves as a continuous reminder to me.

Thank You to Diane Hochman - the marketing matriarch of the Million Mind March whose reality-based, can-do, common sense wisdom applied to marketing is empowering me and countless others.

Thank You to Kristen Darkenwald
- whose free social media rescue package has served me and the communities I serve in so many ways.

Thank You to David Moskowitz
- whose examples of client service so benefited my approach to my business internet clients.

And thank you to the team of development and support staff back at the ranch who work tirelessly to ensure we provide service to our customers by listening to needs and anticipating wants - true to the mantra "How may I impress you today?"

IS YOUR WEB SITE ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS?


In our July 31st program - "Take Your Web Page From Whoa! To Wow!" we provided 7 tips that will significantly enhance your web presence's appeal to the customer. Sort of like walking into a store and being greeted by someone who has a heartfelt smile and is truly on a mission to help you get what you need - as opposed to what they want you to buy. Remember always - it's not about you and who you are, it's about them and how you can benefit them.

So let's think first about what you might be wanting your website to ask your customer. If you ask the right questions you'll get the answer you want most - YES, I want to do business with you.

You have to engage your visitor from the moment they arrive at your home page - or any page that you or Google has directed them to. How do you do that? By asking questions.

The best questions follow three basic rules:

1: They spell out a problem that your ideal client will have faced (for which you have an answer, of course)
2: They will elicit a "YES" answer from your ideal client
3: They use the words "you" and "your"

For example
, someone providing coaching services to other consultants might ask "are you uncomfortable selling your services?" Or "do you love what you do but have a hard time describing the benefits?".

A home-business mentorship site might ask "are you getting the support you need from your mentor?" Or "Have you ever wished your cold leads were hot prospects?"

A business financing site might ask "is your client's payment schedule affecting your cash flow?"

So - how do you come up with your own questions?

* Think like your ideal client, and

* Ask yourself what you - as your ideal client - are probably struggling with, or thinking a lot about, right now!

When you have an idea of these just think of the phrases "If you are ... " or "Are you ..." and they will jump start the identification of your questioning questions.

YOUR WEB PAGE COPY

Now let's consider your web page copy. Consider the following six step process

1. Craft your attention-getting headline.
2. Briefly describe the problem.
3. Give a solution.
4. Introduce how your product or service can help.
5. Establish credibility.
6. Provide a clear call to action.

For the attention-getting headline we suggest a problem-oriented strategy such as

Executives: Uncover the strongest resource you have - currently hiding in your balance sheet

Why is this effective? It names your audience and hints that the resource they need to access is already theirs.

Regarding the description of the problem:

This is important because symptoms sell. Just go to your local drugstore's colds and flu aisle and see the medications for a condition that has no cure.

In no more than a couple of sentences you can elicit the "yes - that's me" response. You can show that you understand their situation. If you can't - then why should they do business with you?.

Then - give a solution. However, don't toot your own horn. Resist all temptation to. Give an example of how the problem is being solved using the same type of service or product you are making available to them.

Now you can simply introduce you and your company. This should be short and sweet. Something as simple as "That's where we come in".

Here's where you can establish your credibility - again in a couple of sentences.

To use an example from our Real Estate Business - "We've partnered with the industry's top marketers of lot and home packages - who will put their specialized digital convergence marketing techniques to work for you - quickly getting you the full price you are asking for." By the way, it's better to talk about results here than to talk about how great you think you are.

Finally, have a clear call to action. YOU MUST HAVE ONE.

How do you decide what? Think about it. Your goal is to make the action virtually risk free to them - in terms of time or in terms of money - AND by offering something of value.

Oh, and don't worry about whether you got your offer "right" the first time. It's the internet. Whatever you decide you can change your mind!

So there we have it. Just follow these few simple steps and take the focus off you and put it where it belongs - on the person who is your ideal client and with whom your web presence is communicating.

And who is communicating this information to you?

I am Peter Pocklington
I am a Good News Merchant
I am a purveyor of prosperity, and
I am my own personal guarantee.

Contact me any time. My organization is built to help you help yourself by helping others.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for listening

Invest in yourself, YOU ARE SO WORTH IT.

GOD BLESS!

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