Is Your Web Site Talking to Your Customer?

A while ago one of my clients approached me and mentioned that they were experiencing a serious problem with customer registrations (obtaining customer names and e-mail addresses), on their web site. They still had a lot of traffic, but were finding that the ratio between traffic and registrations had been dropping steadily.

H'mm, click-thru conversion rate I immediately thought, being the clever fellow I am. Or..., maybe product description? Or..., benefits?

Now a little step back: The product this company sells is very popular, especially within the higher middle income bracket and above, in this country. The company decided to also start selling this product on-line a year ago and the web site immediately attracted considerable traffic from inception. The subscription rate was never really a problem as everyone wanted to know when new product ranges were to be released. The Marketing Director was also always very careful to follow the basic rules of internet marketing.

So what had gone wrong ?

Back to the present: I decided to have a quick look at the web site before meeting with the Marketing Director. O, dear: Horror upon horror. The company had gone and changed the copy on the site.

I must say that I was very impressed with the great graphics and graphic functionality on the web site. One could do incredible displays with the product. And the technical descriptions of the product - something to die for! For the first time I now knew precisely what materials were used in the manufacturing process, how long items spent in various stages and that some material originated from space research. Wow, to die for!!!

So what?

Where were the benefits? What was in it for me as a customer?

Worse was still to come:

This web site was boring the heck out of me as a customer!

This web site was talking down to me!

Woe is me! I felt terrible - like an idiot, after working my way through the site (this talking down business really made me feel stupid), but manfully prepared for my meeting with the Marketing Director and sallied forth with my trusted colleagues called What, Who When, Where, How and my trusted right hand Why.

During the meeting it transpired that due to a number of technical queries the company received via the web site, they decided to revamp the site. The new site was to be more technically orientated to cater for the technical customers.

Aha, my trusted colleagues said. And what percentage of your internet customer base is technically orientated. And what are you actually wanting to sell - and to whom - and what do they want. Turned out that the company did not actually know what percentage of their customers wanted technical information. It was not a huge amount of people though. Turned out the company had not done any market research to determine this change. Turned out that someone had had a bright idea and changes were made without any research. Turned out the company tried to tell customers what the customers should want and need. Turned out the company ignored their customer.

H'mm - what did the company and I learn from this... again.

Sell the benefits of the product to the customer. A customer lands on a site - the customer has certain needs, be it hidden or overt. You need to satisfy those needs. This first question a customer asks is: What is in it for me ! Does this satisfy my need(s). What benefits are there for me ?

What my client did was to show the customers how clever the persons in the company is. It is the worst one can do. It talks down to the customer - look how clever I am !!! Let's talk about me, me, me and when you get tired of me, we'll talk about myself and I. What about the customer ? Rather talk about the customer - how this would meet his or her needs. How this product would reward all the hard work, be a status symbol to show off, how this product would save time.

Something else: This web site was downright boring. It did not talk to a person - in fact it was dead. It did not draw attention. Oh, attention - let me go down that track for a second. You want attention - you want a web site that talks to the customer. Ha - that means one has to constantly update content(copy) on a site. That is work that costs money.

Well, well, well, my colleagues say. Are you aware that the typical web customer reads/surfs about 20 to 30 sites per day. Are you aware that when a person is looking for something, they scan through a site. Are you aware that if you do not catch their attention with an attention grabbing headline you are going to lose them. Are you aware that you have between 10 and 20 seconds to grab their attention.

Your site must talk to your customer. Your site must grab the attention of the customer and you have between 10 and 20 seconds to do that. And what about keeping the customer coming back. That is a topic for another time, I think.

Back to my client: We compromised on a site that follows the principals I stated above, but also have a Technical area for those that wanted it. We built the site again with new copy.

Copy that addressed the needs and wants of customers.

Copy that was written from a customer's perspective.

Copy that sold benefits.

Copy that connected to customers as friends.

Copy that emphasized the "you" word and minimised the I/me words.

Copy that talked, connected and made the site talk.

And my client:

They are happy - their web site talks to their customers.

And the conversion rate:

Not going to tell you what it is, but it is high again and higher than before - for the moment, my client loves me.

And what is in this for you, dear reader:

Just one thing: "Make your web site talk to your customer"

Leon Williams runs eBusWiz and is "Actively living his dream". More articles can be found at: http://www.ebuswiz/blog

More information at: http://www.ebuswiz/blog

and articles at: http://www.ebuswiz/blog

Wood Dale Chicago prom limo .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare
In The News:

Fueled by artificial intelligence, CyberDog the robotic dog is designed specifically locate fire ant nests, which are endangering ecosystems.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents
Internet browsers are useful, but they can be dangerous. Clicking on malicious links can direct you to dangerous websites that steal information or infect your device.
Apple's latest iOS update introduces advanced artificial intelligence capabilities, which may be capturing and analyzing sensitive information.
Breach site confirmed 56,904,909 Hot Topic users' data leaked online. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says the company's silence makes matters even worse.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson discusses how an innovative Easy-Way kit turns standard strollers electric, simplifying navigation for parents.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about T-Mobile being hacked in broad cyberattack on global phone and internet companies.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson shows you how to add, customize and manage widgets for quick access to apps and info from your iPhone home screen.
Wrong Google searches can not only compromise your device and personal data. They can also bring law enforcement to your doorstep. Hackers are targeting Google searches.
China's Shanghai Kepler Robotics has developed a new humanoid robot that can carry up to 35 pounds per hand for commercial applications across various industries
Checking your hearing has gotten easier with the new hearing test feature in AirPods Pro 2. You can take reliable hearing tests using your iPhone or iPad.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains how a VPN — virtual private network — works and how running it can slow down the operation of your device.
The WalkON Suit F1, an exoskeleton developed to help people with disabilities, can actually walk over to a person in a wheelchair, solving a major problem.
ClickFix, a new scam targeting computer users, is on the rise in the U.S. The scam prompts its targets to click on a link to fix a problem.
Skydweller is the world's largest unmanned solar-powered aircraft that can stay airborne for weeks, and even months, without refueling.
The U.S. government said it is investigating after People's Republic of China hackers targeted commercial telecommunications service providers in the U.S.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Scammers are using increasingly sophisticated ways to lure unsuspecting victims, and some are impersonating an email help desk or support team.
You can unsend or edit your iMessages with the latest iOS updates. Kurt the CyberGuy explains how you can save yourself some potential embarrassment.
Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says there’s been a rise in cybercriminal services using hacked police and government emails to send subpoenas and data requests to U.S. companies.
Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson discusses how Axiom Space and luxury designer Prada are collaborating on NASA's Artemis III spacesuit design.
Voice assistants may cause confusion across devices. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson offers some solutions to fix it.
Shameless scammers trick veterans into giving personal info or cash. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson explores five common scams.

Business Website Building Do?s and Don?ts

First, using a lot of web graphics, flash, banners and... Read More

Build It and They Will Come

Build it and they will come is not always true;... Read More

Traffic for Webmasters

"If you build it, they will come"; is an age... Read More

Free Websites & Why You Should Avoid Them

It amazes me how many people try to build serious... Read More

Effective Webdesign

D.zigns dzignerwebs The Basics Before starting on... Read More

Content Management ? The New Standard in Web Design

The evolution of web development parallels the model of technology... Read More

Your Website Reflects Your Business

Some left shoes are in isle 5, while the right... Read More

5 Tips To Supercharge Your Website Sales Copy

The art of turning website visitors into paying customers depends... Read More

Ecommerce for Beginners

Like most average persons, I wanted some extra money to... Read More

Now You Have a Web Site - Have You Ever Heard of Accessibility?

An accessible Web site is easily approached, easily understood, and... Read More

You Need a Website!

No matter the size of your business, having a web... Read More

Free Isnt Always Good - 5 Reasons Why You Need Your Own Website

Often time I've browsed sites and seen the same thing... Read More

Creating Dynamic Website Content with PHP - MySQL

Fresh website content for your visitors can be of real... Read More

Websites: You Get What You Pay For!

So you finally decided to invest in a web presence... Read More

How One Word Or Even One Letter Can Boost Conversion Rates By Over 400%!

Recently I was reviewing the keyword specific conversion rate data... Read More

Developing A Login System With PHP And MySQL

Most interactive websites nowadays would require a user to log... Read More

Website Success is Key

The popular search engine Google indexes over 8 billion websites.... Read More

Trust Us! Sending Credible Messages

A company must earn and keep trust or sales don't... Read More

Planning Your Website for Success

Most people know they need a website in order to... Read More

How to Build a Database Driven Web Site

If you ever want to create a state directory, article... Read More

Web Development Processes and Technical Environments

The process of Web application development is critical to the... Read More

Build a Web Site that Works...Even for a Safari Hobby!

My life's greatest passion is a safari hobby. And what... Read More

You Dont Know Which One

I still remember it very clear ... It was almost... Read More

Your Content for Nothing and Your Clicks for Free

The first thing my business consultant (read brother-in-law) asked me,... Read More

The Problem with Paypal On Your Web Page

When I set up my website I felt paypal was... Read More

Antigo wedding limo ..