Your business website probably isn’t living up to its potential. But you can change that. Here’s how.
If you’re like most business owners, you put together a website with beautiful photography, a quirky story about how you got started, and a list of all the things your product or service does. It is truly a work of art.
After you finished it up, you linked it to your google listing or social media pages, sat back, and waited for it to make money.
And it didn’t.
Here’s why: Your competition also has a beautiful website, quirky story, and a list of all the things their product does. In today’s saturated market, the key to selling something on your website doesn’t lie in the beauty of your site.
The key to selling on your website is being quick and clear in your communication to your customer.
Whether you’re an online business or a local business, your website needs to pass “The Blink Test.”
The Blink Test is simple:
In 5 seconds or less, can a visitor to your site understand what you sell, why they need it, and how to get it?
If not, the chances that you’ll make a sale go down drastically!
The reason is simple: a customer’s brain doesn’t want to put any more effort into purchasing your product than it needs to. Wading through the pretty pictures, the tech specs, and the industry jargon is just too hard.
The Blink Test brings the three things your customer needs to know right to the top so they don’t even have to think about whether or not they should buy. A quick click of the button, and they’re on their way to a purchase.
The First Line: Your Product
For many businesses, prime real estate goes to your company’s name or logo. This is great if your company name is also your product name (think Enterprise Rent-A-Car for car rental, Burger King for burgers, or Dunkin’ Donuts for donuts), but for many companies, this isn’t the case.
If your company name is something more abstract, like Sony, Starbucks, or Geico, your name and logo should not get the top billing on your site. Make your logo smaller and off to the side or on the nav bar.
The top line of the center of your website header should contain a short description of your product or service. These 3-5 words should describe your product accurately, but should not contain super-technical terms, unless you’re targeting a very technical audience.
Examples: Eco-Friendly Pet Subscription Box. Your Neighborhood Winery. Farm-Fresh Eggs. Iowa’s Best Pizza. Affordable Life Insurance. Social Media Coaching.
The Second Line: Why Your Customer Needs Your Product
This line is key, and it’s missing from 90% of the websites out there. You don’t want to have to try to convince your to buy your product, but you do need to tell her why she should buy is.
Or more accurately, your customer wants to know :HOW WILL MY LIFE BE BETTER IF I BUY THIS?
The second line of your header should be a single sentence about how the product makes your customer’s life better.
A hair salon could say “never have a bad hair day again.”
A cleaning company could say, “have more time with your family.”
A dog treat company could say, “Know you’re choosing the healthiest treat for Fido.”
The Third Line: Buy Now
Your third line should make it easy for your customer to purchase. She shouldn’t have to hunt to try to figure out how to buy from you!
For online businesses, this is easy. A “Buy Now” or “Book a Session” button is a direct way to tell your customer what she needs to do to buy from you.
But this works for local businesses, too.
A hair salon or restaurant can add a “Call Now” or “Book an Appointment” button so your customer can call and make an appointment or reservation right there on the site.
A store or event venue can add a “Find Us” button that pulls up a maps link so she can get directions to your place without leaving the site.
Struggling with the clarity of your small business website?