Many of you don’t know that I started out (after dropping the newspaper industry like it was hot) building websites. By hand.
Like with HTML and CSS. This was pre-Dreamweaver, which was one of the first WYSIWYG platforms on the market.
While in college I wanted to go to grad school to do magazine design — but only two schools in the country offered it and it was the opposite direction my soon to be husband and I would be going for his PT school — so that dream died out. But I think that’s why I loved websites so much. Because it reminds me, abstractly, of magazine design.
So — in 15 years of picking apart website and rebranding them, here are the five biggest mistakes that are costing people conversions and how to fix them:
PROBLEM #1: You’re being too general in your copy.
Solution: You only get a second or two to make an impression on your visitor — and if you aren’t drawing them in with the first line of copy, you’ve lost them. They’ll never see the beautiful graphics you slaved over.
All the content you painstakingly created.
The beautifully photoshopped pictures you posed for.
The first copy on your page should include who you work with, how you help them and what the result is after working together.
Treat your website like the top half of the newspaper. In journalism, it’s called “above the fold.” The MOST important stories with the juiciest details and best photographs are always at the top of the front page with the biggest headline. It should be the same way with your website.
PROBLEM #2: You have too many calls-to-action on your site.
Solution: You’re the expert in your subject.
Give your visitors ONE thing to do on your site and repeat it over and over again. If you ask them to optin to your freebie, join your mailing list, schedule a fitting call and join your Facebook group all in the same line on your site, you’ve lost them.
Eliminate the confusion and decision overload by giving them the best recommendation you have and pointing everything to that one thing.
PROBLEM #3: It’s not clear what you do.Solution: Sometimes when I review a site, I can’t tell what it is they do, and I’ve worked with them! It needs to be obvious what your specialty is, how you work/help people and what they need to do to take the next step with you. Resources from the Bundle:Attract Perfect-For-You Clients
PROBLEM #4It’s not clear how to work with you and/or purchase.Solution: If you are a service based business, as the majority of my clients are, you need to explain how exactly you work with your clients, what all you help with and what the relationship looks like. It’s why I do the live strategy sessions on the podcast. Not only do I want you to be able to take the advice and apply it to your own business, but I also want you to understand what it would be like to do a strategy session with me yourself, and how I could fit into helping your business. It’s much easier to convert someone to be a client if they can picture how you’d help them. Next steps:Get specific on your website of how to take the next step, how you work with people + what to expect
PROBLEM #5Your website is too busy.Solution: If you have too much going on in the design and layout of your website, your visitor will leave without a glance back. The more things that are presented for someone to browse, the less likely it is they’ll click on anything. Next steps:Simplify your design + content
