Great brands obsess about the transformation of their customers.” – Donald Miller
When a Customer Visits Your Website They are Searching for Transformation
Whether a customer wants to be thinner, richer, younger, appear more successful, have a lawn everyone envies, or become the best party planner in town, they are ultimately pursuing transformation. They have a problem and are searching for a solution.
Transformation is the foundational principle on which to build your website.
The single force behind every decision your customer is making is their desire to transform.
The goal of your website is to convince customers you can help them accomplish the change they desire.
“Brands that participate in the identity transformation of their customers create passionate brand evangelists.” Donald Miller
Before you create your website answer this key question, “How does my customer want to be described by others?”
By identifying the aspirational identity of your customer before you create your website, your website will be more successful in emotionally connecting with your customer.
Remember, customers’ buying decisions are based on emotions not purely logical decision making.
Websites under deliver when they are:
- purely information based
- fail to address the aspirational identity of the customer
- ignore the emotional element of buying
- cluttered with no white space
- filled with too much text
- fail to show empathy for customer’s problem and pain
The goal of your website is to help your customer quickly discern your brand is the solution to their problem.
Employ Donald Miller’s Grunt Test as you review your site. Can a visitor answer these questions in 5 seconds?
- What do you offer?
- How will it make my life better?
- What do I need to do to buy it?
When You Implement Your StoryBrand BrandScript Into Your Website Your Customers Will Understand Why They Need Your Product.
- Your Website should be an elevator pitch for your business. Simple, Clear, Compelling.
- Remember your website is like a first date. Don’t overwhelm your customers with too many details.
- Too much noise kills sales. Be brief and basic. Create a desire for more. Do not bore.
Use the following checklist to audit your website.
5 THINGS YOUR WEBSITE MUST INCLUDE
VERY FEW WORDS
- In our mobile culture, customers are scanning, skimming, and scrolling while multitasking.
- Your website must be clear and succinct.
- In as few words as possible demonstrate how your brand can solve their problem, evoke curiosity, and create the desire to learn more.
- Try to cut your word count in half.
- Use the “read more” feature. This trick keeps your website clean but gives your customers access to the information they need.
IMAGES OF SUCCESS
- Everyone wants a better life, so your website images should project a better life.
- The imagines should project the emotional destination (the aspirational identity) of your customer.
- Yes, you need to display your product, but your header should project the image of success for your customer.
AN OFFER ABOVE THE FOLD
- Give a clear, customer-centric benefit in your header.
- Clearly answer your customer’s question, “What’s in it for me?”
- Promise an aspirational identity.
- Promise to solve a problem.
- Simply state what you do.
OBVIOUS CALL TO ACTION
- Clearly state what action you want the customer to take.
- Make your call to action such as “buy now” or “order today” button a different color.
- Since customers read website headers in a Z pattern, put one “buy now” in the top right corner of the header and one “buy now” in the bottom left.
- Yes, I am recommending two calls to actions in the header of your website.
- Your transitional call to action (your lead generator) also needs to be placed in your header.
- “Buy Now” is a commitment. “Download the Cheat Sheet” is simply buying time to get to know one another. You need a Call to Action for commitment and a Transitional Call to Action to build a relationship.
BREAKDOWN OF YOUR REVENUE STREAMS
- Create a BrandScript for each of your revenue streams.
- Review your BrandScript and create an umbrella message that ties all of your revenue streams together.
- Place the umbrella message on your header.
- Create a separate page for each of your revenue streams.
Lead Generating Websites Avoid:
- Focusing on your brand rather than the customer.
- Wasting your customers’ time with too many words.
- Including non relevant pictures such as your office, your equipment, your history.
It’s crucial to complete your StoryBrand BrandScript before you create your website.
Your BrandScript contains each element you’ll need for your website.
If it’s not in the BrandScript, don’t include it on your website.
When you clarify your message, customers listen and they buy!
Businesses who have followed their StoryBrand BrandScript to create a StoryBrand based website have doubled, tripled, and even quadrupled in growth.
If growth is your goal and you need help creating your StoryBrand BrandScript or your website, then reach out to me at hope@hopeschaefer.com