We all have one of those friends. You know the type. The ones that no matter what happens, have the ability to make the situation about them. Have you ever been trying to tell a friend something really important, perhaps really vulnerable, and they end up changing the whole conversation about that one time their zipper was undone in front of their boss, when they got dumped in the rain, or some other random story? Believe it or not, YOU may be acting like that friend on your website! It’s a common website mistake that I see with many of my clients.
The Big Mistake
The mistake is this: Oftentimes, in the excitement of creating a new website, we make our website about us – how great we are, how much experience we have, why we’re the best one for the job. While this is important and definitely has it’s place, the best way to attract engaged customers is to make it about THEM.
It’s a simple mistake made with good intentions. Creating a website is exciting! One can get easily fall into checklist mode. What else do I need? How do my photos look? Do I have A, B, and C in place? And although it’s important to make sure your website has everything YOU want on it, it’s crucial that you realize that your website is not about you.
The Hard Truth
Every individual is the protagonist, or hero, of their story and they want to keep it that way. That’s likely why you thought it made sense to point the messaging of your website to you – after all, this is YOUR business right? Well, let me let you in on a little secret.
They don’t care about what you can do.
They care about what you can do FOR THEM.
So how can you stop making this mistake and help your clients win? In his book Building a Story Brand, Donald Miller draws this comparison – “Imagine your customer is a hitchhiker. You pull over to give him a ride, and the one burning question on his mind is simply Where are you going? But as he approaches, you roll down the window and start talking about your mission statement, or how your grandfather built this car with his bare hands, or how your road-trip playlist is all 1980s alternative. This person doesn’t care.”
The Solution
So how can you avoid this common website mistake? Take a look at your website. Imagine you are a potential customer with one question in mind – “How can this person help me?”, then answer these questions:
- Does your website answer their question?
- How quickly does it answer the question?
- Most importantly, Does it make your ideal client the hero of their story?
If you find that your website is more about you than about your client, then it’s time for a change. Take some time to evaluate what you can make better. Take small steps if you need to! Creating a place where your client feels understood will make your website stand out from the rest and help you serve them better. Stop making this simple, common website mistake and start showing up intentionally for your client. Don’t worry, you’ve got this!
Have questions? Shoot me an email!
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