Why does your website look the way it does?
Was it designed from the point of view of the person needing your service?
If so, well done. If not, read on…
When you’re buying a car, do you decide what you need it to do (size, seats vs space, fuel economy, etc.) and then go out and get the one that does what you need, or do you go to a garage and ask them to get you a car?
Oddly most people approach their website with less planning than buying a car. It’s especially bizarre when you consider your source of income is going to determine every car you buy in the future.
There seem to be three ways we go about creating our websites:
1. The logic goes: I need one, I’ll talk to a designer and they’ll sort it for me. After all they’re the expert.
This is usually a disaster. Often a subtle one as you don’t see what you’re missing, but the designer is not an expert on reaching your clients. They are an expert at putting together a site. Don’t get those two things confused.
2. I know what I want on my site so I’ll tell the designer what to do or do it myself.
This is usually better, but most often will perform poorly. The worst person to advertise your business is you, because you understand it too well. Your expertise is a handicap in reaching people. You need a perspective that comes from someone who doesn’t understand what you do or how it works.
3. I need to get my clients point of view and needs into mind and work to serve them with the site.
This is the one that wins. If the people who need your help, can identify their needs on your site then they will realise you can help them. That has to be done from ‘the problem up’. That is to say, how they feel, what they notice, and their fears need to be addressed first. Then you tell them about your awesome skills and abilities.
Most therapists list their credentials, the type of therapy/coaching they do, and even list jargon like ‘metabolic syndrome’ or ‘improved performance’ rather than what the client understands and is aware of.
No one cares what qualifications you have when compared with the answer to this simple question: ‘Can you help me?’
Keep it simple, have someone who doesn’t know much about what you do, read your content and have them tell you what it means to them. Try not to get upset when they do 🙂
Then simplify and adjust until it’s understood by the layman.
Keep sharing your help.