Why is no one visiting your website?
I’ll tell you why. It’s not because your website is the equivalent of the 6pm slot at Live Aid and you just don’t have Freddie Mercury as your front man.
No.
It’s because you’re not giving the people what they want.
In the fabulous Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, the mantra of Queen was that their music was for the people – specifically the people at the back of the room, the awkward, shuffly types who couldn’t really afford a ticket. Now this MAY BE a bit of re-writing history from the notoriously controlling ex-band members wishing to make out this was their intention all along, and that they never wanted to be cool or liked by the critics.
But that’s by the by.
The lesson for us here (sit up at the back) is that if you keep in mind that you need to give people what they want, then your website will be a success.
I know that sounds so simple. Why wouldn’t you do this? But it’s easier said than done.
Because I’ve done it myself
And it’s because I’m too close to my business to be able to see the wood for the trees sometimes, in the same way that you are.
It’s easy to become immune to the value we provide, because we see it as just doing our job, and don’t think it’s worth making a song and dance about. And also, once we start describing it, it’s really tempting to do it in too much detail because we’re specialists and we’re too close to it.
The thing is our clients aren’t
They’re novices, and busy ones at that. They’re in the middle of their lives when they click on your website.
Your clients might have golf on their mind or a grandchild on their knee at the time. They haven’t got the brain space to take in the fact that you work with a DFM and that only a few financial advisers do, so this is a good thing. If they felt in any way intimidated or embarrassed about seeing a financial adviser before, they’ll be feeling 10 times worse now.
So you’ve got to take it nice and easy.
Plus you have 5 seconds to make an impression
In this day and age where there are so many… OOH LOOK KITTENS …sorry, distractions, it’s hard to keep people’s attention. Your website probably has about 5 seconds grace before people click off, so you have to make an impression.
How do you do that?
You need to think carefully about your audience, what they want that you offer, and the format you’re performing in (eg your website).
And so we’re back to Queen
Queen’s mind blowing slot at 1985 benefit gig Live Aid is generally seen as the high point of the show. But as a band they were past their peak at the time and weren’t expected to shine. They knew Live Aid was a golden opportunity for them and so they took the planning of it seriously.
Like everyone else, they had a 20-minute slot, but they understood the idea of it being a Global jukebox. They chose a set list with as many shortened versions of their tunes as possible, choosing those that spanned the decades, that the audience would recognise, and that they could sing along to.
Unlike U2 who only played two songs and opted for the best time for American audiences, Queen opted for the 6pm slot that would appeal to the world.
Knowing they were the underdogs, they rehearsed thoroughly and went on to deliver the performance of their lives. Elton John told them afterwards: “You bastards! You stole the show!”
Sharpening up your message
You may feel you offer a lot more than an overview of your services, but your website is no place for the 5-minute version of Bohemian Rhapsody. Your client doesn’t want to know product information or that you offer funds from the Far East. That’s the Live Aid equivalent of playing a song no one knows yet just so you can advertise your new album. I’M LOOKING AT YOU ADAM ANT.
They want to feel something, they want to know the emotional benefits working with you will bring. So, put the client first and foremost in your mind at all times. Tell them what they want to hear. Don’t talk about yourself too much. Talk about how what you do benefits them.
The best thing about this approach is that it pleases Google
Google likes it if your website seems as if it’s giving people what they want. It favours sites that shows the visitor is engaging with your site, finding the information they were looking for, spending time on your pages and looking at other ones.
High ‘bounce’ rates – when people leave your site after a few seconds – tell Google that your site isn’t answering your client’s query, and therefore doesn’t deserve a high ranking.
So forget the technicalities and the features, focus on the benefits. Give the people what they want, and you’ll get what you want too.
Is it time your website had a refresh? Then just email me or give me a ring on: 07920 042240.
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