What Makes An Effective Website

As in any element of your business, you need to do two things with your website:

1. build a RELATIONSHIP with your customer
2. offer something of VALUE to them

Let me elaborate on them two points.

Building A Relationship With Your Customer

When seeking a solution to their particular problem, people will usually opt for someone they know they can trust and it is your job as a business and therefore the job of your website to help build that sense of trust between the customer and yourself. This can be done by making them feel the site is customised to them personally, by introducing yourself using videos, audio, pictures and quotes or something as simple as displaying key contacts within the business.

Offering Something Of Value To Them

Put yourself in your customers shoes. What is it they have come onto your website for? what is the problem they have that you have the solution for? Talk about them and their problems not you and your services. Offer them something that has really high value to them in exchange for their email address - such as a free guide, free consultation or a free introductory session.

Write Good Copy

You need to get to know your ideal customer on an intimate level. Think about their deepest desires and frustrations. Talk about what they want to know about. Dont waffle on about what it is you do or how long you have been established for - talk about the benefits of what you do and exactly how you can help your target customer and solve their problem.

Some Extra Words Of Advice

People usually decide if they are going to stay on a website within the first few seconds of landing on it so what you need to do is to create instant and immediate value for your users so they know they are in the right place. You should always make sure that you lead them from A to B throughout your site, keep things simple and eliminate choice for them so they dont get confused and click that close button. You should profile your customers and have that as the focus of your site.