Let's assume that when it comes to WordPress websites everything is equal. You have a great looking website that loads in 2 seconds, and looks great on mobile. How do you stand out from the rest of the billions of websites online?
I was doing some research for a project I'm working on and was going through some of my bookmarks. (Boy, do I have bookmarks!) If you are like me one link leads to another and another and… I can get lost reading for hours.
So I clicked on the title of this one bookmark titled Why ‘Social Conversion' Is A Term You Should Know. The first thing I noticed was the article is from 2008. But it is just as, if not more, relevant now.
The following quote within that article is what inspired this post:
…the most compelling form of marketing is one that establishes a rapport between our organization's expertise and those who care.
~ Justin Talerico
When I reread the article it dawned on me that this is part of a conversation I have with clients on a regular basis. It is that very rapport that is missing on websites that do not experience the success the site owner desires.
Quite often I work with folks who do not know what their potential customers care about, how to address their concerns and needs. They all think they “know”. But is that reflected on their websites? Not really.
What Does Your Market Care About?
It is common for me to ask: “What does your target customer care about?” This is usually after reviewing their visually generic website, lacking quality content and images with a “corporatey” or boringly generic About page.
After asking that question I am generally met with silence…
Most site owners have never thought of their marketing from this perspective before. They know what they want to relay to customers about how great their product or service is. But that's about it.
However, that approach leaves one party out of the conversation. The customer. You need to know and explicitly address what your potential customers care about in order to create a presentation that caters to them.
The answer to this question goes far beyond what most assume and offer. The answers I usually receive are “good service” and “the best price”. Service is a given — it's mandatory for any business to succeed.
The best price — not so much. While being competitive is important, I don't believe in business models that are based on a race to the bottom. That the cheapest price is best. Maybe on commodity items, but most folks do not sell commodity items.
Back to the analogy of if everything is equal — say the price is too. Then what makes your website, business, products so special?
You. Your story. Your Passions.
Being like everyone else doesn't set you apart. Looking like every other website just causes you to blend in with all the others. When you personalize your visuals and content with your unique personality and what makes you different — that's when you stand out. That's how you attract visitors that care.
If you don't share your story, if you are not passionate about why you are creating, offering, selling what you do, then why would customers be enthused to do business with you? They won't.
When you share your story — and why you are passionate about what you do, you are also sharing what is important to your potential customers. There is always a synergy there that potential customers can relate to.
When deciding who to do business with, again if everything is equal, wouldn't you gravitate towards the website/person/company that you feel “gets” you? Of course you will. Speaking for myself, I'll even pay a little more to do business with folks like that.
Personality oozes into everything else…
Knowing what visitors care about guides you on the focus, visuals, navigation and structure of your website. Next comes content created based on that approach reflecting your unique personality.
On this website, my personality is obvious in my content and graphics. You get a clear window into what I believe in, my ethics, how I do business and why. It's all me — and I put it out there.
Social media use and blogging provides the opportunity to connect with your market. Every single thing we do online is in fact marketing. Every bit, byte, comment, graphic, email, post, article — everything.
That's what you need to do on your website. Make it so that it would never be able to be anyone else's website but yours. Because it is you.
Feeling Lost in All The Noise?
Stop and consider that there are billions of web pages and millions of quality websites out there (as of January 2020 there were over 1.74 billion websites on the Internet). Wouldn't it make sense to consider, learn about and find out everything possible when it comes to what makes your customers tick?
Social media is one such tool. Another important factor is having a Blog that relates that you understand your market that via your personality, passions and areas of expertise.
Creating Customer-centric Lists
Client-centric, also known as customer–centric, is an approach to doing business that focuses on creating a positive experience for the customer by maximizing service and/or product offerings and building relationships.
Investopedia.com
Let's create some lists to help you establish an editorial calendar for your blog and social activities that includes topics you can intuitively write about. Topics you can research and investigate. Do so will, at the same time, cater to what your customers care about.
- Tips you know customers can put to work.
- Topics your customers need help with.
- Aspirations that you can encourage.
- Needs that you can fill.
- Concerns you can resolve.
- Questions your site visitors/customers ask.
By creating these lists you will be better able to target those who will care about what you have to offer. They will see you as genuine and approachable because you are mirroring what they are thinking about.
Knowing what your target market cares about allows you directly and specifically talk to those concerns, desires, hopes, needs. You contribute to building relationships that turn into repeat customers and recommendations. Plus you've helped them out — and that's worth a bookmark every time!
Attracting Customers that Care
You cannot be everything to everyone; nor is it even wise to attempt to be so. But by doing what you do best, typing about it with passion and personality while catering to your potential customers needs, that's when the magic happens.
When you make that connection, those who care (your market, your target customers, your suppliers, your partners) will welcome the opportunity to join you on your journey to success.
At your service,
