Doesn't it seem as though our world is all talk; no listening? Social media is all about what the poster wants you to know about what they stand for, what their company's positions are.
Watch T.V. and see commercials telling you what they want you to believe or think. The majority of websites are all about what the site owner wants you to know about their products and services.
Where do you come into the conversation?
Time to Start Listening
Two primary guideposts over my decades of consulting are:
- Listen to my client's questions and concerns. Cater to that information.
- Advise my client's to do the same for their target market and help them implement that strategy.
Here's my “Three Time Rule”. When I first notice a concern or am asked a question I make a mental note. If that topic or concern is brought up again, I include it in a file I have on my desktop to investigate further.
The third time? I add it to my site, FAQ or Blog so that when asked again I can provide a link with a personalized response.
Interested site visitors can seek and find my response to their concern in detail with little effort. When I provide the link in an email, it is followed by my note to reach out with any further questions they may have. Win-win.
Blah-Blah-Blah
How many times have you visited to a website to discover content that is wordsmithed to death? You know, all the corporate gobbledygook that sounds like a team of attorneys or so-called intellectuals wrote what they thought they were supposed to say. Words that have no meaning or impact on you.
Happens to me all the time. No personality, no humanizing personal details, not a single sentence that you, the site visitor, can relate to. The content is barely readable. The company doesn't appear to be approachable. Where's that back button!?
While I now know how “great” they are I really have no idea if they are a company that wants to do business with me. Or I with them.
Review Your Site Content
The very same analogy goes for your website no matter your size. Is your site filled with all the flowery superfluous information YOU want potential customers to know from YOUR perspective? Or does your site talk TO your site visitors not AT them?
What may surprise you is that this is two entirely different approaches in how you present your information.
A simple example:
Talking AT: We pride ourselves on being the company that produces the most widgets.
Talking TO: We would like to make your life easier by being the one-stop-shop for all your widget needs.
See what I did? I made the statement about the customer — not the company's production rate.
Customers First Site Content
Make the time to put on your customer hat and review all your site content. Think about what questions your site visitors have and what problems you can solve for them. You do this by directly addressing their doubts, concerns and needs. With this approach you'll cater to what they want to know (and need to know) so they can choose to do business with you!
At your service,
