How to invite your customers into a story
Updated: Jul 2, 2020
Nothing compels the human brain like a great story; this is how you invite your website visitors into a story, with you as their guide
If you're feeling frustrated that your website isn't generating enough business leads, read on and learn how you can use the power of story to capture your target customers attention and ignite your revenue growth.
When a visitor first lands on your site, they are focused on finding a solution to their problem or something that will benefit them. You need to invite them into a story where they are the hero, where they overcome any obstacles they are facing and get what they want. Every link, button, image, video and piece of text should serve that story.
However, if you're including lots of extra information, you might well be losing money.
In order to avoid them hitting the back button and losing them to the next search engine result, use these 6 tactics to invite them into a story and get your website working harder for you:
1. Use images, video and/or words that communicate what you do, how it will make their better and what they need to do to buy or engage with your company.
If you can use video to help visualize how great life will be using, or after using your product or service, even better. Human beings are hardwired to strive for a better future, help your customers see what that looks like – don’t make them work hard to figure it out.
2. Pick three key benefits of working with you or buying your product and put these front and centre on your site.
Talk to your existing customers if you’re not sure what these are. Keep these benefits concise and focus on real value rather than vague buzzwords. We suggest including these early on your main home page.
If your business is more complex, you’ll need to think about the overarching benefits or think about how you might use sub pages to highlight the key reasons why you can make their life better with different products or services.
3. Stop using long paragraphs of text about your company mission, vision and values.
Your customers don’t care at this stage and it only serves to distract from the primary objective of the site – to convert visitors into real customer enquiries.
When you do talk about your company, do it in a way that shows empathy for your customers and authority in your industry, relate it back to them without being boastful… they are not looking for a hero, they are looking for a guide!
4. You don’t need to include links to every part of your site and every product
These only serve to divert your visitors attention away from your calls to action.
5. Don’t be afraid to remind your customers what’s at stake if they don’t buy your product or service.
If there’s nothing at stake and no consequences for not working with you, there is no reason to work with you.
Now you need to be cautious about the words you use here, it’s not about being a scaremonger, but rather reminding your customer that your product or service solves a genuine problem, or helps them achieve a better future.
6. Make it easy for your customers to see how they can do business with you, give them a simple road-map or plan for success.
Three step plans work best here, even if working with you involves 10 or 20 steps, try to break it down into 3 easy to understand phases.
When your customer is considering buying from you, they are putting themselves at risk (risk of losing money, losing face, losing reputation), so you need to give them a path to follow that reduces that anxiety.