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Is Your Web Site Turning Visitors Away?
One of the biggest problems with Web sites is that the very first pageon the site is turning people away. Why? Because most Web site owners talk about themselves instead oftalking about their Web site visitor. You know what I mean. How often have you visited a Web site thatstarts off with the big bold heading "Welcome to XYX Company"? And it only goes downhill from there. The next paragraph says something like "XYZ Company has worked for 40years in manufacturing, testing and selling ABC products to businessesaround North America and the world. Blah blah blah ... who cares ... Yawn!" That sort of introduction is almost guaranteed to lose you business! But why is it so common? I think it's because people don't know whatelse to write! So in this article I'm going to give you a formula for writing compellingtext on your home page. Here's the formula in a nutshell: BAD, WORSE, GOOD, HOW, YOU. Here's how it works ... I'm going to expand on these in a minute. But first notice that the firstfour are all about THEM, and you only start talking about YOU in the verylast step. OK, let's look at each of these in turn ... === 1. Show them what's BAD in their business/life. === What is your customer's biggest problem? What are they most worried about?What causes them to stay awake at night, tossing and turning? The first step is simply to state that problem. That immediately gets rapport because itshows that you understand them. And it engages them as well. For example, suppose you're a realtor looking for new clients, and youknow that most vendors are worried about getting the best price for theirhouse. You might start like this: "Selling your home is one of the biggest financial decisions that youwill make in your life. How can you be sure that you're getting the bestprice for it? And how can you be sure that your realtor is getting thebest deal for YOU, not just the best commission for themselves?" === 2. Show them that it's WORSE than they thought. === OK, you've got their attention, but do they really understand how bad theproblem is? What are the consequences of having this problem? If you diga little deeper, you'll uncover the real costs associated with it. For example, you might go on to say: "You might choose a realtor who's local, or who has been referred toyou, or maybe even some distant uncle who does this for a living. Butwhat if they don't get the best deal for you? This could cost youa fortune! For instance, even if the price they get for youis just 1% lower than what it should be, that could amount to thousands ofdollars. That's money out of YOUR pocket. And if you're planning to usethat as a deposit on your new home, that 1% will cost you many MOREthousands of dollars interest in the coming years." === 3. Show them how GOOD it could be. === OK, now you've got them worried! They might have started out as neutral,bored or complacent. But now you've shown them the real cost, they areforced to think harder about their decision. Now you show them the other side of the coin: If they didn't have thisproblem, what are the benefits to them? For example: "On the other hand, what if your agent got you 1% MORE than the normalprice? A good agent can do that for you. Now that's extra money in yourpocket! Money that you can use on a vacation. Or the college fund. Oran extra deposit on your new home, which could save you many times thatamount in interest." === 4. Show them HOW to fix it. === Now you tell them - briefly - how to fix it. Like this: "The secret of getting the best price for your house is to constantlysell its value, not its market price. If you know what your buyer'shot buttons are, you can make sure that all your marketing is aimedat pressing those buttons." === 5. Tell them how YOU can help. === Finally, you describe how YOU can help them to implement that solution,like this: "Our team of trained professionals works closely with you to get thebest possible price for your home. All of our realtors have at least10 years experience in the market, all are currently active workingwith clients just like you, and all have Blah Blah qualifications.Contact us now for a free consultation, etc. etc." === Do you see how simple this is? === I hope you can see the simplicity and elegance of the BAD / WORSE /GOOD / HOW / YOU formula. In just a few short paragraphs, it establishes rapport, demonstratesunderstanding, provides a solution, establishes your credibility,and encourages action. For another example of this process in action, visit the front pageof my Web site at http://GihanPerera.com. Gihan Perera is the author of "Make More Money From Your WebSite". Visit http://www.firststep.com.au and get your freee-book "The Seven Fatal Mistakes That Almost Every BusinessOwner Makes on Their Web Site" - PLUS free resale rights.
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