The other day, Kama was talking with a potential client. We’ll call him John. Anyway, John was considering hiring a company to help him with his social marketing–to the tune of $1-5k a month. A business owner friend told him to not even think about it until his website looked better.
Why worry?
Why worry about the website? Because it looked awful. The challenge was that John had built it himself and things seemed to be going okay. He just wanted to increase awareness and sales and thought using social media might be the solution.
So why would his friend tell him to worry about his website first? Because first impressions matter.
The disconnect
Kama talked with John, asking questions about his business and what he wanted to accomplish. In passing, she mentioned how she hears from almost all of her clients that their customers, clients, colleagues, trade-show attendees, and others really like their new websites.
John’s response interesting. He said that feedback like that was that made sense for a web designer, but all he was looking for was results.
Can you feel the disconnect? In Kama’s mind the fact that our client’s network like the new website says that the site is resonating and getting results.
For John he’s not see any value in spending money on something “pretty”. He just wants more sales, more customers.
A common mistake
What John isn’t understanding is common for many business owners. And it’s perpetuated by the industry. Too many people create “pretty” websites but fail to consider your business needs and your audience.
What do I mean by considering your audience? That’s thinking very strategically about what the client or customer needs. They need a site that is visually aligned with what they want, desire, or need. They need to read words that let them say, “This is what I’ve been looking for. These people get me.” They need a site that is easy to navigate as they move toward satisfying their want, desire, or need.
Too many websites ignore all that and maybe look pretty. Too often the design itself is questionable as well. But hey, looks are subjective. Our goal is to design for the end-user, not just our client’s preferences. Remember you’re in business to help your clients, so your website is ultimately for them.
The building blocks of getting results
A quality website doesn’t just look good. It’s built on insights gained from considering what will work for the visitors to that website. It’s a blend of art and science. It’s blending social psychology, copywriting, behavioral science, and design to creating a customer experience that allows some visitors to say, “This is what I’ve been looking for. These people get me”. It’s about creating a connection between you and your ideal client.
What John wanted was results. That is exactly what a quality website delivers.
How can you tell if a designer is going to deliver a quality website, one that delivers results? By the questions, they ask.
If the majority of the questions are about fonts, colors, pictures, and responsive design, if anything, you’re probably going to get a “pretty” website.
On the other hand, if the questions are like the following you can expect a different outcome.
- How did you get started in this business?
- Tell me about your ideal client?
- What are your objectives?
- Why spend money on a website?
- Why build a website now?
- How does your website currently fit into your marketing strategy
- How would you like your website to fit into your marketing strategy?
These types of questions immediately tell you that the person you’re talking with understands that a website is more than something “pretty”. Using information gathered from questions like the ones above are what allow the designer to make informed decisions regarding, colors, fonts, pictures, and words. This process is much more likely to create a powerful connection between your business and the type of clients you love working with.
A quality website is like an iceberg. Much of an iceberg is out of sight. Likewise, much of what goes into a quality website is out of sight. It’s the thoughtful and probing questions. It’s the thinking about how to create an experience that will resonate with your ideal clients, the ones you love working with. This requires insight and understanding. This is where the real value lies and what enables the visible part of your website to get results for your business.
John’s right in thinking he doesn’t want a pretty website, but results. A quality website is thoughtfully designed to both look great and get results. The question for John is whether a quality website is right for his business at this time.
What about you?
This is the question for you. Is a quality website right for your business? You can book a free get-acquainted call with us and we’ll discuss your scenario and explore with you to see if a quality website is right for you.