If your business is not generating the kind of traffic (visitors) or sales (conversions from visitors to customers) that you would like, then there are many different metrics you need to look at. This article is going to help you implement two of the most important ones.
Sometimes that magic tweak that skyrockets both visitors and sales can be that you realize you’ve been talking to the wrong customer. Or more likely, not quite the right customer. Things are not always black and white and you may be just one shade away from your ideal customer, but that missing tone means your customer FEELS that something is off.
In the world of online business, that means your site visitor needs to FEEL you’re speaking directly to him/her within 3-6 seconds of landing on your site. So the stories you use to represent your brand, product, or services need to flow throughout your site and also be congruent with your site design and colors – all these elements add up to = FEEL.
As much as we’d like to think that purchasing decisions are made solely by comparing specs and price, the reality is that the final decision to hand over your money is an emotional one – as we learned in my article about storytelling being the best way to sell.
But HOW do you create interesting or even powerful stories around your brand, products, or services? Although LTYF Fortissimo walks you through the entire process of creating and using your stories in your business, for today, let’s just look at two aspects that can make a big difference in you being able to tell stories that differentiate your business or your brand:
1. Are you willing to be disagreeable in order to get the best results, or provide the best experience for your client? Does this sound like a contradiction? Not at all. Being disagreeable is all about positioning yourself and going niche. Most people think that the secret to high sales is to appeal to as many people as possible. Totally wrong.
That strategy may have worked when we lived in village marketplaces of 50 people. But the Internet is a 3 billion+ person marketplace and people are looking for EXACTLY what they want – they are searching for the product or service that has ME! written all over it.
So let’s check in with master marketer Seth Godin (being interviewed by Debbie Millman, brought to us by the magnificent Brainpickings) and he’ll explain more of what I mean. I’ve cued this recording to start playing at the section I want you to listen to (9:10) and then you can stop it when it reaches 16:36 minutes and come back here:
2. Are you willing to put yourself out there and tell your real stories? Don’t try to get rid of your resistance and fear before you expand yourself and your work – learn to dance with it instead. Again, let’s head back to Seth Godin and he’ll expand on this concept further. I’ve cued this recording to start playing at the section I want you to listen to (27:15) and then you can stop it when it reaches 35:20 minutes (or listen to the end!) and then come back here:
I would just like to point out that the unconditional giving Seth talks about here is what catapulted my health business to $1 million+ in sales. Why? Because of how people FEEL when they come to my health site. My willingness to tell my stories – in all their pain, frustration, triumph and hope – combined with the oodles of stuff I give away for free, leave people feeling really blessed! And then guess what opinion they form of me? Do you think they trust me and that through my free stuff I have already begun a meaningful relationship with them? You bet.
And again, this is not fake or manipulative giving. I am honestly thrilled when I get an email from someone in Libya who has completely healed his IBS from using only my free stuff!
So take a look at your own business now:
Where are your personal stories on your site? The most common place for someone to tell their story (or part of their story) is on their Homepage and their About page. Are yours real? Do they actually sound like you? Are they full of your voice and personality? If not, change them; re-write them! Take the plunge into authenticity and your real/ideal customers will instantly recognize you, because you will sound like them! And they will feel a sense of home, or trust, or intrigue, or alliance when they come to your site.
Are you willing to be disagreeable? Are you willing to stand for something? Does your site tell the truth about who is NOT suited to your product or service? This will NOT lose you customers – it will gain you customers because again, you are defining your ideal customer so they feel ME! when they come to your site. And you are saving others (and yourself!) from wasting their time, so you are building TRUST.
On both my health site and Listen To Your Freedom I am very clear about who my stuff is for – and who it is NOT for. For my health business, I actively discourage people who are looking for a quick-fix, a cure-all diet, or lots of hand-holding. They are not my customer and I will stand for that. This means that the people who would otherwise be disappointed, or trash my brand, or get lousy results, are weeded out right from the start. Do you see the wisdom in this? Do you see how this is absolutely the best strategy for building your business for long-term, stellar success?
So take a look at your business – your website pages, your blog posts, your brochures, your advertising – are you standing up and telling the truth about your stuff? Are you willing to be disagreeable and point out who is not suited for your stuff? For their benefit, because you unconditionally want the best for people, you don’t just want to take their money and run. Because you are building a brand based on positivity, and authenticity and you genuinely care about people and their experience – and this is reflected in all the stories you tell. Because it’s how you really are. It’s what you really feel when you step out of fear (of generating enough cash) and step into your magnificence!
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In the Listen To Your Freedom program, we are all about hope and belief in yourself; combined with the tools and roadmap you need to make your online business successful – and create the life of freedom you first envisioned for yourself. If your business or website is not making you the kind of money you want, it’s because there’s a piece missing, or some crucial elements need to be tweaked. Maybe your positioning is slightly off, maybe you’re targeting the wrong customer, or maybe you’re not telling your story in a way that CONNECTS with your tribe. Or maybe you still have not identified your core passion and purpose, and the business you currently have is okay, but it’s never going to be GREAT – because your soul is calling you to something else… Click Here for all the program details…
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