Focus on the ‘what’ and not on the ‘how’

Many make the mistake of using the ‘About Us’ page to explain how their business completes it processes and forms their products and/or services. For a food or wine company for example, this is used to good effect as potential customers would like to know this information. Yet for other industries, this information is non-essential to making that sale. Let’s imagine a website the sells MP3 players. Describing at length how these are made from the highest quality aluminium with an LCD screen and a reinforced audio jack does not tell people what their products do or what people can get from them. So instead of focusing on how this product is made (LCD screen etc.), instead focus on the what (as in what the product can do for them) to create a much better hook: ‘Our products allow you to play all of your favourite music at the touch of a button where storage and quality are not an issue.’

Do not turn the ‘About Us’ page into an autobiography

While it may be tempting to chart the history of your business from its earliest to present days on your website, you have to ask yourself if customers really need or want all of this information. Keep in mind that every page (in reality every inch) of your website is your prime real estate online where you can promote your business without competitor interruption or distraction. Do not get distracted yourself from the aim of your website (to make sales) by reeling off mundane lines of text that will not drive sales to your business. Yes a couple of lines to add a human element are fine (We began in 2006 as we have a passion for . . .), but avoid an autobiography that nobody was looking to read in the first place.

Lead customers in the right direction with links

After you have implemented the two tips above, now is the time to add links into your text. So when an Italian restaurant website talks about using herbs grown in Italy, you highlight that text and turn it into a link that brings those who click on it to the relevant dishes on the menu that uses these herbs. In this way, you are drawing people towards your company with your words and then taking it one step further by launching them straight to a conversion tool such as a menu or ‘Contact Us’ form.

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