The One Thing You Need To Think About When Building A Website

What’s the one thing you need to think about when building a new website?

This is a huge question. It’s one we constantly ask ourselves and of our clients when they want a brand new website or a rebuild of an old site. The answer(s), unfortunately, are not short. But, for those of you with a short attention span, here is my brief summary of this article and what it all boils down to:

You need to the think about your audience.

That’s it. You can leave this page now. You now have an answer to the question, “what’s the one thing you need to think about when building a new website?”

I know. It’s much more complex than that, right?

Yes. Yes, it is.

You need a well-stated problem with an even better solution.

It becomes so much easier to build a website when you realize that businesses (yours included) exist to solve problems. Restaurants solve a hunger problem, car dealerships solve a transportation problem, schools solve an education problem, doctors solve a pain problem and you get the idea. So, think about who you are selling to. What is their problem? Seriously, focus on their problem, not yours. Yours is that you want more sales and leads, but you get those by solving your customers’ problem.Your website needs to quickly and simply define what the problem is that you solve. If you can’t do that fast and clearly, you’ll lose them. You need to empathize with their issue and help them alleviate the pain.

You don’t sell to them, you serve them.

How do you solve their problem?

You’ve got to give them something more valuable than what you are asking for in return. For example, the Christmas Lite Show, a client of ours, has a coupon for $2 off their show that you can only get by providing your name and email. 71% of people that view the button on the home page to get the coupon convert into new email subscribers so they can get the coupon. Now, not every business is solving the problem of bringing more Christmas joy to the season, but you get the idea, right?

Think about what problems your target audience has that are related to the problems you can solve.

Example:

Let’s say you sell basketballs and other basketball related gear online.

Now let’s say you’ve got someone who is looking for ways to maximize their vertical to be able to jump higher for basketball.

Imagine you’ve created a great video and article on your website that helps someone jump higher.

The person who is using Google to search for ways to maximize their vertical finds your article.

This person reads your article and watches your video and is now more informed and happier. You’ve helped them learn to jump higher.

You’ve created an opportunity by solving their problem.

Imagine you are the person that found the article on how to increase your vertical in basketball. You are pleased with the content you’ve consumed and feel like your problem has been solved.

You’re happy and your interaction with the brand/company that helped you solve a problem is positive.

Now, while you’re on that article, at the end of the article or in the sidebar you see a coupon for some workout gear that will help you jump higher or maybe a form that promises a weekly basketball training tips email.

Either of those are conversion opportunities. Opportunities for your business to turn a happy website visitor whose problem you’ve just solved into a potential customer.

Content is a problem solver.

No matter what the content is, content is always solving some kind of problem that the consumer has. You might argue that cat videos don’t solve a problem, but I’ll argue that and any other content you want to. Seriously, try me.

Email me and challenge me on this. I dare you.

When you solve a visitor’s problem once or even over and over again, you create opportunities for your business. You become the authority, their problem solver, and then when they need something that you sell, they are going to think of you first in the same way that you take recommendations from your doctor. Your doctor helps get rid of pain and illness in your life. You aren’t going to ignore them when they tell you what you need to purchase to feel better. Once your primary care doctor has earned your trust, they’ve earned your business. Their word, their recommendation, becomes powerful.

That same trust is what you need to earn from your potential customers.

If you can’t quickly solve a problem for your intended audience, you’ll miss an opportunity to convert your visitor and lead them down your sales funnel.

Understand your customer better and start helping them before you’ve sold to them. Write articles that help them solve their problems.

This is the beginning of a content marketing strategy that is sure to yield results.

The bottom line.

The one thing you need to think about when you build a new website is: what problem are you solving for your customer?

Answer that question before you build a new website.

Then provide the answer(s) to your visitors as soon as possible.