A simple formular for a website that drives your business

"Your website looks like it was designed in the 90s 😁", wrote a total stranger under a tweet of mine where I shared some website improvement advice. No "Hi, Gill", nothing. Just one sentence implying that I shouldn't be giving any website improvement tips when my own website looks outdated. 🙄 (Yes, it was a guy. And yes, he was a web designer.) I replied with a lengthy comment explaining why I didn't think a website needed to look fancy to work, and that I was happy with the results mine was getting me (which I now know I shouldn't have done; justifying yourself to strangers makes you look defensive). He has never even acknowledged my comment, but I do think about that guy from time to time. Not when I look at my website. But when I hear my prospects tell me things like: "We love the clear and to the point language of your website. We want something just like that for our site!", followed by signing of a nice juicy contract 💰💰💰 Or "I love the simplicity of your website design. It's so clean and clear." Or when they ask me to audit their fancy landing pages that look like masterpieces of art, but don't convert. In moments like these, I think, "In your face, dude!" (Yes, I'm not proud of it 🙈 But it does feel good 😁) So, please, believe me when I tell you...👇 Your website doesn't have to appeal to everyone to drive your business No, it doesn't have to follow the newest web design trends. It doesn't have to be super clever. And it most certainly doesn't need the approval of strangers on the internet. Or even your family or friend. #shocking #whoKnew The formula for an effective website that generates new business is as simple as this: WEB DESIGN: prototypical for your niche & based on design best practices + COPY: clear, relevant, valuable, trustworth, actionable & targeted Notice how it doesn't say that your website has to be pretty. Or designed within a particular year range. What is prototypical design? Prototypicality is a mental image your brain creates to categorize stuff. If something is prototypical, it means that it matches the mental image people have for this category. And if your website has a look and a structure similar to other websites in your niche, it becomes automatically easier for your website visitors to understand and use it. Plus, prototypical feels familiar, and familiarity evokes trust. Not sure what's prototypical for your niche? Check out your competitors' websites and note: - How many colors / what color palettes they use - How many / what labels are in the navigation - How's the homepage structured - Do they use testimonials - Do they use real photos, etc. Make sure that your website provides everything that your visitors expect from websites in your niche. Also, if your website looks waaaay too different from the rest, your prospects may perceive it as less trustworthy. What are web design best practices? In a nutshell, good web design is: - visually appealing - functional - consistent - intuitive - responsive and robust - accessible If you'd like to find out what each point means exactly and how to evaluate your web design based on this short checklist, check out this article: [How good is your web design? (A 6-point checklist)](=.zaHBLtlW5bXQ7-hRqalQYuq7LI9Pbq-tiuz1G9eoics). I wrote this article a while ago, and when I look at it now, I see that I forgot one more point: A good web design is also credible. Credible web design means that your website should look professional or appropriate for your purpose. Which doesn't seem to help much (because what is professional for your purpose? 🤷), unless you read this article, point #10: [Website credibility checklist: 70+ checks and a handy spreadsheet](=.IFsHn70bo-Y3Uhhuc4Flw3yms6S18IPHE0jwSsjCpyk). What is clear, relevant, valuable, trustworthy, and actionable copy? Let me explain it with... bananas 🍌🍌🍌 [What is clear, relevant and valuable copy?](=.gLIQL7sp37H2xF2l8iqZBTf2NqLzvLDhakRrwgVaHhw) What is targeted copy? In short? It's a secret ingredient to copy that converts. If it's missing in your copy, it won't convert well, despite of all your efforts to make it clear, relevant, valuable, etc. Why? Because your ideal clients won't hear you. What it means specifically? Targeted copy is based on in-depth understanding of your taget audience and covers/addresses their: - needs - problems - expectations with respect to your services and you a service provider - hiring/buying decision criteria - objections/reservations, etc. ...in a language that mirrors the language they use in their daily life to describe all those things. Basically: Targeted copy tells your prospects what they need to hear to convert using their own words. Hard truth: that's the most difficult part of creating an effective website that drives business. But once you've figured this out, finding the right words that will resonate with your prospects becomes a walk in the park on a sunny Sunday. How to make sure your copy is targeted? The easiest, fastest, and the most stress-free way to do that would be to take my online course [Business Soul Searching.](=.KX56XQXcXfB2H3byjU-0KR8Rld92ArUI4YIdBezZbZQ) So I've heard from many of your peers who have already took it: "It’s a pain-free, pressure-free way to hone your business offerings and messaging that doesn’t take up all your time or force you to sit and work on it for hours at a time." ~ Samantha, Science Consultant and Writer The other option would be to spend the next several years figuring it out by trial and error, just like I did. This course mirrors a proven process I go through with my clients before I write a single line of their new copy to uncover all the insights we need to make their copy lazor-focused on their audience. Curious? You can get a sneak peek of the course and access the first 6 lessons for free by following the link [in the banner of the course's page](=.8OIlhe_6q-nphOGqF98WB_ezBd6yD8ckGQWOrEifISU). Know a friend or a peer who may find it helpful? Feel free to forward this email to them to tell them about the course 🙂 This would be all from me for the week. Sunny greetings from Germany 😎☀️ Gill P.S. This email may contain typos, and I'm fine with them because cloning humans is, unfortunately, still impossible. Spending more time proofreading my emails would mean I'll have to share fewer tips with you. And sharing more and better tips is more important to me than sharing tips that are grammatically perfect. I hope that's fine with you, too. [Gill Andrews] [gillandrews.com](=.q80OvWefowHOq6uIqV0v4utObgnG-zjmOfd2_ApVKG8) [Share to Facebook](=.xxq92NIexnvtyCEmdT0kf76JjKXvAWkIeyoL5WSJQdA) [Share to Facebook](=.ro53KqzZkrRAtM0AEHopDzMyCr6qURbLqVi8zyUzeGQ) [Share to Twitter](=.OTxzTUJ0txRSuQqNhLHm_W2O3SSG4Ked0iFsvJJFbQ0) [Share to Twitter](=.Q8Ah9sK0w83ixE88FpGryKOC515CytXMOOHRKYM28j4) [Forward email](=.Lz0AsyWWHjcD9bBObVwB1ANmDW2EFgrn0z189jRqhyk) [Forward email](=.vJBIJdoIeNRLfnXlh4TvtHf5q-bNwCbfdiOVBtPaFRY) Gill Andrews You received this email because you signed up to my updates. Changed your mind? No problem. Unsubscribe using the link below. [Unsubscribe](=.5EvBLmsGjoz_tMjqwz_mAmrDT1A_6BNG6SJUKD7Svas)