ebook
Chapter 2
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Now that you’ve completed your audit, the next step is to create a niche specific website/landing page.
A niche site, first off, is Super Duper Specific (S.D.S.).
While I may have come up with that acronym just now, a niche website narrows down on an interest that may be of use to a small group of people in a larger market.
You might be thinking, ‘Why would I want a niche website?’
The answer is simple.
So that those who visit your page know you have exactly what they’re looking for.
This increases the likelihood of making a sale due to having less competition, as opposed to the vast amount that comes with a broad website.
Imagine you’re about 7 feet tall, 500 lbs and are looking to buy clothes. (In this example, you might be André the Giant.)
Being that size, you’re most likely not going to find anything that fits just by checking out a random clothing store in the mall, and one would certainly hope you’re not going to pay for clothes that don’t fit.
If you do a quick search online for “tall people clothing”, American Tall ranks first on Google. You expect clothing that fits and are much more likely to make a purchase there than anywhere else.
Why?
Because that company is selling clothes especially suited for people of your stature.
That’s the appeal of creating a specifically targeted website.
What makes a top-notch niche specific website?
OK, let’s dive in.
Headlines. Are. Everything.
In this day and age where attention spans are at an all-time low, it’s not surprising that most people typically skim pages based off headlines they find worthy enough to click. (You might even be skimming right now…)
So for you, someone who spends hours upon hours coming up with useful, interesting and fun content, the last thing you want to do is use a “meh” headline on that masterpiece.
Because the harsh reality is that it will get a “meh” response.
Although it may seem unnecessary, do yourself a favor and rewrite your headline for each of your pages a few times. Your future self will thank you later once you notice an increase in traffic, clicks and shares.
Make sure your headline is engaging, relevant and quick to the point so the reader will feel inclined to keep reading.
Want some extra help?
A useful tool we like is CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer. It’s free and uses data to score how well your headline would perform.
OK - you’ve got your headlines.
Now, it’s time for your hero image.
Because a hero image is a large banner and is going to be one of the first things users see, you should choose one wisely.
Word of advice: don’t make users think about the image you have chosen and how it might make sense. They may wonder when they signed up for an art history class and bounce.
And we don’t want that.
So yes, although most people love dogs, that doesn’t mean it’s sensible to have a Pomsky plastered all over your website unless your company revolves around dogs somehow. If not, save it for the gram.
As we previously mentioned, your hero image needs to be relevant to what you’re offering. It should be a strong image that is easily interpretable and representative of your brand.
We also advise that you use high quality stock photos from sites like Pexels and Unsplash. Another option is using vectors from VectorStock - that’s where we found one for our website!
Go get ‘em, tiger.
Bill Gates coined the phrase, “content is king” back in ‘96 and it has flooded the marketing realm ever since.
For a reason.
Content has the power to make or break your company. If you want a foolproof content marketing strategy, the content on your website has to be up-to-date, relevant and something that is palatable to your target audience. You want your message to resonate with them!
Before you get started, review your goals and create user personas.
To perform an audit, you will need to…
A good way to leave a lasting impression on users is to embed a website welcome video. It brings a face to your company, and as much as we love cute little chatbots, being greeted by a fellow human makes the experience far more personable.
A warm welcome video gives visitors the chance to spend more time on your website and maybe even make a purchase. It also does wonders for your Google ranking.
In your brief video, include the following:
Be sure to speak conversationally, as you want to be approachable and inviting to whoever visits your site. The goal here is more engagement, so save the jargon and your extensive vocabulary for another time - you don’t want to scare ‘em away!
Wondering which software to use?
We recommend Zoom or Camtasia.
A thank you page is one of the most underrated components of a conversion-boosting website.
Everyone likes hearing “thank you” whether it be for a minor or major gesture, and saying it definitely doesn’t go unnoticed when someone has just given you their attention, information and especially, money.
Imagine a stranger giving you x amount of money and not thanking them - comes off as kind of unappreciative, doesn’t it?
And you don’t want to come off as unappreciative...right?
Adding a video to your thank you page is a way for you and your leads/prospects to get to know one another as they are nurtured along the sales funnel.
Increase engagement and maximize the experience for both you and your leads/prospects.
Showing gratitude and offering something of value will help them feel all warm and fuzzy inside about the decision they’ve made, whether that is opting in to your newsletter or making a purchase.
Keep your video short and sweet - the last thing you want is a video that goes on, and on and on. Aim for about 60 seconds to ensure you can capture and hold their attention, and not overwhelm them with a boatload of information. (And remember, be approachable!)
Let prospects know where to find more resources, when they can expect whatever it is they opted for, and how they can access what they want.
Note: the video you include should fall in line with whatever stage they’re at in the buyer’s journey. For example, you’re obviously not going to embed a thank you video for a free trial sign up if someone has purchased the product.
You want to make sure that you tell users to take a specific action. Otherwise, your thank you page will drastically lose its effectiveness.
Here are a few options of what you can do:
Focus on saying thank you, the benefits of what they’re getting, including your company’s contact info and encouraging them to take action.
And voila, you’ve got yourself a thank you page.
When you apply for a job, your potential employer asks not just you, but every applicant, for a resume, portfolio, or cover letter.
These show what you’re capable of and whether your work aligns with what is expected of your potential employer.
In this case, you have a potential customer.
Case studies act as hard evidence for anyone who’s considering giving you business. And you can bet your bottom dollar they’re comparing what you have to offer as well as what your competitors have to offer.
But don’t let that scare you.
Case studies significantly increase credibility. They allow users to read how you impacted a customer through your expertise, giving anyone who learns more about your business the opportunity to reflect on how you are the right choice.
To write an irresistible case study, outline your customer’s challenges, their goals, your approach and the results you saw. As always, the more engaging the copy, the better.
Remember those ice-breaker activities during the first week of school where the teacher asked, “Tell us a little bit about yourself,” to which you either gave some good insight as to who you were...or fumbled on your words?
(If you were one of the students who fumbled on their words like me, luckily for you, you can’t do that over the internet - so hey, you’ll do great.)
Consider your ‘About Us’ page an ice-breaker activity -- this is your time to shine!
Your ‘About Us’ page should tell users what you’re all about, what you do, your unique selling point and what you stand for as a business. Because no one wants to buy something from an anonymous business. At least, not anything that’s legal anyway...
Your page should include:
The goal is to help you really stand out while letting people in on what you’re all about. (This also helps your brand image.)
Tell your story!
This is the page where leads/prospects will go if they’re interested in learning more about what you have to offer.
You do not want them to scroll through a lengthy list of features and wonder, ‘Yeah, yeah, that’s nice and all...but what’s in it for me?’
Chances are, they’ve already read 10 other websites that highlight the same features.
Secrets don’t make sales, so this is where you make it blatantly obvious just how your service/product benefits them.
Is what you’re offering going to help them make money?
Or is it going to save them money?
...Time?
Be sure to let them know.
It might also be a good idea to include transparent pricing for your service/product so prospects can gauge whether your price is within their budget.
The bad news: if it’s not, they may move onto a different company.
The good news: if it is, they may pursue your business!
Don’t forget to include a call to action!
After you’ve illustrated what your services/products are and how they benefit customers, give prospects a chance to take the next step if they’re interested. This prompts them to do something rather than stare at the screen with information they might not be sure what to do with.
When you’re browsing online, what do you want to see when you’re researching a business whose product/service you’re interested in:
C, no doubt about it.
A testimonial is a ticket to trust.
You never want to say you’re the bomb dot com...but it’s a different story if your customers are saying so.
Those you’ve worked with will give the inside scoop as to what it was like working with you, how your service/product helped them and their recommendation. These are real people, of course, so be sure to include their full names to establish more credibility.
In addition to glowing testimonials, you should have photos with customers that showcase your professionalism. These too display authenticity of you and your business.
Believe it or not, but not everyone likes cookies.
Privacy is becoming more sacred to people these days. And rightfully so.
Users want to know first and foremost, if their information is safe and what sites are doing with it.
Be completely transparent and make sure it is written in a way that is easy for everyone to understand. After all, this is their information they’re giving you.
We recommend having your writer come up with a privacy policy or using iubenda.
