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I’m doing a marketing tune-up on Peter’s website openlistings.com It’s a real estate company, that uses technology to cut out the middleman and save you money. Hire them to buy a house for you, and they’ll refund you half of their commission. These guys are doing a pretty good job, so this one is going to be about the details. Let’s dive in and see what we can learn…

“All we do is test and build”

Even before we look at the site, I have to give Peter props. When people apply for a tune-up, there’s a short form. One of the things I ask people is – “Are you willing to test my ideas?” It’s a simple enough question, designed to set up the right expectations. This is for doers, not dreamers.

Of course everyone says yes, whether they actually do end up testing my feedback or not. But the interesting question is – why would people ever not test professional feedback? Especially if they’re not getting the results they want?

I’ll tell you why. It’s because there’s a whole part of our personality completely devoted to protecting our identity, our beliefs, and the decisions we’ve already made. It’s fundamental to who we are as a species.

So, even if we’re struggling to solve a problem, more often than not, we stick with our previous decisions. We do the same thing over and over and blame the rest of the world for not falling into line with our genius.

The human brain has this amazing capacity to make whatever we think seem “logical”, at least to us. We believe all sorts of things that Spock would raise an already raised eyebrow at.

This way of protecting our self image is at work every day. In our interactions with the world. In the products we create. And in our promotion decisions.

We trick ourselves that there is “one true solution”. The logical answer. And we put all our chips on the table, praying that our genius will be validated. Or, we play “dippy toe in the water”. Where we execute (sometimes a good idea) with so little tenacity or promotion that no one ever gets a chance to see it or act on it.

So, what I love about Peter’s application today is that when I asked him if he was willing to test my ideas, he didn’t just say yes, he said “All we do is test and build”.

I fricking love that.

If you remember nothing else from this tune-up, remember “All we do is test and build” and go forward with the same attitude. If you do, you’ll win. But it isn’t easy. It isn’t easy because you have to let go of those bullshit ideas you’re holding onto. You have to let go of the internal “logic” of what you think you already know is true. You have to give yourself over to what actually works in the real world. You have to notice what your customers actually do, or don’t do.

If you can train yourself to do that. By starting small and building on the back of tests and experiments. While doing enough promotion to make those tests count. Then you’ll make dramatic strides forward.

Marketing isn’t about “the one true way”. Sure, there are patterns. But there are no instant wins. It isn’t a gamble. And it certainly isn’t personal.

So, let’s proceed. Like marketing Zen masters, free of attachment. And see what we can learn…

Bouncy bouncy, no catchy monkey.

We arrive on a page designed to grab our attention with just a headline, sub header and a couple of call to action buttons. There’s a giant background image to set the tone. This page is designed to look like a single page, free of distractions, so the user can focus. But it isn’t really. It’s really a long page, begging for you to scroll down and read the rest of it.

Only you can’t tell, so there’s an animated arrow bouncing up and down saying “scroll down, scroll down, scroll down, scroll down, scroll down…” It’s hard to illustrate in pure copy how annoying it is. But let me try again “scroll down, scroll down, scroll down, scroll down, scroll down…”

That animated arrow defeats the whole purpose of using this kind of focused page. It takes away all the attention from the thing you want me to focus on in the first place.

Action: Never let a website template determine the experience of your customers. Templates can be a great starting place, they can also be a huge limitation. Think about exactly how you want your user to feel at every single step of the process and ruthlessly remove anything that gets in the way.

Nail your pitch in just a couple of lines.

Let’s take a look at the copy…

In giant letters we have “Buy any home in California from your laptop” and in much smaller letters we have “And save an average of $21,482 with our 50% commission refund.”

Then we have two buttons “Browse listings” and “Create an offer”.

I don’t think you’ve sold the basic concept clearly enough yet.

I’d be testing more variations of this most basic explanation of what you do. And I’d make sure the main concept was unmissable, all contained in one line.

Something like: “Buy any home in California through us, and we’ll give you 50% of our commission.”

Then, you can put a number on that in a sub header. “Make an offer from your laptop, and get an average of $21,400. That’s free money to cover your moving expenses and help you settle in your new home.”

Now, to properly advise you on better copy I’d really want to be looking into your customers and your refunding in more detail. The most critical thing I always want to know is – what is the customer’s problem?

There are all sorts of things that a home buyer will be stressed about. The costs of moving are just one of those things. So, if your pitch is quite simply “we’ll save you money” then you want to be linking those savings to the pain that they are already feeling. Start by highlighting the costs and the inconvenience and the stress. And then serve up your solution as the ointment that’s going to make it all feel better.

From what I can tell, this is free money from a buyer’s perspective. You’re giving them a portion of your commission, money that would ordinary be taken out of the seller’s end and given to the realtor, right? It should feel like winning the lottery to the home buyer. It should wipe out all their moving worries in one smooth swipe.

Action: Spend as much time as it takes to perfect the one or two line condensed pitch that explains what you do and how you’re different. Then make sure you’re presenting that pitch in its full but condensed manner. Highlighting the problem as well as the solution. And not being limited by your template again. Template designers don’t like lots of words. Don’t suffer their bias.

The compounding effect of confusion.

Confusion is caused by just a few tiny details. But those details build and swell. And that causes our users to feel bad about their ability to understand the world. And no one likes to feel bad about themselves. So they bail.

Now, when it comes to language, there will always be regional differences. I’m from the UK and work with people all over the planet. So I come across colloquialisms all day long. But as a general rule it’s always good to question the most basic of “trade” phrases to see whether people instantly understand them.

Take the second button – “Create an offer”.

That phrase spun around in my head. What does that mean? Does it mean “Make an offer on a house?” Is that the Californian way of saying “Make an offer?” I understand “Make an offer”. But do I understand “Create an offer”.

You could say “they’re obviously the same thing you idiot”. But are they? One of those phrases I understood instantly. One of those phrases distracted my brain and caused a low level of confusion.

I watch Shark Tank, they make offers all the time. I’ve never heard Barbara say “Cuban, are you going to talk all day or create an offer?” No, she’d say, “Cuban, are you going to talk all day or make an offer?”

If it’s an isolated thing, the user might carry on. But if there’s a second, or a third thing that makes them stop and think. (And people really don’t like to think). The pressure builds up and they’ll bail. And there are lots of tiny examples throughout the site. When “Browse listings” turns into “House Hunt”. When the contact button moves from the top of the page to the bottom. When the phone number disappears. When key links get hidden behind a “menu” button. When the “one big idea” shifts in focus from page to page.

Action: Whether “create an offer” is the best way to phrase that call to action, or not, don’t be afraid to go through your copy with a fine tooth comb and ask “how can we make this sooo simple to understand, that is just slips right into the brain without resistance?”.

Talk to me.

It’s good that there’s a phone number at the top of the home page (it should also be on the rest of the site). But I don’t like that there’s a chat icon next to it, which isn’t really chat, it’s a basic contact form.

These are big ticket items here, I wouldn’t be running a site like this without a reliable live chat option. A lot of people hate the phone, but are happy with text chat. Contact forms are the worst of all worlds, they’re like a black hole for messages. There’s no record of your message, you don’t know who, if anyone is on the other end.

Action: Replace contact forms with personal emails or preferably Live chat. And be consistent on every page. So that people can contact you instantly in whatever way makes them most comfortable.

Model the media that already works.

I love that you’ve actually linked your “featured on” logo’s with the original posts and articles. It’s great for social proof and trust. Especially in an age when a lot of people just add logo’s without any real justification.

But I want everyone to click on the first link to an ABC news feature and notice the power of video. (You’ll have to wait a few seconds for the dumb ads to run, but stick with it). Just by watching the news report, I got a much better understanding of your service. As journalists, a news site knows that all stories are really stories about people and their journey through the ups and downs of life. (And their pets). They’re never really about technology, even when they are.

If you don’t yet have the resources to do a video for the home page (which I would highly recommend), then try featuring that news report instead.

Action: Go through your existing press, see if any of the media reports actually explain the product better than you do already. Especially by video. Feature one of those video reports up front, not hidden away. Or model their approach. Hire some journalism students and direct your own human interest / faux news feature.

Move the slider. Explain the “obvious”.

Watching the ABC video I also learned that the “see how much you’ll save” part of the page, is actually a slider. (Which is obvious to you, but not knuckle heads like me). All it takes is a few additional words…

“Move the slider to see how much you’ll save”

It’s also another good reason to have a video that walks people through the story and your site. I highlighted how well I think the new Basecamp marketing site executes a simple video walkthrough in a previous tune-up.

Action: Your customers aren’t designers, or coders. And they haven’t spent the months, or even years, working on your website like you have. The general principle to live by in your design is “Don’t make ’em think”.

It’s all about the feels. Lead with the human benefits, not the mechanical features.

You’ve listed “how this works” with a series of big headlines and short supporting explanations. I’d try and tighten up that copy. It reads like a features list from the perspective of a technically-minded person. But it doesn’t matter if you’re selling real estate in the middle of Silicon Valley. The people buying it will be in a far more emotionally driven frame of mind when they’re moving home. (Whether they believe that of themselves or not).

In this example you highlighted the phrase “Manage your offers online” which is really a feature…

Manage your offers online
Create offers whenever you like. You control the terms; our agents will review and present the offer to the seller, ensuring you have the best possible shot at getting it accepted. A buy button for any home in California!

I’d lead with an emotional appeal. The human benefit of those features. And avoid trying to be clever. “A buy button for any home in California” sounds cute. But cute and clever rarely convert. A far better line to highlight from that paragraph is “You control the terms” or even better “You’re in control”.

I know that “Manage your offers online” is essentially promising your user a level of control. But it’s an abstract idea to them, just like a “buy button” is an abstract idea. The less abstract we can make things, the more impact they will have. There’s nothing abstract about “You’re in control” in a situation where the user probably feels anything but.

Likewise, no one ever lay awake at night thinking “I wish I had more on-demand info and reports”.

And “Data = Confidence” is an argument you will only be able to sell to about 10% of the population. If that. The other 90% actually feel confidence when they can see and hear human beings who seem like them. So, People = Confidence is more accurate.

All that “data” actually relates to the PEOPLE your home buyers will be interested in. Their potential neighbours. The type of kids their children will go to school with. How secure they are likely to feel walking down the street of their new community.

Action: Use the data and the tools to focus on the people and the feelings. The phrases we highlight, the headlines we create should be far more emotionally direct and relevant. Only after we’ve got the lizard brain’s attention should we pull out our calculators and explain how the numbers make sense.

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Resolve incongruence around people vs technology.

There’s a feature I love on the site, when you click the “Create an offer button” we’re introduced to a real human being, with a smiling face and a name and everything! She even comes with a personal introduction. That’s exactly the kind of “peopleization” that the site needs.

But there’s also some confusion around who she is and what it means to be “your listings agent”. Your copy is trying to say “we use technology to bypass people, so you save money”. But actually, people want people to guide them through a super expensive purchase.

So, you need to really resolve this issue around how much people are going to be supported. Or not. And trust me, people want support for major purchases. I don’t care what the technology is. In an open market (monopolies etc aside), it’s the technology with the best human support that usually wins in the long run.

Action: Work out how you are going to sell the general idea of “this is about technology” vs “we have real people to help you through this major life investment”. It’s critical to the issue of trust.

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Summary

This is a tune-up requiring lots of little tweaks. Far too many to list and make sense of here. But it’s a process of re-focusing, re-framing, shifting attention from one idea, to a more appealing idea. Many of the answers, in fact most of the copy, is already in there. It’s just over shadowed by small design elements and too many attempts to sell the big idea from different angles.

I’d lose the copy on the homepage and have nothing but a video that covers the basic premise. Then, the rest of the site, should only have 3 things they can do. “Learn how it works” in more detail, “Browse Listings” and “Make an offer”.

But I think the guys behind this are on the right track. And if they can combine their focus on testing and building, with the human elements of people, their problems and their emotional drivers. Then I think they’ll work it out.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this tune-up in the comments. Until next week, stay the course, see it through, make your mark!

This week I’m looking at the new Basecamp marketing website. I love everything these guys do, there’s always a ton of great ideas to be inspired by. And when I say “inspired by”, I mean steal like a pirate. Let’s take a look and see what we can learn…

1. Know where you want to focus your customers’ attention.

Let’s start at the top. This may seem like a detail, and it is, but I see a lot of people getting this wrong. On the top line, we have a logo, product name and a set of navigation links. They are clear and visible, but they don’t take up a third of the page and scream “look at me”.

When a user lands on your site, they’re rapidly scanning to decide what they should and shouldn’t pay attention to. Far too often we try to get them to pay full attention to everything. I see it a lot with ready-made website templates. Those templates have to look good without any real content in them. So they often over-design things like navigation bars and social media buttons, to the detriment of your main content – the thing you really want to be drawing attention to.

Tip: Make sure your navigation is visible, but in the background and not demanding too much attention. Be strategic about where you want your users to focus.

2. Try saying anthropomorphic after a casket of ale.

Half the battle is helping your audience get to know, like and trust you. Being that cool, likeable person / brand / place, where people feel comfortable.

On the Basecamp site, that starts instantly with the anthropomorphic logo. Who doesn’t feel at ease when they are greeted (and their attention is directed to the headline) by a smiling mountain range, in a snow globe, in comforting childlike colors?

Many sites (including mine) miss an opportunity with their logo. We miss it by trying to look professional, technical or corporate. And in the process bore everyone to death. Remember, a logo is a visual anchor, a symbol, a hook to hang a bunch of feelings on.

Tip: If your logo is all about triggering a feeling, you can’t beat triggering the feeling of friendliness. It’s one step away from trustworthiness.

3. Instant call to action.

So, before we dive into the sales letter, it’s worth noting how prominent the “sign up now” box is on the page.

Should we be asking people to sign up before they’ve even read the sales letter? Sure. Because your users aren’t necessarily first-time visitors. They may have read the page, once, twice or a dozen times before they were ready to push the button.

So, making sure that the primary purpose of a sales page, the one thing you really want them to do, is super visible, is always going to increase sign ups.

In this case, the Basecamp guys go one step further and the sign up form follows you as you progress through the sales letter. Not obtrusive, but always ready to “take your order” when you’re ready.

Tip: Understand the “one thing” you really need your users to do. And make sure they can do it right away. Don’t just hide your call to action in the belly of a sales letter, or at the end of a page.

4. Identify the problem your customers are suffering.

I’ve covered the basic sales letter formula in multiple tune-ups so I won’t repeat it all here. But I love that they are starting with a clear identification of “the problem”.

Too many people think you have to “go positive” when you’re selling something. The reality is, you have to know what it is that’s motivating your particular customer. Do they want relief from some kind of pain? Or do they want to move towards more pleasure? These are two sides of the same coin. But when most people are trying to solve their problems, they are in a lower, slightly more negative state. So they perceive the problem to be a pain or a frustration, and they’re looking for relief.

So, if you want people’s attention, you have to grab it. And you do that by showing them how much you understand the pain and frustration they’re dealing with.

Tip: Don’t be afraid to start your pitch by identifying and illustrating the problem your customers are suffering.

5. Show and tell.

So, the illustration the guys are using is fantastic. It visually demonstrates the idea of “struggling to keep everyone on the same page”. In one friendly cartoon, they are able to highlight 6 different problems. They show us that this is about people communicating. They visualize confusion. And even throw in some humor.

Tip: Once you have your key idea, make sure to show it, as well as telling us about it. We were making sense of the world in pictures, long before we learned to write.

6. Ease your user into the pool.

Getting people to read your copy is like inviting them into a pool of watery salesmanship. Give them a shallow end, and some steps, and make it warmer than the deep end.

All the pieces work together, starting with a big, clear headline. And an image. And then an introduction that provides a general summary of where this is all going.

In this case, I want to point out how the guys have used a double column layout in their introduction. (The rest of the page is a wider, single column).

Why is that cool? Because it makes the copy easier for the reader to digest when they’re just starting out. Shorter lines are easier to read. As are shorter sentences. Once they’re in the flow of reading your copy, you can use fewer headlines and images. But at the beginning, make everything look as easy and un-intimidating as possible.

Tip: Make the first few paragraphs of your copy as easy to read as humanly possible. In order, you should spend the majority of your time working on the right headline and opening image. Then mastering your introduction. Only then, worry about the rest of your copy. If you don’t get the opening right, the rest is invisible.

7. But wait, there’s more! Demonstrate that sucker.

So, here’s another deceptively simple tool, executed really well. A 2 minute walk-through video.

You guys know that I’m currently experimenting with video versions of our marketing tune-ups. And I haven’t developed the skill set yet (I’ll get there). But I do understand how much more engaging it is to hear a real human being talk. There’s something about demonstrating things in real time. It helps us see how the parts move and connect. It helps us understand how abstract ideas fit into our human lives.

We’ve all seen a million screenshots of software. Here’s screen A. Here’s screen B. Here’s screen Zzzzz.

When you can walk the customer through your product, live, using a real example, it makes all the difference. The thing is, you don’t have to go super deep and explain all the details at this point. You don’t need a tutorial. Just cover the basics of what your product does.

Tip: Don’t be afraid to communicate your basic concept from multiple angles. Words, images, video, in person. The more demonstrable your idea, the better. Make your idea as real and human and lifelike as possible. Take it from an abstract idea, to a personal, human solution.

8. Add humans.

So, the final thing I’m going to point out is the “note from our founder” at the end of the sales page.

I’m a huge fan of putting people in the picture. You can’t repeat it too many times – people buy from people they know, like and trust. It’s a fundamental that’s never going to go away. Brands, logos, all these other tools we use are abstractions. They are sometimes necessary, but they are a necessary evil. We need them because we’re attempting to sell in a bigger and bigger market place. A world beyond “the village” where no one knows us personally. We should never treat them as a replacement for people power!

So it’s great to see a real headshot of Jason at the end. I love how they’ve styled this chunk of copy as a letter. It helps break up the page and make it feel like it’s easy to digest. One piece at a time. It also feels very personal. There’s a direct email to Jason and he finishes it with a signature. (I’d make the signature more authentic looking).

But overall this personal way of delivering their origin story (we built this for ourselves, not just to make money) is perfectly delivered by a real human, in a human manner.

Tip: People buy from people they know, like and trust. The more humanity you can inject into your pitch, the better. Tell us a story, tell us about your motivations, show us your face, help us trust you.

Summary:

I’m excited to see Basecamp’s marketing and product reaching a really high level of polish. There’s a lot of lessons in there for anyone starting out. These guys are like 15 years into this. It’s a long haul. Not an overnight success.

People think they can nail their marketing and understand their customer in a few months, but it takes time. And that time only happens when you’re in the game, testing and tweaking and making mistakes.

So whatever you’re working on, keep studying, work out how to use one of those split testing tools you keep putting off, and start experimenting. The beauty of great marketing is we can see most of it. So, put your pirate patch on, and start stealing great ideas.

This week I’m looking at Joanna’s website joannafree.com She’s got a whole bunch of projects going on. So there are lessons here that apply to anyone. Especially if you’re trying to develop a personal brand, or sell your personal services.

This week I’m looking at Akshita’s website keehfur.com. She’s got some kind of probiotic drink that everyone pronounces differently. (These are the added complications of doing video makeovers!) There’s something in here for anyone who isn’t sure who their market is. And everyone who is worried that some aspect of their product, or service, is going to be criticised.

This week I’m trying something new. A website marketing makeover that I did over twitter at the weekend and then turned into a 5 minute-ish video makeover. I’d love to know what you guys think of this format compared to the longer written makeovers. Let me know on twitter @thepaulmontreal

I’m doing a website marketing makeover on Joanna’s site. She’s got a couple of vacation rental properties in Orlando. She wants to reduce her bounce rate (the number of people who visit, then leave her site without booking) and she’d love it if people read her blog posts. Let’s see what we can learn. (I’m listening to AC/DC while I work)…

When you solve the big problems first, the details get easier.

When it comes to helping people turnaround their websites, sometimes it’s a case of tweaking the individual tactics. And sometimes it’s a case of questioning the overall strategy. This week I’m going to make some suggestions about the overall strategy first. Then we can see how that might influence all the little details…

Here’s the problem. After a good 20 minutes studying your website, the only thing I can remember is that your son is wearing an AC/DC t-shirt, in the single photograph that accompanies your “About us” blurb.

That’s the most interesting thing about the site. Everything else is a blur of generic holiday rental words and images. Emotionally, you just haven’t made me care about the place and that’s a mistake AC/DC would never make. Love them, or hate them, they would never get lost in a crowd.

It’s not that there’s a whole lot that’s really bad. But there are another 100,000 houses available for rent, just like yours, all within driving distance of the Orlando attractions. And they are all just a click away.

With that much competition, being good isn’t good enough.

You’re selling a commodity. A Florida rental home. In a fiercely competitive market. When times are good, I’m sure things are fine. When the economy dips, you and the other 100,000 rental owners all attempt to get the same attention, with the same properties and the same blog posts, hoping to get to the top of the same Google searches or be noticed on the same 3rd party booking sites – whilst all being exactly the same.

The result is a bidding war. And in a bidding war, the cost of being noticed becomes uneconomical.

The secret to selling a commodity, is to stop selling a commodity and start really liking your customers.

The solution to selling commodities in a saturated market – is to position that commodity in such a way that it is no longer a commodity. It actually becomes the obvious choice, the only choice, for a smaller group of potential customers.

Before trying to fix any of the details, I’d seriously pick a smaller niche to focus on than “any family travelling to Orlando”.

A big part of marketing a small business, that is rarely talked about, is “liking your customers”. I don’t mean in the customer service, fake smile, have a nice day way. I mean, actually give a damn about them on a fundamental level.

You have to put an immense amount of effort into getting people’s attention and even more effort into creating real value for them. To put in that effort, we have to like the people we’re serving. It just shows in everything we do.

But serving “anyone and everyone” rarely brings that level of effort or commitment. One way or another we have to pick a group of people we can relate to. A group of people we really want to help. People who share some values and beliefs with us.

Start with your interests, or specific knowledge, and explore what might be commercially viable. List your passions or interests or experience. Here’s a random list of things off the top of my head…

You may have:
A passion for music.
A passion for classic motorcycles.
A passion for dinosaurs.
A passion for dogs.
A unique experience living with someone who is handicapped in some way.

Any of these interests, taps into an existing view of the world. Any of these helps you connect in a strong, definite way to other people with these interests. Any of these allows you to see that world and market your commodity through a far more interesting and personal point of view.

Once you’ve narrowed your field, you can start to market a commodity as if it’s not a commodity at all. Your house with a pool, becomes a destination for families who are also music lovers, or motorcycle fanatics, or dog lovers or people with mobility issues.

I want to take this idea and show you how it applies to a few specific areas of your website. And how much more value you are able to offer when competing against everyone else who is offering a generic space…

Instantly turning features into benefits.

Here’s the existing headline for one of your properties…

Sunset Palms Retreat
Imagine you could shape your perfect family vacation. At Sunset Palms Retreat you can have all that and more.

Let’s be honest, this really doesn’t mean anything at all. 🙂

You’d be better starting with a plain feature list in your headline, so at least people know what they are getting…

Sunset Palms Retreat.
Just 5 miles from Disney World, our 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom spacious property, has the benefit of a 20 ft. covered pool.

At least we now have an idea what we’re looking at. (I’m not being accurate with the features, but you get the idea). But we can do even better. Especially if we stop trying to appeal to everyone. And aim only to be Interesting or even Perfect to a smaller group of people. For example…

Sunset Palms Piano Retreat.
If music is your life and Orlando is your destination, then our unique villa is the perfect setting for family evenings around the piano, or the pool. Just 5 miles from Disney World, our 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom property has the benefit of a 20 Ft covered pool and a baby grand piano. All the ingredients for making magical, musical memories with your family and friends.

For the piano lovers, you just went to the top of the list. You became their number one pick. Let’s try that again, with another niche…

Sunset Palms Mobility Retreat.
If Orlando is your destination, but you or a loved family member have mobility difficulties, then our unique villa is the perfect, stress-free base for your adventures. Just 5 miles from Disney World, our 4 bedroom property has 2 wheelchair friendly bathrooms, including a “drive-in” wet room and shower. And our 20 ft. covered pool has its own mechanical lift, for easy access. Why put up with the inconvenience of a hotel when you can enjoy all the advantages of the region, at your own pace, and in complete comfort.

Now, I’m trying not to offend people with mobility issues, or musical taste, I really know nothing about either niche and I’m simply making up copy to demonstrate a bigger point. That point being, the niche you choose doesn’t matter. What matters is choosing a niche, so that you are no longer a commodity space. You become more interesting to a smaller group. You become their first pick.

I’m doing a marketing makeover on Avi’s website, Iron Lion Soap. He’s asked me to look at the general usability of his website, but I think this makeover is all about the positioning of the brand in relation to other competing soaps. Will Iron Lion Soap come out smelling of roses? Let’s find out. (I’m listening to UNKLE while I work)…

Don’t waste a second of your customers time.

So I hit the homepage and immediately run into a splash screen, with options to “explore the site” or “shop”. I see two tag lines describing the product. And the background is a rotating series of attractive, full-screen product shots.

Right from the go, I feel like the designer is paying more attention to the website template they happen to be using, than they are to me and my needs as a customer. And I already feel a little confusion as to the positioning of this product. My brain, wants to put it in a box and know “what is this thing, how will this thing make my life better?”. I want that question answered and I want to get down to it asap, but right from the go, it feels like this soap is trying to be everything to everyone.

Action: Remove the splash page. Don’t make people stop and wait in the lobby. Get to solving their problems right away. “The shop” and “The site” really shouldn’t be separate experiences. No one has the time to be browsing a soap website unless there’s a very specific reason. There’s nothing wrong with introducing the product, but that can be done at the top of a longer scrollable page, where they can buy the product instantly.

If you’re good, it will only take 10 years to build a brand. Don’t make it 20.

After hitting “Explore the site” I’m taken to the “Who Is ILS” page. First of all, never abbreviate your name. If you have to abbreviate your name, you’ve chosen a name that has too many syllables.

It takes 10-20 years to develop a brand name that people remember (unless you have a few hundred million to invest), so don’t make your customers have to think by introducing them to the name “Iron Lion Soap” then immediately introducing them to “ILS”. They are two completely different things in their busy, overloaded minds.

Origin stories are about real people, families, communities and problems solved.

Your “Who is ILS” page doesn’t actually say much about you at all. There are no humans in the picture. Just vague references to “family” and an origin story weak on details about the need for your own soap.

If you’re promoting a handcrafted soap, show us the hands that are crafting it. If you’re telling us about family, show us the family.

If you solved a real problem, you need to explain the problem that you solved.

People only buy from people they trust. The images on your about page show batches of soap in random natural settings, as if they’ve been delivered by the soap stork, with no human involvement at all. 🙂

Additionally, if you want people to read your copy, don’t use all capitals (fine for headlines, not for body copy). They are especially difficult to read at any length, which is why you’ll see “the fine print” on contracts often written in capitals, to deliberately put people off reading it.

OK, right off the top of my head, here’s a very quick idea of how to pad your origin story out a little. (This is just an example, you can tweak with the real details). It doesn’t take a lot, you don’t need to write a biography. Just add some human touches in there. People, family, community connections. Real challenges, real solutions, backed up with a few real images…

Iron Lion Soap was born of necessity and handcrafted for the first time in 2010 by me, Mr Soap, with the help of my close family, the Soapertons in Soapville Alabama. As an athletic family, we spend many an evening testing ourselves on the mat of our community dojo. Long hours, high impact and close contact. As well as enjoying the thrill and the focus of JuJitsu, we were no strangers to the blood, sweat and tears that come when your sport is a part of your life. At a certain level of practice, when you’re pushing your body to extremes, it’s the little things that count. Keeping your nutrition in check, adequate recovery and looking after your skin. We needed a product that could handle the rigours of daily athletic practice. A product that we could use in the shower, that matched the high standards we strived for on the mat. Iron Lion Soap, our handcrafted, medicinal soap, with all natural ingredients, was the solution.

Action: People want to know, like and trust the person they are buying from. If you’re handcrafted, show them your hands and arms and most importantly smiling faces. If you have a family or tribal story, show them the community whose problems you set out to (and did) solve.

Getting people to associate your brand with one thing is hard enough, don’t confuse them with two or three things.

I love the product images used on the top of the pages. The close-up photography is well executed. Using a food photography style, emphasising the natural ingredients and handcrafted nature of your product. They literally look good enough to eat.

But that imagery is incongruent with the copy claims that you’re chosen to highlight on the page…

Protects and Prevents: MRSA, Ringworm, Eczema, Hives, Acne, Plant Rashes, Athletes foot, & More.

That’s a list of nasty stuff. I don’t feel all fresh and natural and hungry any more. I feel like this…

This product isn’t quite sure whether it’s an aspirational, handmade, natural product. Or whether it’s a medical cure for bacterial nasties.

You can only paint one picture in people’s heads. They are either moving towards something pleasant, or they are moving away from something nasty. Your soap can either define who they want to be. Or define who they don’t want to be. If you try and create both images, neither will hit home. They simply won’t be able to make a clear picture in their head. And it’s those clear pictures that make us take out our credit cards and buy stuff. It’s those clear pictures in our mind that create the motivation to act.

If your onsite marketing needs a fresh set of eyes, I offer a private, non-judgemental tune-up service. Plus, to keep you motivated and inspired, some meaningful stories from the lives of people I admire. And some free marketing makeovers to point you in the right direction.

I’m doing a marketing makeover on Kim’s website. She’s down in Australia, building a marketplace to help the public find the right type of Lawyer. I love marketplaces, they have huge potential. But building a marketplace is about far more than just having an idea and a database. Getting early adopters is expensive, so the site itself better be spot on when your users land. Let’s take a look at Kim’s site and see what we can learn about our own marketing in the process. (I’m listening to RY X while I work.) So, before we prepare our closing statements, lets take a look at the evidence…

I’m doing a marketing makeover on Matthew’s website. He’s a mentalist. Like Patrick Jane in “The Mentalist” or Derren Brown in real life. He messes with people’s minds for fun and profit. Most of his work comes through word of mouth, so he’d like to improve his reach, especially through Google and his website. In this makeover you’re going to learn how similar marketing and mentalism are. I’m listening to “The Thomas Crown Affair” movie soundtrack while I work. So, hold on to your free will, here are my top 6 tips for turning this website around…