Ten seconds is not long enough for a clever slogan to sink in. It’s just long enough for a clear answer.
1. What do you do, in words your customer would use?
Say it in one sentence. Then check whether a customer would ever say it that way.
Businesses often describe themselves in the language of their industry. Customers search and think in plain language. If people call you because their “books are a mess,” don’t lead with “comprehensive financial management services.” Lead with the mess, and then show you fix it.
A good test: if a friend repeated your sentence to someone else at a barbecue, would it still make sense?
2. Who is it for?
“Everyone” is not an answer a visitor can recognize themselves in.
Name the people you serve best. That might be homeowners in a certain area, family-run shops, or businesses that have outgrown doing everything themselves. When the right person reads it, they should think, “That’s me.”
Naming who it’s for doesn’t mean turning everyone else away. It means the people most likely to buy from you feel seen right away.
3. Why you, and not the other options?
Your customer always has other choices. Another business down the road. A cheaper option online. Doing it themselves. Doing nothing at all.
“We care about our customers” won’t separate you from any of them. Everyone says it.
Instead, look for what’s specific and true. How long you’ve done this. How you work differently. What you refuse to cut corners on. What customers thank you for most often. Specific beats impressive every time.
4. What happens when someone gets in touch?
This is the question most websites skip, and it’s often the one that stops people from calling.
People hesitate when they can’t picture the next step. Will they get a hard sell? Will they wait a week for a reply? Do they need to know exactly what they want before they call?
Walk them through it in a few short lines. “You call or fill in the form. We reply the next business day. We talk through what you need, then send a clear quote.” Simple, and suddenly much less scary.
5. What should they do next?
Pick one main action and make it easy to find. Call. Book a time. Request a quote. Visit the shop.
When a page offers six different things to click, people often click none of them. One clear next step, repeated where it makes sense, works better than a menu of choices.
How to find your answers
If these feel hard to answer on paper, that’s a good sign. It means you’re doing the real work.
A few ways to get unstuck:
- Listen to your customers. Write down the exact words they use when they first describe their problem to you. Those words belong on your site.
- Explain it out loud. Tell a friend what you do and why people pick you. Record it on your phone. You’ll often say it better than you’d write it.
- Read your reviews. Look for the things people mention again and again. That’s usually your real difference.
- Ask a few regulars. “Why did you choose us?” can be the most useful question you ask all year.
Words first, then the website
It’s tempting to start a website with how it looks. But a good-looking site with muddled words is still muddled. A plain site with clear words will often do better.
That’s why we start every website with the words. We sit down with you, ask questions like these, and listen for how you actually talk about your business. Then we build the website around those answers, and keep it running after it goes live.
You know what you do. We make sure your customers do too.
Not sure what your website should say? Book a 15-minute call. We’ll talk through where you are, and you’ll leave with a clearer idea of what to say first, whether or not we work together.