The First Date Philosophy (The 3 Most Important Questions You Need To Answer On Your Website)

Have you ever met someone who just started telling you random information about themself within a few minutes of meeting them?It makes you a little bit uncomfortable, right?In college, I went to dinner with a girl I thought I really liked, but I didn’t know her very well. Halfway through our appetizers, she began sharing with me her deep dark family secrets, her medications, and her bathroom habits.…It didn’t work out.Sharing those things with someone is not wrong, but they felt a bit out of place before basic information like her hobbies, future aspirations, or favorite brand of cereal (surprisingly important in a relationship).I was confused. More specifically, it caused me to disengage.

The First Date Philosophy

Funny thing is, I see a lot of people doing the same thing with their marketing. It’s not that they are saying all of the wrong things. They just fail to communicate the most important things clearly.I believe this cost them valuable traffic, leads, and ultimately sales.One of the most important places to communicate clearly and prioritize the most valuable information is above-the-fold on your website (this is the section you see before you begin to scroll).Priority #1 is to qualify a person is generally interested in what you offer, and later show them all the best ways you can help them. You don’t have to throw out all of your product offerings or possible services on the “first date”.Below are the 3 most important questions you need to answer on your website (preferably in the above the fold section) to eliminate confusion and generate more leads.

What do you do?

Most organizations make telling people what they do much harder than it is. But it’s really super simple…just tell me what you do.The best way to do this is with a great tagline.You do NOT need to be cute and poetic. You need to be very direct about what you offer and who it’s for.Think about asking a girl out for the first time. If you say something like “Coffee is nice…isn’t it?”, she’s will probably think you are really weird. But the guy who says "I’d like to get to know you better. Can I take you to coffee?” is the guy who gets the girl.Here is a great example from Mike Kim’s website that I really love. Notice how specific he is with what he offers and who it is for.

Remember, the reader might be a 1/10 on the Curse of Knowledge scale, so be very clear!Hint: Who is your target customer? If you are a retail store in NYC, your tagline will be different from that of an industrial company in Birmingham.

How does it make my life better?

In order to show someone how it makes their life better, you have to show them you've done it before. Think about how much time the P90X infomercials spend showing before & after pictures of previous participants. They have to show results are possible because people are buying the hope of getting those results for themselves.My favorite way to answer this question above the fold is with a strong image that is taken from the “success category”. The best imagery is subtle and shows a resolution of an internal conflict. If you can visually show that others had a positive experience with your brand, you are answering their internal doubt that asks “will this really work for me?”.The more obvious this is, the better chance they will act.For example, Here is an example of above the fold section from a real estate agent in Ohio. Notice how the image of dad and baby laughing in the kitchen makes you feel.

For me, the image insinuates the family had a great buying experience, they love their home, and it’s a beautiful and safe environment to raise their son.Hint: Please do not show me your building on the header of your website. Are you selling your building? Will someone’s life be changed by your building? Never.

How can I get it?

Often we get passive-aggressive with our approach because we don’t want to put pressure on people. However, if we don’t call people to action, they will subconsciously think that we don't believe in what we do enough to invite them to be a part.We must tell them what we want them to do.A product-based business wants people to “Buy Now”. So if that isn’t easily visible in big letters, they are missing sales.As a service based business, the goal is that people really understand what value you bring. So if we don't have a call-to-action (CTA) that says “Chat with us” or “Schedule a Free 15 Call”, we are missing people who actually need.This call-to-action needs to be the most obvious thing a visitor can do on your website.In the case below, Chik-fil-a wants a priority they want you to do when you come to their website. Can you guess what it is?

Of course, they want you to order food.Hint: Put this CTA inside a bright-colored button that sticks out from everything else. The absolute most prime location for your CTA button is at the very top-right of the screen. Like the example above.

Want more great website tips?

Do you struggle to find the right words to say on your site so people pay actually pay attention?My quick, down-to-business guide "5 Thing You Must Have On Your Website" contains all of the obvious and not-so-obvious best practices of web marketing. I will show you what words to say and what images to use to help you clarify your message and engage your audience.Download it below to get the bottom-line impacting answers to your most frustrating questions!

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