I was reading an old copy of Entrepreneur Magazine last night in bed. It was the August 2002 issue (I never throw any sales, business or marketing magazines away).

You may have heard me rant before that your website should be your top 24/7 sales leader. And that’s why I read books and magazines on selling more than I do on marketing or web design. Because what works in sales directly translates to websites.

For example, there is an article in this magazine by Mark Henricks called “All Work & No Play.” In it he talks about the sales methods that work in a thriving economy; taking people out to lunch or for a round of golf, don’t work when things are tough. Decision-makers don’t have time for that nonsense.

As Mark puts it, “Customers are looking for solutions to problems and those solutions have to relate to cutting costs or increasing profits.”

In other words, a slaesperson has to know the client’s needs, know their problems, and find a way to show how their product or service will solve that problem. Fluffy marketing or sales ploys need not apply.

A website must approach visitors the same way. They didn’t come to your website because they were bored and looking for entertainment. They are looking for the best solution to their problem.

A top sales person doesn’t walk into a sales appointment and start tlaking about how great the “Whatsit 2000″ is. They do two things:

1. They listen
2. They ask questions and listen some more.

So how can a website possibly “listen and ask questions?” It’s easier than you think. The idea is to engage the visitor.

When someone agrees to meet with you, they already know what your selling or have an idea. And for whatever reason, they’ve decided that you might have a solution. The same thing applies to someone who visits your business website.

So what should you do? Make sure, first of all, that they know they’re at the right place. Your page must have a headline that establishes that you:

1. understand their problem, and
2. offer a solution

Usually, when I write headlines, I also have to accommodate search engine optimization requirements. That means that the first words in the headline must be the primary keyword phrase for that page.

That’s actually perfect from a sales standpoint because they came to that page because they typed into their search engine the primary keyword phrase for your page. If their search terms are the first words they see, they immediately understand that this page is all about their problem.

If the second half of the headline lets them know that you understand their problem or have a solution, you’ve immediately grabbed their attention.

Here are a few example headlines I’ve recently written (the keyword phrase is Bold and the solution is Italicized):

• Florida Condos For Sale Featuring Condo Floor Plans that Compliment Your Active FL Life-Style…
• Log Home Repair is Hard Work…
• Employee Health and Wellness Programs in the Workplace Are Key to Long-Term Cost Reduction…
• Water Based Adhesives Help Minimize VOCs…

The page headline is just the first phase of the selling process (not marketing, mind you, this is all about selling). Well take the next phase in the next blog post.

if you take nothing else away from this post, remember this: 

Websites aren’t about marketing, They’re about sales.

Bob McClain or WordsmithBob, has been a website copywriter in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, since 2000. He has focused on developing new, more effective approaches to web writing, web content, web copywriting and Search Engine Optimization. Starting with a BA in Technical Communication and a minor in Creative Writing from Metro State University in St. Paul, McClain has worked diligently to end the use of "corp-speak" and "technospeak" online. His approach is to “humanize” the Web, using real information to guide people to buy rather than turning websites into advertisements that people can easily ignore. McClain is also the creator of Cheap SEO Website Marketing, a website devoted to helping people with the best solutions to DIY SEO at an affordable cost with tips and software reviews. More at Cheap SEO Website Marketing

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Originally posted 2008-12-31 11:24:30. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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