Business leaders in service industries often face stiff competition. Which begs the question: As a real estate agent, nonprofit leader, insurance broker, healthcare provider, or any other service industry expert, how can you differentiate yourself (i.e., your brand) from the competition?
The answer: Calm any concerns your prospects may have.
You’re likely already doing this when you meet with prospects face-to-face.
But if you’re like many businesses, you’re not using your website to calm the concerns prospects may have.
And since many people’s first impression of your business will happen online, not calming prospect’s concerns at the get-go could impact whether they contact you.
This post will show you how to fix this.
First, let’s state the obvious: Your industry is complex.
And for your clients, it can be downright intimidating. That’s where you come in: You take the fear out of working in your industry.
Whether you’re helping people navigate the complexities of business law, find a house, invest their finances, or get better insurance–you are guiding them through the complexities involved with your industry.
And aside from your industry, there are multiple reasons a prospect may be intimidated by working with you. Mainly:
- What if they don’t make the right decision?
- What if they waste their time, money, or both?
- What if they just don’t understand what to do (even with your guidance)?
If each of your prospects met with you in person, I’m sure you would have the right words to placate these anxieties.
But many of your leads are researching you online long before meeting with you. So, you want to have the right words on your website to make working with you seem less scary.
Here are a few ways you can do that:
Be really, really clear on your home page.
State what you do, name a few successes your clients can experience, and note how people can do business with you–all before they scroll down. Noting how people can do business with you often occurs in the form of a CTA button (see step #2).
Have a clear call to action (CTA).
A CTA is often a big clickable button at the top of a homepage. Their purpose? To get the visitor to do something.
The problem is many companies use vague wording like “Get started” or “Connect with Us.” And unsurprisingly, these buttons often go un-clicked, because they aren’t specific enough. It makes sense: If people don’t know what a button means, they won’t click on it. So, may your CTA clear.
For example, create a CTA that says, “Schedule an appointment,” or “Get a quote today.” Link that button to a well-crafted landing page, and you’ve got yourself a solid CTA!
And since we typically scan web pages, be sure to include your CTA multiple times throughout your homepage. The repetition will help make it more obvious.
Cut out the jargon as much as possible.
Keep your content conversational when you’re reaching the masses. Only use jargon if you’re targeting specific people who would “get it.”
But if you’re targeting the general public, I’d keep the jargon at a minimum. That means for each page on your website, each social post your business puts out, and each email that goes to a broad list–try to cut the jargon down and take a write-like-you-talk approach.
And for you grammar nerds (like me), I encourage you to break a few rules. Aim for readability.
Have a three-step plan that simplifies the process of working with you.
By doing this, you simplify an otherwise scary process, which means your visitors are more likely to click your CTA button.
The first step in this plan can use the same wording as your CTA. The next two steps can be high-level parts of the process. And sure, there will likely be a lot of little steps in between each step. So, shoot for the high-level ones.
Here’s an example I used for a real estate agent:
- Book a free consultation
- Let’s look at houses
- Celebrate on closing day!
Closing thoughts
Complex industries like yours can be intimidating for your prospects.
These tips can help you use your website to placate some of the fears your prospects may have.
Doing so will not only help you convert more prospects, it will help you stand out from your competitors.
