Why your website is not working!

Websites seem to be a never ending frustration for most business owners. It's an ongoing battle to communicate your vision and yes grow your business on the web. So what are you trying to do? Do you have clarity among the people on your team? A Web page isn’t a place the way Starbucks is a place. A Web page is a step in a process. The steps on the stoop in front of your house understand (if steps understand anything) that they exist in order to get you up or down. If you asked the architect what any particular step is for, she wouldn’t hesitate. The answer is obvious. The purpose of this step is to get you to the next step. That’s it. So bear with me for a moment, and pretend you have a Web page that does just one thing. And that it leads to another page that does just one thing. And soon (as soon as possible), your Web pages lead people to do the thing you wanted them to do all along, the reason you built your Web site in the first place. It seems really simple, doesn’t it? It’s not. It’s not simple because many Web pages are compromises, designed to do three or six or a hundred different things. HTML is a powerful tool, constantly misused by people who believe that just because they can do something, they should. If you want to have a successful website you have to design it like it or not so that every page on your site has a tone or voice. That tone must match the expectations of the visitors or they will leave. That tone must lead them to do exactly what you want from them. It must lead them to the action you are looking for. It could be to buy your product, donate money, or tell others about you but you must be clear about how (vibe) and what you want people to experience when they come to each page on your site.

Perhaps some of the frustration people feel is that most websites are not truly designed to take us anywhere. They have no vibe no voice and lead us to nowhere. So it's time to stop crying and get busy designing with a purpose with an experience, a journey with a clear destination in mind for your clients...

Starbucks and Toms...have they forgotten about telling their story?

Starbucks is often used as an example within the world of marketing. They have an experience, they knew how to tell their story.
Yes, I said “knew how to tell their story.”
I’ve had numerous conversations with business leaders about Starbucks’ concept of a “third place” and how other businesses or non-profits could harness that feeling. We have work, we have home … Starbucks was that third place, a getaway, a place to relax, etc. etc.
Then they installed a drive-thru. So much for a third place, it was just a stop on the way to either home or work. They’ve put another nail in the coffin now with instant coffee. Doesn’t get any less third place than that.

Starbucks no longer has a story to tell. Their story is now the same as McDonald’s and Folgers.
I’ve seen the same thing in other businesses and non-profits. They start off with a core calling, know who they are and what their vision is. Then they either get bored or see the business down the road try something new and they change their story. Toms is another great example of a business that started off just wanting to help shoeless kids clothe their feet. The main idea was, you buy one of our shoes, we’ll give another pair to a child in an impoverished nation. But as Toms got popular and trendy they started building off their cool appeal and lost the core of their story. No cause just cool and that is always changing.
Excellence as marketers is all about being great storytellers. Know your story and stick with it. Don’t let things–even seemingly good things–distract you from your unique story. When you start to change your story, often you don’t end up with something new, you end up without a story to tell.
Let someone else sell instant coffee or add a drive thru. Put your efforts into creating a more excellent third place, whatever that unique component happens to be for your business or non-profit.

Marketing & Money

The truth about money and marketing has been muddled by corporations heaving huge sums of money at T.V. and print ads. It has caused non-profits and small businesses to think that they can't "do marketing" because they don't have big dollars to spend. The truth is that if you are not marketing your business, you're dying. And on a deeper level, spending huge amounts of money on T.V. and print ads is an old paradigm that really is not relevant any longer. If you want to succeed in marketing your business, it does require spending money--but not the amount you would think if you're carrying an old paradigm about what marketing means. The real truth about money and marketing is that you can spend millions and fail because you have no idea about how your clients get their information and how people want to be communicated with. Knowing how and where to speak to your clients is in fact the most important equation in successful marketing. One really smart and funny video on a social media site could do more for your business than spending thousands on a cheesy T.V. ad that in the end makes you just look lame. In this age of design and technology, being smart is better than being rich. Money is important, but not the most important equation in successful marketing. I am working on a series of blogs on how to market your business on a limited budget. I hate even saying the words "limited budget" because it really is not about money, it's about so many other things. It's time you and I discovered that new paradigm when it comes to money and marketing. Stay tuned for more--it's going to rock your world....(paradigm)