Home
>
Web Development
>
Is Your Web Site Talking to Your Customer?

Is Your Web Site Talking to Your Customer?

A while ago one of my clients approached me and mentioned that they were experiencing a serious problem with customer registrations (obtaining customer names and e-mail addresses), on their web site. They still had a lot of traffic, but were finding that the ratio between traffic and registrations had been dropping steadily.

H'mm, click-thru conversion rate I immediately thought, being the clever fellow I am. Or..., maybe product description? Or..., benefits?

Now a little step back: The product this company sells is very popular, especially within the higher middle income bracket and above, in this country. The company decided to also start selling this product on-line a year ago and the web site immediately attracted considerable traffic from inception. The subscription rate was never really a problem as everyone wanted to know when new product ranges were to be released. The Marketing Director was also always very careful to follow the basic rules of internet marketing.

So what had gone wrong ?

Back to the present: I decided to have a quick look at the web site before meeting with the Marketing Director. O, dear: Horror upon horror. The company had gone and changed the copy on the site.

I must say that I was very impressed with the great graphics and graphic functionality on the web site. One could do incredible displays with the product. And the technical descriptions of the product - something to die for! For the first time I now knew precisely what materials were used in the manufacturing process, how long items spent in various stages and that some material originated from space research. Wow, to die for!!!

So what?

Where were the benefits? What was in it for me as a customer?

Worse was still to come:

This web site was boring the heck out of me as a customer!

This web site was talking down to me!

Woe is me! I felt terrible - like an idiot, after working my way through the site (this talking down business really made me feel stupid), but manfully prepared for my meeting with the Marketing Director and sallied forth with my trusted colleagues called What, Who When, Where, How and my trusted right hand Why.

During the meeting it transpired that due to a number of technical queries the company received via the web site, they decided to revamp the site. The new site was to be more technically orientated to cater for the technical customers.

Aha, my trusted colleagues said. And what percentage of your internet customer base is technically orientated. And what are you actually wanting to sell - and to whom - and what do they want. Turned out that the company did not actually know what percentage of their customers wanted technical information. It was not a huge amount of people though. Turned out the company had not done any market research to determine this change. Turned out that someone had had a bright idea and changes were made without any research. Turned out the company tried to tell customers what the customers should want and need. Turned out the company ignored their customer.

H'mm - what did the company and I learn from this... again.

Sell the benefits of the product to the customer. A customer lands on a site - the customer has certain needs, be it hidden or overt. You need to satisfy those needs. This first question a customer asks is: What is in it for me ! Does this satisfy my need(s). What benefits are there for me ?

What my client did was to show the customers how clever the persons in the company is. It is the worst one can do. It talks down to the customer - look how clever I am !!! Let's talk about me, me, me and when you get tired of me, we'll talk about myself and I. What about the customer ? Rather talk about the customer - how this would meet his or her needs. How this product would reward all the hard work, be a status symbol to show off, how this product would save time.

Something else: This web site was downright boring. It did not talk to a person - in fact it was dead. It did not draw attention. Oh, attention - let me go down that track for a second. You want attention - you want a web site that talks to the customer. Ha - that means one has to constantly update content(copy) on a site. That is work that costs money.

Well, well, well, my colleagues say. Are you aware that the typical web customer reads/surfs about 20 to 30 sites per day. Are you aware that when a person is looking for something, they scan through a site. Are you aware that if you do not catch their attention with an attention grabbing headline you are going to lose them. Are you aware that you have between 10 and 20 seconds to grab their attention.

Your site must talk to your customer. Your site must grab the attention of the customer and you have between 10 and 20 seconds to do that. And what about keeping the customer coming back. That is a topic for another time, I think.

Back to my client: We compromised on a site that follows the principals I stated above, but also have a Technical area for those that wanted it. We built the site again with new copy.

Copy that addressed the needs and wants of customers.

Copy that was written from a customer's perspective.

Copy that sold benefits.

Copy that connected to customers as friends.

Copy that emphasized the "you" word and minimised the I/me words.

Copy that talked, connected and made the site talk.

And my client:

They are happy - their web site talks to their customers.

And the conversion rate:

Not going to tell you what it is, but it is high again and higher than before - for the moment, my client loves me.

And what is in this for you, dear reader:

Just one thing: "Make your web site talk to your customer"

Leon Williams runs eBusWiz and is "Actively living his dream". More articles can be found at: http://www.ebuswiz/blog

More information at: http://www.ebuswiz/blog

and articles at: http://www.ebuswiz/blog

weekly home cleaning Deerfield ...

In The News:

A LinkedIn romance scam cost Gaby close to $1 million after a scammer returned her first payment to build trust, then escalated requests over two years.

Safari's Notify Me can monitor websites for price changes and restocks, while new AI photo tools let you reframe and extend shots in iOS 27.

FLHSMV traced the Florida DMV breach to credentials from a Plant City Police Department user, but ShinyHunters claims over 200,000 driver records.

Tesla's Cybercab launched in Austin with no steering wheel or pedals, but hidden details about age limits and missing safety features may shock riders.

Moderna and Merck's Phase 3 melanoma vaccine trial showed positive results, but full data and FDA approval are still pending for the mRNA therapy.

Malwarebytes data reveals scam texts peak around noon ET with 874% higher volume than overnight, and Fridays bring roughly 50% more messages.

Over 5,400 legitimate websites now serve fake CAPTCHA scams that trick users into pasting malware commands into Windows Run via ClickFix attacks.

Tuya Smart's Doova AI home robot rolls to seniors who call for help and connects family via live video, but key privacy questions remain unanswered.

Jevon Martinez livestreamed himself removing 10 Flock Safety cameras in Bernalillo County, but authorities say eight belonged to neighborhood associations.

A dark web service called Nexus claimed to hold over 153 million driver's license records, and the FBI confirms it is now looking into the incident.

Asking Siri to call American Express connected an 82-year-old woman to a bogus number that nearly drained $100,000 from her Bank of America account.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

iPhone Duo opens to a 7.6-inch foldable display starting at $1,999, but Siri Recap's ambient listening on Apple Watch may spark privacy concerns.

Homeowners' association meeting minutes and membership lists can expose names, addresses and emails that scammers use to craft convincing phishing scams.

Lima, Ohio, has installed 3,120 floating solar panels on its Twin Lakes Reservoir, projecting nearly $10 million in electricity cost savings.

Amazon's Alexa for Shopping now lets customers verify suspicious emails, texts and phone calls against the company's own communication records.

Lindsey Brooke Isaacs spent 13 days in jail after a Flock camera flagged her Dodge Durango near a fatal Florida crash that killed three people.

AI-powered smart grocery carts are linked to 32% higher spending, according to new research, as Instacart Caper Carts expand across U.S. stores.

A VPN encrypts your connection on hotel, airport and café Wi-Fi abroad, but streaming catalogs and live sports access still depend on provider rules.

Gmail's Verified Sender Program launches September 8, 2026, giving U.S. political committees a more reliable path to your personal email inbox.

Elroy Air's Chaparral can carry over 500 pounds and fly 450 miles without a runway, and the FAA just tested it under a new federal program.

Bedrock Robotics says its autonomous excavators are doing paid earthwork on active job sites in Texas and Nevada with no operator in the cab.

A dedicated banking computer isolates your financial accounts from malware and phishing, but passwords, SIM swapping and outdated software remain risks.

The OlloNi SS1 AI robot pet uses a 4K camera and facial recognition to learn your family, but its removable Red Heart memory module raises questions.

Nine identity theft warning signs range from unfamiliar credit inquiries to SIM swap attacks that can quietly drain your bank account funds.

Is Your Web Site Talking to Your Customer?

Web Development