I know we’ve been on a sprint talking all about blogging, but I want to take a step back, pause, and talk about websites in general for a quick second. I’m speaking about both websites and blogs. Let’s talk about the easiest way to reach your ideal readers and clients.
First, let me share a story. I promise it relates back to your website and business. Just hang out with me here for a minute.
A couple of years ago Hubby and I took the boys to this super cool aviary, except when we first walked in we thought we made a huge mistake.
It All Started When
Wait, let’s back up. It all started when we were driving, simply exploring and one of the kids spotted a huge bird sculpture on the side of a simple looking building. Intrigued with nothing planned except finding something new, we decided to check it out. First we had to walk a few blocks after finding a parking lot. Then we walked around three sides of the building to find the entrance to an aviary.
Once we finally got in we were dropped in this cramped hallway buying tickets with about 30 other people. The doors finally opened for our group to enter and we were basically herded through several cramped hallways and small rooms with posters and “interesting” things displayed rather plainly. Others in our group pushed past us like they couldn’t wait to follow the path to the exit. We tried to feign interest for the boys’ sake.
After following several arrows around corners and up two flights of stairs we left the dark, uninspiring halls and entered into a room that totally surprised us.
This room was filled with an enormous birdcage in the center. After taking that in we walked through the next door and were greeted by a person with an enormous bird on their forearm. To our utter amazement the next room was dark and filled with bats perched upside down, some mothers nursing their cute little baby bats. These rooms were a total 180 from what we initially experienced.
The final room was this glorious three story tall atrium that we couldn’t see from the street. Hundreds of birds were roaming free, perched in trees, lighting on bird feeders right at the boys’ eye level. We stayed there for almost two hours taking it all in.
This ended up being a truly amazing experience that we wouldn’t trade, and hope to return to do again (probably being like the other people in our group and walk straight through to the aviary.)
So why am I sharing this?
Because I think its the perfect picture of what NOT to do with your website. Well, not totally at least.
If we hadn’t already purchased tickets, at a hefty sum, I might add, we would have high tailed it out of that aviary before we had an opportunity have an experience.
When we create a website for our businesses, we want to think about creating an experience, a journey, yes. But what I’m talking about today, is matching the whole of the experience of your business to the experience you want your visitors to remember.
Design a beautiful website. Create a feeling with the use of colors and fonts, images and icons, focus topic and supporting information, choice of words and prompts.
All of this is good.
Your Client Experience
But also have this online presence truly reflect the experience someone has when working with you. Showing up in your online home with one personality, but having your client experience something totally different is not the way to build trust.
I’m saying to avoid the bait and switch, which is sort of what we experienced with this aviary, except in reverse.
How much more exciting would this have been if, once we were through the entrance with our group, we had instead been greeted with the person with an enormous bird perched on their forearm?
Or perhaps even an amazing interactive exhibit rather than old posters literally pinned to the walls with thumbtacks? Then I would be using this aviary as an example in a completely different way. I also would be super excited to tell my friends about it without the first phrase I usually use: This is an amazing place! But you’ve gotta get through some boring stuff first.
Maybe this aviary planned the experience to be like this. Boring at first and then totally knocking your socks off. I don’t know.
The easiest way to reach your ideal clients is to give them a consistent experience. Knock their socks off so they’ll tell others.
I’d love for your website visitors to know right off the bat that you are the one they want to work with. And I want more than anything else, for them to be telling their friends “You want to work with her! Check out her website and you’ll totally know what I mean. She’s just like that in real-life, too!”
Take Action
Are you frustrated trying to DIY with your website? Do you wish you could just get it done with already? Tired of searching for how to get your site to look how you see it in your mind?
Reach out and let’s talk. Click that button below to hop on my calendar for a free 20 minute call.
If you’re not ready for that yet, join the Simply Launched Facebook group and ask those questions! Let’s get you online with a site that’s just what your business needs!
