Search engine optimization (SEO) is a big spend for business these days. Everyone wants to be at the top of Google.
But the problem is that only getting to the top of Google is akin to learning a couple of pick up lines. Think about what would happen once you use that pick up line… you still have to get to know the other person, get them to like you, and then KEEP them interested long after that initial contact.
With the web it’s no different at all. Getting the top ranking is a pick up line – what happens when a searcher clicks to your site and “finds out who you really are?”
You still have to LEARN about your customer, and get them to KNOW, LIKE, and TRUST you… all before they buy from you. And then you have to KEEP that relationship going. You can’t just go up to someone and say “Hey baby, what’s your sign?” and expect to NOT get slapped. Well, unfortunately this is exactly what a lot of businesses do – they’re marketing themselves with lame PICK UP LINES that drive away and turn off potential customers.
Has anyone ever begun a relationship with a significant other and then 2 or 3 months later you figure out that they “were not you who thought they were?”
It’s exactly the same thing with your business, though, it’s the opposite of former Arizona Cardinal coach Dennis Green’s famous press conference statement, “They are who we thought they were!”
Have you ever thought that the top ranking you’re currently holding in Google is actually TURNING AWAY business? Wait a second – I thought search engine optimization was a “sure thing” when it comes to marketing my business – now you’re telling me otherwise? How can this be?
Well… let’s look at a couple of examples, shall we?
Let’s type in “interior design san diego.”
These are the first three results on Google for this competitive keyword (and you know they’re spending a lot of money on SEO to get this placement):
So what do we have here? We have three brochureware websites. Basically, the businesses took their printed brochure and transferred it on to their web domain. We have some general business info, a little logo and some pictures of some homes.
Question: Who are the types of people who visit these sites? What are they looking for – do we know? Do the site owners know? Is there anything on these pages that shows that they DO know?
Stay with me here, because it’s all going to make sense in a minute…
Now let’s try “real estate attorneys san diego.”
Now we’re having fun.
Who doesn’t love lawyers?
So, these are the first three results on the SERP (that’s Search Engine Results Page for latecomers). We have some pictures of the ocean, a smiling face, some general text info about the practice.
Question: What might a visitor to this site be LOOKING for? What are a couple of the SPECIFIC problems that they are having that they might want a real estate attorney for? Can we tell just from looking at the home page of these web sites?
The answer is no, we can not.
Why should we care about all of this?
Well, besides the fact that a lame website gives the impression that you run a lame practice… Research shows that visitors to your website generally lose interest between 4 and 7 seconds within visiting, and click away.
You’re spending a GREAT deal of money on search engine optimization or paid ads and turning business away AND giving your potential leads either a neutral, or negative impression of you!
So, now that we’ve identified that we need to get this problem fixed, what are some action steps we can take to get this handled?
It all starts with empathy. Empathy is defined by Wikipedia as follows:
“Empathy is the capacity to recognize and, to some extent, share feelings (such as sadness or happiness) that are being experienced by another sentient or semi-sentient being…. Empathy is the key cornerstone in genuine human relationships. Empathy is conscious. It means one with empathy feels compassion, while those without do not take into account other people’s emotions.”
So what the heck does empathy have to do with marketing, and specifically, online marketing?
Everything!!
The best salespeople in the world have developed a high degree of empathy for their prospects. They understand their needs, wants, concerns, objections, etc. and have PREPARED a script for dealing with all of these things that has been tuned into sales perfection.
And guess what… WEB DESIGNERS THAT YOU HIRE DON’T KNOW ANY OF THIS!! They don’t CARE about what your website SAYS… they would rather the push the text away so that they can focus on their designs. And they care about adding a piece to their portfolio than any results or increased sales that you may be getting. AND they don’t even have a clue what your prospects actually want, because they don’t understand the concept of empathy themselves as it applies to marketing.
Anyway, I digress.
The FIRST thing that your potential prospect sees when they click through to your site has to be the ANSWER to the specific PROBLEM that they are facing.
It has to feel, to them, “Okay, this looks exactly like what I need…”
So why do some business still get a “handful” of leads from the internet, even with this terrible state of things? Because it’s a classic case of “the lesser of two evils.” If everyone in your industry has no clue, then you can’t be much WORSE than anyone else.
They haven’t taken the time to consult with us about our Marketing Strategy services – and so, they occasionally “get lucky.” The idea is if you use enough lines on enough people, spend enough money on drinks, etc. that there’s a very small percentage that you’ll “get lucky.”
Though, imagine if you did get this down – you become Mr. Right! Suddenly, pick up lines are not even necessary… because…
You’ve become the guy who doesn’t need to try!
Otherwise, if you keep doing things the way you’ve been doing them, then you’re simply throwing your money away.
STOP THROWING YOUR MONEY AWAY!!!
You’re better off staying home.
And let’s be honest: aren’t you tired of wasting money buying drinks?
