Blog to Help With Your Digital Marketing

Putting Your Clients First: The Key to Increasing Conversions & Building Strong Relationships

Your website is often the first point of contact between your business and potential clients. SEO brings them to your website, but your website seals the deal.

It’s the place where visitors come to learn more about your products or services, and to decide whether or not they want to work with you. That’s why it’s crucial to make sure your website copy is designed with the client in mind.

One of the most important aspects of client-first language is focusing on the benefits that your products or services can provide. Rather than simply listing out your features or capabilities, make sure to frame them in terms of how they can help your clients solve a problem or achieve a goal.

Client-First Language

Take a screen capture of a page on your website. Underline (in red) all the times you use “we”, “we’ll” “I”, “Us”, “Our”, “let’s”, any variant on company name, any team mentioned, any company person listed, year company founded, and anything else that is all about you.

Now, underline (in green) any “you” “your” “you’re”. You should have far more green than red; if not, there is a negative imbalance. Try rewording, reworking, rewriting, and rearranging the words throughout your site to put the client first. Show potential clients you understand their pain points, and solving them is what you do best.

  • Before: “We Provide the best service in town”
    • try saying ” You’ll get the best service in town with us.”
  • Before: ” We specialize in creating digital ads and websites that help our clients”
    • try saying “Get the results you need with a customized digital marketing strategy.”

Each of these statements shifts the focus to the client’s needs and goals, while still emphasizing the expertise and skills of the business. By framing the relationship as a partnership focused on achieving the client’s objectives, these statements can help to build trust and rapport with potential clients.

Slogan

Take a hard look at your slogan. Does it connect with your target audience? To connect more with the target audience, you could consider rephrasing your slogan to focus on the benefits that the audience will receive from hearing the company’s story.

famous slogan examples:

  • Nike’s slogan isn’t “Leather Shoes since 1964.” NO, it’s “Just Do It“, because that puts their customers first.
  • Coke’s slogan isn’t “Fizzy Sugar Water.” While their slogans have changed repeatedly throughout the years, (some were horrible like “Three Million A day” (1917), the most memorable slogans were inspirational:
    • “Taste the Feeling” (2016)
    • Open Happiness” (2009)
    • “Life Tastes Good” (2001)
  • Apple’s Slogan isn’t “metal computers and phones”. No their slogan inspires a community to “Think Different

local service company slogan examples:

Would these slogans fall flat or resonate with a potential customer of an electrician?:

  • Serving all of metro Atlanta (this is the slogan of several electricians in the Atlanta area)
  • Your Local Electrician (this is also the slogan of numerous electricians)
  • Ready to get the lights on?
  • Light up your life!

Would these slogans fall flat or resonate with a potential customer of a handyman?:

  • One call will handle it all. (maybe, but it sounds too much like a famous attorney’s tagline)
  • Your Trusted, Handyman & Home Improvement Professionals in Northwest Atlanta, GA (falls flat and is too long. While they did use “Your”, it was still all about themselves.)
  • Let’s Get Your Home in Perfect Shape (maybe, but sounds like a gym, and it started with let “us”)
  • Making your to-do list disappear, one project at a time (Yes please, this is the winner because it resonates with customers)

Keep it Simple – Don’t Confuse

Another important aspect of client-first language is avoiding jargon or technical language that might be confusing to your audience. While it’s important to demonstrate your expertise and authority in your field, it’s equally important to make sure your language is accessible and easy to understand. Avoid using industry-specific terms or acronyms without explaining what they mean, and make sure to use clear, concise language throughout your website.

Remember, they aren’t buying the item or service, they are buying a solution to their problems.

Example: I’m an SEO expert, but my clients don’t need SEO, they need their phones to ring with service calls. They don’t want to know how the sausage was made (SEO), they just want to eat the sausage (more customer and more sales). So take time to explain what SEO is, and then drive home the benefits.

Tip: Look at your jargon and technical language. How can you turn that around to make it clear and highlight the benefits.

SEO (search engine optimization) is the process of improving & optimizing your website so that the pages of your website rank higher on the web. More people visit your website which means more service calls. SEO helps you get found AND hired.

Breakdown of what I wrote above: I said the acronym, then said what it meant, then explained what it was, but then moved quickly to the benefits. You could start or end with an analogy that resonates with the person you’re talking to; since analogies help the person remember the technical stuff better.

Here are a few blog posts where I used an analogy to explain something:

A Website is Like Owning a Car

Baiting the Hook: Using Blog Posts to Reel in Potential Customers

Separating the Gold from the Gravel: Using Brainstorming to Identify Winning Ideas

Road to Success: Why Strategy Meetings Are Key to Helping Local Businesses Thrive

Drive Your Business Forward: The Importance of Investing in Your Online Presence

Build Stronger Connections

When it comes to website copy, it’s also important to remember that clients don’t just want to hear about your business – they want to hear about themselves. That’s why it’s crucial to use language that resonates with your audience, and to frame your message in terms of how it can benefit them specifically.

Use language that speaks directly to your target audience, addressing their needs, concerns, and pain points. This can help build a stronger connection with your clients and make them more likely to choose your business over your competitors.

Image sitting next to someone at a dinner party and they just ramble on and on about themselves – you can’t get a word in edgewise. You would make an excuse to walk away from this person. Well online, people don’t have to make excuses to walk away – they click the back button and go on to your competitor’s website.

Increase Connections and Conversions

Finally, remember that client-first language isn’t just important for the homepage or product pages of your website – it should be woven throughout the entire site. Whether it’s your About Us page, your blog posts, or your contact page, make sure your language is focused on the needs and concerns of your clients. By using client-first language throughout your website, you can build a stronger connection with your audience, demonstrate your value, and ultimately drive more conversions and sales.

Remember: SEO Brings Them In, But Your Website Seals The Deal (It’s your website words, design, and CTAs that increase conversions)

Highly Recommend Reading

The book “StoryBrand” by Donald Miller is a guide to creating effective messaging that puts the client first. Miller argues that companies should position themselves as the guide who can help their clients achieve success by addressing their needs and desires. He emphasizes the importance of clarity in messaging and provides a framework for creating a clear, compelling story that resonates with clients.

This involves identifying the client’s problem, offering a solution, and providing a clear call to action. Miller also stresses the importance of understanding the client’s perspective and using language that speaks directly to them.

By putting the client first and focusing on their needs and desires, companies can create messaging that is more effective in building trust, engaging the audience, and driving sales.

This book teaches you step-by-step how to use storytelling to make your messaging and branding simpler and more effective. This book will help you create a clear marketing message, AND develop a quality website that will connect with your target audience.

There is a 7-Part Framework – you can follow along and work on your own business message simultaneously while reading the book.

Identify & Improve Client-First language

Using client-first language throughout your website is crucial for building a strong connection with your audience, demonstrating your value, and increasing conversions. By focusing on the benefits of your products or services, avoiding jargon, speaking directly to your audience, and using client-first language throughout your website, you can create a website that truly resonates with your target clients and helps you achieve your business goals.

PS. Please also stop We, We Weeing all over your newsletter. There are simple steps to improve your newsletter to a client-first strategy.

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Hello, I’m Maryann (SEO Specialist & Digital Marketing Strategist).

Located in Smyrna, GA, serving clients worldwide.