You have a great business idea. You have capital to move it forward. And you’ve begun to surround yourself with people who share your vision. An exciting place to be, for sure.
But, caught up in ambition and fueled by adrenaline, it’s all too easy to charge ahead and start to lose sight of why you’ve started your business. One way to slow down a bit and make sure you and your colleagues are focused is to take a regular look at your web site. The Internet has made it really easy to pass along information, but the information must be meaningful to customers and prospects. Your web site is your public persona, and it’s essential to review it and then give your business serious and regular consideration. Consider these three ideas—
Your mission, vision and purpose: are you speaking to you?
Solid, well-defined MVPs are a critical step in getting started, and are often an entrepreneur’s first challenge. That’s good, and it’s time well spent. And it’s appropriate to be proud of those definitions. But if mission, vision and purpose are the focal point of your web site you’re missing an opportunity to speak directly to potential customers in a way that’s meaningful to them. You’re really just describing you. Here’s what you should do instead …
Clearly describe the customer problem you intend to solve.
It’s been said in hundreds of different ways by great marketing minds, but if your background isn’t marketing, it may not be obvious. Advertising giant David Ogilvy said it succinctly decades ago. “Consumers do not buy products. They buy product benefits.” That’s also accurate if your customer is a business. Your customers want a solution to their problem, relief from a pain in their life, making today more comfortable, less expensive and more satisfying than yesterday.
ASK customers what they think of you. And make it easy for them.
Okay, so business is rolling in and the future looks good. But don’t forget who deserves the thanks. Every web site has a “Contact Us” link, but you’ll have better results if you’re active instead of passive in looking for feedback. “Have something to say? We want to hear it!” is the right kind of approach. Bill Gates, another marketing genius said, “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.”
And when you get feedback, make absolutely sure it will make a difference. Expert Shep Hyken rightly says, “Customer service is not a department. It’s a philosophy to be embraced by everyone in an organization.”
All of these tips really boil down to one simple idea—your customer is your business. Setting aside time to think about how your business and your customer intersect is essential, and your web site is a great place to start.