It’s always easier when you plan ahead.

Yet, it’s always hard to plan ahead.

My number one tip for starting a website project? Plan ahead.

A Personal Development Journey

This year I’ve really started off on a personal development journey. I tend to do this often at the beginning of the year, as I ask for a number of books for Christmas (books have been on my Christmas list since I was a kid).

I’ve already finished:

Throughout these books, I’ve realized I’ve implemented many of these strategies through the years. I just hadn’t named them or researched why they work. It’s been nice to be validated in my thinking – giving me a boost of confidence and reassurance that I wasn’t completely off base.

They’ve also inspired me to share with you things I’ve learned in order to help you spark business success and start planning your website.

Starting your Website: Telling Your story. Books that have inspired me

The Importance of Content

Content is arguably the most important piece of your website (and ironically the piece that I don’t do for you directly).

Your content. Your STORY is crucial. Your website needs to tell:

  • A true story
  • A story spoken directly to your target audience
  • A story that speaks to your early adopters

If you haven’t written your story yet, now is the time. Below are some tips to get you started.

Creating Compelling Content

Your story must:

  • Create tension (make your audience really think)
  • Build anticipation and excitement (make your audience not want to miss out)
  • Create urgency (make your audience feel like they have to take action right now)

Your audience must feel this compelling narrative and be motivated to act.

The Power of Sharing

You must give your audience a reason to SHARE YOUR STORY. Ask yourself will sharing your story help your audience:

  • Increase their status?
  • Enhance their social affiliation?
  • Increase the usefulness of your product or service?

It’s your job to guide them through this journey – provide the scaffolding as Seth Godin would say.

The Journey of Storytelling

What does scaffolding mean? It means you will help your audience go from wanting your product or service to using your product or service to sharing your product or service. These actions will then turn YOUR story into THEIR story. This is the key.

This is word of mouth, this is how you get the clicks.

Why Will They Tell Others?

Seth Godin says it comes down to 3 key things:

  1. Will it increase my status?
  2. Will it enhance my social affiliation?
  3. Will it decrease my fear?

I’ll break it down for you. Here’s how getting a new website could help you:

  • Status: A new website will help you “look the part” in your industry
  • Social Affiliation: A new website can draw in better leads, helping your marketing and growing your social audience
  • Fear Reduction: A new website can help you not feel like a fraud. It can help you feel confident when you’re going out sharing what you do.

Once you have a new website and you feel confident, you look the part and you advertise it on social media other’s will see it and ask you about it. How did you plan for it? How did you build it? What did you use?

Now, it’s your story to tell. You’ll let them know how you worked with me, what I did to make the process easy, how fast it was from start to finish, what tips you’ve learned, and the results you’ve seen.

See, it’s your story, it’s not mine. I don’t need to tell them what I can do, because you told them for me.

Now, they come to me ready to get started.

At the end, they tell their followers, business partners, friends.

That, is word of mouth.

So how do we build a new website together?

Great content leads to great design. When I understand your story, I can:

  • Implement design that reflects your vibe
  • Make your story easy to digest
  • Create an impactful layout
  • Lead your audience to action

Using your words and your story we can take your target audience through the journey you want to take them. Sharing your story and helping them start to create their story in their head, getting them ready to purchase from you.

The Key to Success

The key to a successful website (and business) is to:

  • Be authentically you
  • Tell your story in an attractive way
  • Create a sticky, persistent narrative

And, the only way to do this, is to plan ahead. To know your story, and then implement it in everything you do. Guess what? It will even make your marketing easier!

The Ultimate Takeaway

If there’s one thing to remember – from Marie Forleo and Seth Godin – it’s this:

Writing to someone is far more effective than writing to everyone.

In Summary

It’s time to get started writing your story, creating your content and sharing it with the world. When sitting down to do this be sure you:

  • Know your audience
  • Speak to their fears
  • Show empathy
  • Demonstrate how you can help
  • Create a story worth sharing

Your website (and business) will work for you when you master these principles.

Need help? I’ve got a content document coming soon I can’t wait to share with you!

Ready to go? Contact us today to get started on designing your website to tell your story!