It’s hard listening to someone boast. Not only does boasting lack credibility, it’s downright boring.
Yet so many websites are full of, “We are the undisputed worldwide leader in [whatever]. Since 1996, we have…”
Blah, blah, blah… Nobody wants to read this stuff.
How self-centered is your website?
Here’s an exercise: Literally count how many times “we” appears on your home page. If it appears more than a couple of times, you have a problem. Ideally, it won’t appear at all.
Write about your customers and your solutions, not yourself
As a potential customer, my only concerns are:
- Do you understand my particular problem?
- Can you solve it?
- Can you do so quickly and efficiently?
- Are you my best option?
Show that you understand your customers’ pain points and can offer solutions.
Step 1: The right look and feel
Subtlety helps. Show off your professionalism by implication, i.e. by doing everything right:
- Appropriate level of design “fit and finish”
- Easy navigation, logical organization of content
- Concise, error-free writing
- Professional and responsive customer service
Step 2: Prove it!
Indicate your expertise not by talking about it, but by demonstrating it:
- Testimonials (let others do your boasting)
- Case studies
- White papers and other support materials
- Blog showing thought leadership
Do this, and your website will be much more persuasive. Yes it’s a lot of work. But then again, actually doing something is always more difficult than just talking about it.
