Before running some content training recently I discovered a study that revealed an illuminating piece of information:

In one month (November 2011) an average UK web user visited more than 2,500 web pages, so around 80 pages of content each and every day.

Are these average users stopping to read every piece of copy line by line? Of course not. They’re scanning through the content looking for the information most relevant to what they’re looking for. So it’s worth thinking about the information you have on your site and whether or not your customers can find the critical information to help make a buying decision.

Information like:

1. What makes you so special?

Do you have a unique story for prospects? Is there a reason they should be interested in you rather than your competitor? If so, do they know this when they visit your site?

For some people the story might be as simple as a tagline that tells visitors WHAT the company does, WHO they do it for and HOW they do it.

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The WHAT, WHO, HOW process is a great tools for communicating quickly what you do and whether you’re relevant to your website visitor.

2. What are the results and benefits of working with you?

You’ve given them a taste of what you offer with your tagline, now let them know what they can expect from working with you. Ask yourself, what is your visitor looking for that you can provide? Do they want to get fit? Do they want nutritional advice they can trust? Do they want to sleep better, make more money or have more fun in their business?

Let them know straight away not just WHAT you have, but what that  means to them.

3. Specifically, what do you offer?

If you are a business that sells a product or offers a service, can visitors understand quickly what is on offer? For example can they hire you to work directly? Are you a consultant? Do you offer training? Are you not available for hire but have a range of digital products they can use? Help your visitor visualise quickly how they can engage your services.

4. What do you want them to do?

Someone comes to your site. They are a potential customer. What would the natural next steps be to bring them closer to hiring you or buying from you? Don’t assume they will know to get in touch with you, make it clear and simple for them. For example:

• Sign up to the newsletter
• Take a free assessment
• Contact a sales representative
• Sign up for a trial of the product
• Register for an event
• Book in for a free consultation

5. Why can you be trusted?

Don’t bury your awards or accreditations. List your certifications, show logos of industry bodies that have you registered, list previous results or claims to fame. This isn’t about bragging, it’s about giving your visitor confidence that you are qualified to help them.

6. Why do people love you?

Testimonials from happy clients are best used throughout the content on your site, rather than bulked together in one spot. Why keep all those lovely words of praise on one page when you can share them from the get go?

Not only that but the opinion of other people about your business is more credible and persuasive than your own claims.

7. If they’re not ready to buy, what can they do?

Most people visit websites for research, rather than to persuade straight away. It’s one of the reasons content marketing is so effective.  Providing valuable materials about solving the problem your customer has lets you build a relationship with them even if they’re not quite ready to buy. And when they are, you’ve already made it easy for them to like, know and trust you.

Have you made sure the above information is easy to find on your site? Make the most of your visitor’s time by making it simple for them engage with you and your business.