Lessons

Lesson Info

About Page: Customer First, Your Story Second

So now let's talk about I know we mentioned a lot about customer first, but it really is all about the customer first and then your story second and again, how does your story fit into their story and that's? What really turns a visitor into a customer? So the key to your about paige and connecting with your customers is to really have a conversation with your web visitors, and I'll give you some examples here in just a few minutes, but you really do this is perfect. This is even better than on the home page because you can have a lot more text here or you can ask them questions. You could get them to think about what it is that they need get them to sort of envision using your products and bringing your products into their life. So this is the perfect place for that even so more than in your product description, because that's mostly focused on the benefits of your products and one way to do that. I know we talked a lot about this, but is to use the words you and your throughout your ...

first paragraph, especially when you're speaking directly to them but also throughout your home page, and I'll show you, on example of how you can do it under in just a minute. But you also want to think about other questions that they might have as they're reading that page, so think about what's in it for them, right? Why should someone by your jewelry or your home decor or the kind you know, your skin care? Why what's, what is it that they're going to get out of it by? Why should they choose your product over other people's products that could be really similar products? It could have the same formula, it could have the same ingredients, it can have the same look, but why should they buy yours specifically and what's in it for them that they couldn't get from somewhere else? And then think about how well your products that benefit them and answer that question. I know this is something that I deal with a lot, especially when I work with jewelry designers, because they're thinking while is just a ring or it's, just a necklace, what are the benefits of that? Like, I don't understand, you know how that could have a benefit to my customer, but if you put yourself in their position, I know when I wear, for example, a certain necklace, I worried because it makes me feel a certain way, or it makes me look a certain way, or it gives me confidence, you know? I'm wearing a five hundred dollars pair of earrings as opposed to a five dollars pair of earrings I feel completely different and they could look exactly the same right? It could be totally the same look but the way I feel is so different when I were five hundred dollars pair of earrings as opposed to when I'm worrying ah five dollars pair of one so I want you to think about your customers and how is it do you want them to make how do you want to make them feel how do you want to make them think how do you want to make them look or all of those other questions that come into place when they think about your products specifically and jewelry designers I know they struggle with this all the time because it is technically just that nicholas but what does your necklace do for the person wearing it and I know even with my t shirt business right it's just a t shirt everyone makes you know everyone worse t shirts but with my t shirts my whole point was that I wanted people to be inspired just like I was aspired and it goes beyond just you wearing a t shirt because it matches your genes or something like that right and you want to convey that message throughout your about paige and again throughout your whole website to not just be about page but the about paige is really where you khun dio of really great job of that and lastly you really want to get them to think about why must they absolutely have to have your product? And I know often times price comes into play and people think where if I couldn't price my products less expensive, more people are going to buy and that's absolutely not true if you do a great job of explaining to them why they have to have your particular product they will find a way to buy I know what all of us we can totally relate you know, whether we bought a new car that was more expensive than we can afford or we want tio a certain college that was more expensive or we ate at a restaurant that's organic and more expensive, right? We all if we no one matters to us will find a way to make that happen and you want your products to really matter to your audience and to your customers. And most importantly, I know we talked about this, but how does your story fit into their story? I know just to give you an example with my my t shirts, I got the inspiration for my t shirt line and a yoga class and part of my target audience was women who do yoga, so of course if I'm going to talk about yoga in my about paige which technically doesn't have anything to do with t shirts if you really think about it, if they could envision themselves in my situation, and if they couldn't relate to it, and then if they concede their products or my products fit into their lifestyle again, you really have captured them, hopefully as a customer for life. So I want to give you an example here about what not to do. So this is a about page that I mean, I made this up, but it really does reflect the look of about pages everywhere. So this talks about the company, so I'll just read it off, but found that in two thousand four, baby apparel company was created out of the necessity to clothe infant baby and toddler boys and trendy baby clothes. Baby apparel company was among the first baby clothes manufacturers to offer hip baby clothes with an edge for boys. The market is crowded with followers, but baby apparel company continues to lead the pack with innovative silage designed for boy. So you know what? They dio right like it's? Obviously they have or it's obvious they have stylish apparel for toddler boys and babies, but do you see yourself in there anywhere if you had a boy? Is this something or you could be like, I have to have this right? Does it speak? Does it engage you? Does it speak directly? Teo and I see so many designers were, you know they'll start off on there about paige and they'll say, you know, I graduated with an m f a and from this university and my work has been featured in this many magazine, right that's not about your audience as well, it's all about you and that's. Now what we want on our about page? Yes, tracy letts your your point of view on starting our writing, your about page in the third person versus the first person, it really the pines? I think I preferred the first person because I feel like I have more of a connection with my audience, but I've actually centered both, and it does bork both way, so I would say take the one that you're most comfortable with. I never personally liked it because it just sounded weird because I was writing it and I felt like I could be more authentic if I wrote I or me rather than she. But again, that was just my my experience with it, but I've totally sin both on different types of websites I just prefer first person, yes, is that true? If you have two people, so if you have a partnership in you're saying we and our does that still get across the right tone? Yes, I think so, yeah. So I think if you have a partner or even if you're a small company I know like now, right now I have a small team I've started saying we instead of me because it's not just me anymore, and I know oftentimes people want to seem bigger because they think that if you're bigger, people are more likely to buy from you, but again do what feels authentic and write to you, but, yeah, I've started saying, wait because now, it's not just me anymore? Yeah, yes in the about paige, according to the paragraphs, would you then in the first paragraph when it's about the customer you would use you? Yes, and then in the second so when you're talking about your own story would go back to me exactly, yeah, yeah okay, so this is definitely all about you, not about them not good. So let me go to a different scenario where I'm pretty much saying the same thing, but in a totally different way. So do you feel that your baby or toddler boy doesn't have the clothing options that are hip, edgy and trendy and that reflect this personality? You're not alone, many of the apparel options for boys are so limited and that's why baby apparel company exists each time you by our innovative stylish designs on one pieces t shirts who these caps and beanies you know your baby or toddler boy is in style how different is this right? You're saying exactly the same information you're telling them that it's hip that it's edgy but there's nothing out there like it but it's so different because this is all about them it has nothing to do with you even though it's you you're still talking about your company and what they dio by your phrase and get in such a way that reflects their lifestyle and I know you know if I'm reading this one they're saying you're not alone yes, I know I totally couldn't relate to that I know other moms can relate to that as well so this is so important and you really are starting that two way conversation conversation that is really critical. So yeah so I urge all of you to take a look at your about pages and see what kind of conversation you're having with your customer if you answering the question what's in it for them and how is this going to benefit them rather than all of the other things that we might already have on our about pages? Yes, seeing that the about paige is such an important page if you're not such a great writer do you think you should just get sales copy writer to help you you know, put that page together. Yeah, I think so. If you feel like the copywriter khun, get your tone across and can speak in your voice because there's nothing worse than hiring someone who writes something that is not a reflection of you. So, you know, I've had like, I've hired a copywriter to work with me on creating some of mike course copy for one of my courses and part of that was writing about the my story, but the way she did is that she sat down with me and she asked me a a whole ton of questions, and then based on that she wrote my about page, but again it felt totally write to me because I thought I could have written that too, so if you feel like they could speak in the voice that you would normally speaking and it reflects you, I think that's totally fine. I don't think any of us should be afraid to hire other people to help us, especially with the things that we don't love to do because if you hate writing, I know personally it's one of those things that it's the last thing I want to dio but I'd rather you have a really great about paige and hire someone to write with you, then do something that you hate doing because that will reflect in your copy. So, yes, I'm a huge fan of working with other people and getting them to help you with the things that you don't enjoy doing or that you're not good at doing. Yes, elizabeth. Thinking on my about page it's very long, eh? So it starts out with that, um, connection with the with the person that's reading it it's about them, then that it's about me, etcetera. But then I've got more on there and I was have a professional bio at the bottom. So do you suggest having a a shorter about paige? Do you think that it you lose people when you have it too long? Yeah, I don't necessarily think you lose people and I've sort of it's interesting. I've experimented with both where I've put my really long story, and I've known people who have sat and read through it, and then the email me and they'll say, oh my god, I was just reading this. I was in the same situation too, and it's like that was at the bottom of the page. I know they read it because otherwise they would never have been able to know that. If they hadn't read it so I think it's ok if you want to maybe not overwhelmed people right away, you could have a short version and then you could say something like if you want the long version, click here and I've seen some people do that as well and again the more actions you take people to do, the more invested they are in you so if someone clicks to read more than again it's like they want to know more from you and they're more invested in you so if you don't like the look of the long page I know right now on my website I have the really long version um but if you don't like the look of that, then just say if you want a long story, click here and and they could read more but you couldn't again whatever works for you, whatever you feel is authentic for you is what I would recommend yeah, yes, I'm just curious how far back in history should you go when you're talking about your business on the about? Paige yeah that's a great question I would say go us far back as is relevant to your business so for example, with my about paige with my t shirt business, I didn't go anywhere before my my yoga experience because that's where my business started that's where I got the idea from it that's, what inspired it? That's, what people need to know about, by, for example, with my launch, grow joy business, because I feel like I've sort of had on entrepreneurial path for a while, even before I started this particular business. Then I sort of shared that story from the beginning, so it depends on you. And, for example, it's, a few design clothes and your you've always been inspired by really great fashion, and you, you know, where the buzz dressed in the playground and stuff like that that's totally relevant to you, even though it has nothing to do with your business. But if it's relevant to you and your business, I think you definitely should included in there, because it just creates more of a story, and people love stories and it's what inspires them and it's, what makes you relatable? It's? What makes them trust you? So I do love long stories, and I think especially if people invest the time to read all of those stories, they're more likely to invest in you as they take their journey through your website. So, great question. All right, so now I wanted to give you a couple of examples of really great about pages, so this is from a skin care company out of brooklyn and I love I mean, I love everything about her website, but I was just wanted to highlight her home her about page because she starts off even though she starts off with the word I, which is again it's not about that, but you're saying I think you're awesome so right away she talks to her visitors and she makes them feel special, right? And it makes her stand out because obvious or how many times do you go to a website to learn about paige? And someone tells you you're awesome? That doesn't happen very often, right? So this is such a great way to get people in and teo get them to relate to you and to bring them into your brand and your story. And again, she's saying, you know, originally these products were just for me and my sensitive skin. I didn't know anyone also like them again, she's using me or I but she was using it in the context of what does it mean for her customers and for her readers? And she ends in you know, you do one great skin, but you don't want to hurt yourself or the planet to get it if you're someone who couldn't relate to that, I know I can I know that site us for me and I want to know more, you know, not everyone cares about what they put on their skin and that's totally fine, but for the people who do, she automatically has grabbed them and she has them. She started a conversation with them, and all they want now is to no more. I mean, I was doing research and her side is one that that came up, and I literally wanted to go buy some of her product as I was preparing for the course because she spoke directly to me and I probably will buy them after, you know, after, but she just that's such a great job of getting it to engage and making you feel like you're oh, you're all in this together, and I think that it's still important when you are especially a smaller entrepreneur. All right? So let's, talk about another example, and this is where we talked about video and the social marketing and the social causes, but this is from the company this bar saves lives and it's such a great example, they start off with the video and you, this is on the top of their home page. You couldn't watch a video so it's again different than talking about what's in it for them, but they show that through this video and the impact that you could make if you buy one of their bars and what it means not only for you but for them and then for the people that they impact so video is great on by highly would recommend it if if you can do it even if you don't want to try to the video and see what happens to your sales, I am positive that they will go up so if you want more sales at some videos to your website and um that's how you could get them and then after that they talk about how it works so again they're using the word you you're hungry you buy are delicious bar for every bar you by you know and so on boom you help save a child's life so again there's totally taking you on their journey and you are engaged with them you feel like yes, I want to save a child's life who doesn't write so why would you pick this bar over a bar that probably taste the same from a different company while you would pick it because they've already told you what's in it for you you can save a child's life and you can be part of their mission which is to be part of the bigger picture if you buy this far and it really is compelling the company's doing great despite all of the crazy competition that they have in that bar market yes quick question about videos do you what's best practices someone making any video that you get up there making it on your iphone or hiring somebody to help you make a video which puts you would you recommend to your clients yeah, I think it depends on the stage of business that you're at if you are first starting out I think you should not let the fact that you don't have a budget or expensive equipment to stop you from making a video so I think first and foremost it's really important to have any video and it's not you know it's not the days off where you have to buy this expensive camera you can get a really great video with your iphone or with you smartphone as long as you're lighting is good and your sound is good you do have to have a good sound so that's something that I would definitely pay attention to but I really think with any smartphones that we have we can do our own video again it doesn't have to be super professional and polished, but as your business grows as your image sort of changes as your pricing gets more expensive for example, you know what traces jewelry she couldn't just sit there you know with her iphone and be like hi everyone you know this is what I do so because her product is more of a higher and product she makes sense for to invest in aa in a better video so it just depends where you're at but please don't let the fact that you don't have fancy equipment, fancy mikes and cameras and a budget or a professional videographer make you not do videos yes does it need to be a video that is showing people doing things there? Can you have something that's basically like sort of a powerpoint slide that's guiding people but it's more interactive yeah, I think of the pines on the kind of experience you want to create for your visitors and the people who watch so again just I know a lot of my answers are depends, but it really does the pen because there isn't one formula for everyone I think if you feel like you're not the main person behind your brand, then maybe you don't have to be in the video because maybe your company and your products on more of like a how to or something like that where you are educating people about something so you don't necessarily have to be in your video that's I think another thing that holds people back is that but they all so many people feel like oh me on camera no, I could never do that I know I've been there years ago and I'm still there sometimes, you know, but you sort of just have to think about what is best for my audience and what's best for my customers, and is my video adding to their experience, or is it making them more carter? Is it taking away from my branding? Is it not really representing me the way I want to be ripped? Isn't it so? Um so yeah, that's what I would say about that I just wanted to add one more thing to you about videos because I've done so many for both of my businesses, and one of the things that we teach over it flourish and thrive academy is that sometimes there's like film, schools or college is where they have film departments and you can hire someone who's trying to build their portfolio for not a very expensive price. Tio shoot your video and even edit it. You know, when we were when I was first starting out, I had my first couple videos edited for like one hundred bucks or something. It was really an expensive yeah, I'm so glad you brought that up because really, any budget you have, you can find someone to do it, even if you have zero budget and right going to your local colleges, film department or video department. They will find someone to do it for you I mean, I had someone from a college right my business plan for my business for his business class and I didn't have to pay anything for that he learned something I learned something everyone benefits and everyone's always especially in college is looking to build their portfolio, and some of these videographers and college students are really amazing like I've looked at some of their work and it's better than anything I could do and willing to do it for you for free to build their portfolio. So yes, I'm so glad you brought that up. Yes, so don't let any of the fancy equipment or technology or anything like that hold you back from doing video it really is really, really important ok, so one more example of a about page that I wanted to share with you on this one is a little different because they're not starting out with what's in it for them, but I think for them it works because what their mission is that one village coffee is to sort of create community around coffee and teo to sort of create their own village, so I feel like their picture their image really reflects the feel of a village and it's a whole bunch of people that are coming together for a common mission and then they talk about that and there first paragraph and again, how could you not want to be part of this if you read it right? There is a really, really mission there and yes, they're not saying specifically, you know, will you come and join us? Or will you be part of our mission? But as you're reading good, you are thinking yes, I want to be a part of that. If that speaks to you directly, I know not everyone can relate to this, but I think that's fine, because you shouldn't be able to have everyone relates to you. I think you should on lee have specific people that you want to be your target customer relate to you, and I really do think that's the key to success in your business so you don't want to speak to everyone, and this paragraph here really speaks directly to the kind of audience they are trying tio engage and to bring two be a part of their community. So now I wantto talk to some of you here in the studio audience, but also and alive online audience as well. So much take of couple of seconds and think about why should someone buy your products? And then I'd love for some of you to share, to share your story and then answer the question what's in it for them so if anyone in the studio audience wants to share that, please go ahead and type it in and then jim colin, you know, but in the meantime, anyone here in our live audience really think about what's your story and how does that fit into your customer story? And I would love for you a couple of you to share it if you're up for it. Yes, elizabeth, my products when I one of the reasons I created them was because I c or a c energy see colors on I want to bring color into people's lives, but I also wanted to bring the intention of words as well. So I have art and silks that have words on them. So I feel that my products bring healing into people's lives that brings empowerment and intention for whatever it is they want, and I feel that they transform their lives is well into something that is maybe better than they have right now. Yes, and I love that story. And I was reading your about page two and just your you really do sprinkle that literally threw out everything that you d'oh and I think just even someone hearing that story, right? You know the why you're more likely to connect and want to buy it rather than do if we saw like, you know, so scarf with a word on it right in some ways I mean not that that's meaningless because it still has a lot of meaning for people but once you bring the story into that particular product and into that particular company it really creates more it has more of an impact than just the product alone even though your product is that's how people can get there but if they don't know that they might not necessarily be able to come up with that story on their own and want to share your story there like oh, I want that too I couldn't relate to that I want that in my life I want transformation and this product and help me get there so excellent thank you for sharing that yes, yes, I come from the amazon dot com world so I'm pretty much now transitioning to my own e commerce store but I've been doing amazon for many many years and I keep thinking about the item that I'm going to present to my audience which is wholesale books because I still have connections with a lot of people that I had back in my previous jobs and I look at the books that are out there for specifically for nonprofits and for schools and I see a lot of multicultural kids that are not represented in some of those books and and also when there are overstocked book sites that are are selling books were really low prices you don't find too many the multi called multicultural books which I have access to so I keep thinking about my about page, the story that I'm going to talk about you know, I'm hispanic I worked in the book industry for about six years I have access to these books and I think that's a great niche to go into and I mean I'm really excited about it yeah, I totally agree I mean and even just hearing you talk I was inspired I was like that is an amazing mission and an amazing story and you have to put that on the home page and I think people are your about page start and even your home page a little bit but I think when teachers or parents or you know whoever comes to your web site to check it out they're totally going to relate to you because they probably feel the same way when they go to the bookstore or even when they go on amazon or wherever you're right there is a lack of multicultural books and is just everything is is one way and if you found a way to bring that in and um and really bring that to your audience I think that's really great and I think the more you can share of that and why you're doing it the more important that's going to be and the more likely or to really engage them and bring them in right away. So that's a great story. Yeah, thank you for sharing that. Yeah, yeah, yes. So I'm a little bit of both elizabeth and pilar because my products I wanted to do also kind of a healing, transformational experience by incorporating face oils through sent into life to slow down have a skin care ritual that you just take a moment to connect with yourself at the end of the day. But also I was trying to think where my whole skin care ritual idea came from, which is I'm from denmark and we grew up with this idea of creating a space for ourselves and other people. It's called hugo and it's it's just like you kind of bring elements together and you get it. You know you have a cup of tea, but the whole ambience is very important, which is kind of what my ritual was about. So when you were discussing the about, I felt like I kind of connected with a village because it's a concept and idea that I would like to encourage other people because everybody's so busy and running around yeah, too kind of, you know, bring that concept of who came to their life through skin care? Yeah, I think that's great and fried there's so many ways that you can create community that brand was doing it through coffee the other brand was doing it through granola bars you're doing it through skin care but yes hearing your story again it's like I want to be part of that there's it's not just you know a bottle with some face oil or face wash there's so much more to it then just dad and again thank you for sharing that because I feel like the more people know that the more again the more likely there to connect and the more likely they are to want to be a part of it one from online then we'll go back to our in studio audience I just love this one from danny danny sells hand dying yarn and people should buy my yard because I die the colors with their final project in mind I just think that that's that's amazing I want to get them a product that will make the hard work of their knitting kraft saying and as a knitter myself I know how great yarn matched with my knitting skills can result in a great sweater or shawl that can make me feel confident and proud and so thank you for folks and if you have web sites out there this is ah website class too so if you already have a website please put your poster website link in the chat rooms and folks khun critique your about paige and your home page grady a and again such a great story and such a great right who would think of yarn as being something that makes a huge impact because you just think it's a p s of yarn and it doesn't matter as long as it's blue or red or whatever color you need but there's a story behind it and you want to be part of this story I think as humans especially when we're shopping from individual entrepreneurs and not going to the big box stores we want to be part of that story so the more you can share your story the more again you can connect with your audience and I keep saying connect with your audience but really you have such an opportunity to connect with them that the big brands don't and you definitely should be taking advantage of itself thank you for for sharing that story in the audience all right, so does anyone else have anything to share? Yes, tracy my two main offerings I designed mostly engaged earrings and wedding bands gonna have this other offering for airline redesign and I think people come to me really because what they're not they can't find what they're looking for in the market so they're looking for something personal and maybe eclectic and with the airline redesign it's really that they want a connection to the past with their loved ones that were maybe lost so that's sort of yeah I'm coming from when I'm saying for people that's really amazing. Yeah, and I remember seeing that on your home pay. I mean, on your about paige and again, I think some of us, maybe we didn't intentionally start out on this path or specifically with that. Why? Maybe we had a different why? I know sometimes when I started business, I think, oh, I'm doing it because I really love this or because I want to, you know, being whole foods or whatever reasons, that you start a business, but again, it couldn't change drought, so I don't know if that's originally why you're starting a business or like, as you were talking to your customers and you saw what they were looking for and what they needed, and that combined with your passion, you're like, this is what I want to focus on. And then you shared that story and again, your story could totally change and the reason why you did something ten years ago, when you started your business can be totally different from why you're still doing good right now. I know for me my stuff, and my reasons are always change and my why is changing all the time? Like when I work with entrepreneurs, and I see that I really love working with this one aspect that I'll go ahead and explore that and it's ok? To have a different why and to change it throughout. And sometimes you find that it doesn't change and that's the core for your and that's totally fine too, but it's just all about listening to yourself, your intuition, your audience, and putting those together and finding a fit where you can all sort of coexist with each other and you give them something that it's exactly what they're looking for so exact same lines a cz she's doing laura in the chat room makes custom wedding invitations, she says, I believe every invitation should be his customers. The couple you shouldn't have the same invitation is your best friend. They should be unique to who you are. So again, that same kind of uniqueness and personalization. Yeah, great! And yeah, if laura can put that on her about page and on her product page she's definitely going to connect with her audience right away. Yeah, yes, I was just going to share my I feel like I have kind of a mixed it's like a long story, a teacher, but I also sell a product, so I kind of have these two things that I'm selling, so I'm kind of appealing tio I guess maybe the same person or maybe multiple people, I'm not sure so, like I teach sewing and quilting on then I make bags, you know, so they're two different things, but they kind of come from a place of wanting tio inspire other people tio make things that are unique and original and also functional so like the bag is sort of a representation of what I would also skills I would teach yeah, and I think that's great too, because I'm sure there are a lot of people in your situation to that can relate to that as well. And are these two different websites or it's all it's all together all together? And I think that's totally fine, and if you can explain that on your about page, then I think when people come to your page and they read that and if they see themselves in that same exact situation and they're like, oh yeah, I have this interest and I have that too, and this is a way to bring it all together again, much more connection than if you were just selling a bag that didn't have a story. I really feel like every single product should have a story, and if it doesn't, you should really make make a story about why this product because you have the story just that you haven't shared it yet, so it's really important to just keep sharing it and um it might feel really weird at first because you're like, who cares that I do this because of that? But people really do care. And when you share your story, your sales are going tio be much better than if there was no story. And if it was just the product.