Deliver Services, Not Messages

It is the most frequent story. A client comes to me and says, "Build us a website so we can talk to our customers." Besides the fact that they usually have many existing web properties their customers are already ignoring, this one needs to be different. What usually needs to be different is the client's approach.

If you want to change someone else's behavior (your customers indifference), start by changing your own.

When getting excited about all the traffic that will be headed towards your new site and then deciding what messaging and branding to use, take a breath. Instead, start with asking yourself what services is your target audience interested in.

If you are a widget maker, your target may be looking for independent reviews of widgets, tips & tricks on how to use their widget, or they may be looking for a community of like-minded widget owners. Maybe they need a calculator to help them determine what size of widget they need, where the widget service providers are in their neighborhood, or even widget alternatives.

Only once you have filled this service need will your target find value in your website. Once you are providing them value, they may decide to listen to you. Now you just have to decide if the service should be branded or not.