Make it easy for your visitors to find what they’re looking for
Bear in mind that when reading a website, people don’t read in a linear fashion, but jump around and skim pages in order to find the information they want. People have short attention spans when it comes to reading on the web – it is not like reading a book or a newspaper or a magazine article. It is therefore important to make your website easy to skim-read. Use “magnetic” headlines. On average, 8 out of 10 people will read headline copy, but only 2 out of 10 will read the rest. Your headline is the first impression you make on a prospective client and needs to be powerful enough to entice them to read further.
Use meaningful sub-headers
Sub-headers break up large amounts of text and summarise your message, allowing people to easily scan and quickly find the information they want. Sub-headers need to be compelling and client-focused, so that they catch people’s attention. Use simple language, which is free from jargon. Use short sentences which contain a single main idea. Large blocks of text are intimidating. Web users respond better to smaller chunks of content. It is therefore helpful to write in paragraphs of no more than 4-5 lines. Help your visitors out by guiding them through your website, telling them what to do next, so that they don’t have to think too hard. Keep your message clear and consistent, and make sure that your copy is focused and specific. Ensure that there are no contradictory statements across the pages of your site.
Give your propective clients all the information they need
When people are paying a lot of money for something as important as their physical or mental health, they are willing to get as much information as they can in order to make a decision about whether you are likely to be able to help them. Search engines also like long and relevant copy which is rich (but not over-stuffed) with keywords. Your website visitors need to be satisfied in their minds that they have all the information they need before they contact you. Whilst some will phone or email you to ask you questions when the answers are not on your website, others will just leave, in search of a website that does answer their questions.
Tell the prospective client what to do next.
Finally, invite the client to take the next step. What would you like them to do? Would you like them to sign up for your newsletter? Would you like them to book an introductory session? Visit another page on your website? Make sure you include some sort of a Call to Action on each page of your website.
How to attract clients: Part 2