I often hear professional horsemen apologizing about
their lack of a website for their business. I sense
they feel ashamed of their missing tech prowess. For
some
reason, in their minds, the absence of a web
address is comparable to not having a telephone
number and listing in the phone book.
It’s not.
The fact is that not everyone needs
a
website for his business. Plenty of
businesses survive year after year without one. I
suspect they will continue to survive for many years,
too. Good business practices and a satisfied
customer list promoting word of mouth advertising is
a traditional formula which will do more for business
longevity than the slickest website could possibly
ever do.
However, marketing is a continuous process and for
those professional horsemen who want a
website for their businesses to be available for
marketing at any time of day, consider these points:
- Strive for SIMPLICITY. A man or woman
with a spastic trigger finger on a mouse button will
desert your home page at the first roadblock or
complex decision he or she finds.
- Readers have SHORT ATTENTION
SPANS. Why make it difficult for them to find
the things they are looking for? Make your
information easy to find.
- This may hurt your feelings, but I will say it
anyway. NOBODY CARES ABOUT YOU. At
least not at first. People are coming to your site
because they want more information about what
their choices are to fill their wants and
needs and to solve their problems.
- Music moves the soul, but not the same music
moves every soul. Let iTunes handle the music,
no musicals on the home page
please.
- How much does a website cost? The
answer is similar to the answer of the question how
much does a horse cost? The universal
answer, “ Depends on what you want it to do. “ Just
like a horse, they start at a few hundred dollars and
go up from there.
If you want to start a website for your
business, the first thing to do is answer these
questions with the WIFFM ( What’s in it for
me?) approach for the reader.
- What exactly do you do?- example,
boarding and lessons.
- Why you are good at it? ex. Experience,
attitude, philosophy, you love what you do.
- How you do it? ex. Program description,
benefits not available elsewhere, record of
results.
- When and What’s the next step to get
started? ex. Phone call, email, farm visit,
interview.
Get those WIFFM questions answered clearly for the
reader, hire a reliable, professional designer and get
it done! Skip the temptation to save money by hiring
a student, friend or relative to design you site.
Professional horsemen hire professional help for
professional results.
If you’d like some help with defining what
you are really good at, why you are good at
it and exactly how you do it, call me.
I’m really good at putting your message into
words that will bring your prospects to a sliding stop
and halt to want to know more. click
here to send me an email or phone me at
(716) 434-5371
