Over the weekend, I launched my new website.
The goal was to create something which was simpler to navigate, easier to understand and better encapsulates what I do!
Whether I have achieved that depends on what you think.
Here's a short window into what I was thinking during the creation process.
New home page & hero banner
The home page is the most important page on any site.
It's where the vast majority of visitors will head first.
So I've tried to ensure my main banner is simple, engaging, loads quickly, and gives some insight into what I do.
My business is dependant on a lot of personal interactions (workshops, webinars, round tables, keynotes, interviews, podcasts etc), so it felt right to offer a mugshot, a podcast interview and a short summary.
Not everyone will like what they see, hear or read.
But as long as my target audience does, that's fine.
In fact, it's more than fine.
Generating potential leads when there is a limited possibility of working together for whatever reasons, is 10x worse than generating no leads at all.
Why?
Because it just wastes one of the most valuable assets we all have limited amounts of; TIME!
My target audience has got to be open to new ideas, be comfortable being challenged and be willing to explore taking big calls that not all of their colleagues will agree to.
That's why I state upfront that I work with curious and courageous leaders, who are interested in using disruptive interventions to develop new opportunities.
Not for you?
Then there is no point sugar-coating that fact.
If I only appeal to 0.1% of the leadership market, but they are the right 0.1% then it's a win-win for everyone..., right?
Building Trust
Assuming the hero banner has captured your attention, I've now got to gain your trust and gain it fast.
Honesty, integrity, openness, commitment, reputation, consistency, helpfulness and vulnerability are just some examples of attributes that we all like to see being demonstrated when building relationships with others.
So I've tried to create a persona that resonates with you by simply being authentic.
The two easiest ways were to showcase my client list and share some of the testimonials.
Nowadays, these are simply tickets to the game, rather than significant differentiators - unless, of course, your name is Antony Robbins.
Tony aside, I'm obviously very proud of the testimonials I've received over the years, but I do think good websites have to do more than share others feedback.
I think they also have to offer a window into your brand, or in my case, personality.
So I've tried to make sure coliniles.com is a representation of who I think I am and what I aspire to be.
The blogs, the colour schemes, the content, the writing style and how I ask questions in interviews are all virtual representations, which I hope give you some sort of 'feel' for what it might be like to meet me in person.
Take this blog, for example.
If you feel by reading it, you know a little bit more about me, I've ticked another box towards building trust between us.
I'm also hoping these insights will appeal to my prospective clients and draw traffic to the site itself.
But that requires more than reputation building and personal/brand insights.
It means I also have to offer you something useful, otherwise, you won't come back anytime soon.
How can I help you?
So the final piece I had to focus on developing was content that curious and courageous leaders like you would find interesting.
The websites that we love most and return to time and again are always the ones we derive benefits from.
For example, I love the simplicity of this site from neilpatel.com.
By entering your website details, you can quickly learn a heap of information about it's performance.
Amazon is another great example.
It's my go-to site when I want to research virtually any product before buying it.
To date I've found this the hardest challenge.
It's one thing to showcase your service, but how do you add content that visitors will find useful?
I chose to focus on blogs, podcasts and webinars, which I hope inspire many to use experimentation to become better leaders.
There is still more work to be done here though.
Next up on my to-do list is to improve the indexing and labelling so it's easier for you to find content that you are interested in.
After that?
I've a couple of ideas which I'll share at a later date.
What do you think?
Ultimately, you, the reader, will determine whether this website works.
The background analytics will tell me a fair amount about where people spend time on the site, but it won't shed any light on what can be improved.
So if you do take a look around, I'd love to know what else I can do to create something that clearly articulates what I do, builds trust and offers curious and courageous leaders like you a reason to visit again?
I can't wait to hear.
Stay safe,
Col
p.s. I'd like to give a special mention to Belinda Pinto, a South African website developer, someone who took my unformed ideas and turned them into reality. I've been blown away, not only by the result but by the speed with which she has been able to deliver. If you'd like to connect with her to explore how you can revamp your site or even create something brand new, click here. She is phenomenal.