The Websites with the best performance are those whose content exactly matches the mood or attitude of its visitors. If your pages contain similar material to that which has motivated the visitor to arrive at your Website, your performance ratios will rise.
With retail Websites that are selling products and services directly off the page the vast majority of visitors fall into one of two categories: 'meat-eaters' and 'vegetarians'.
Meat Eaters
This category of visitor know exactly what meal it is looking for and voraciously hunts the Internet until it is found. When they visit your Website or landing page, if they do not see their next meal staring them in the face, they will quickly leave it.
They already know precisely what they require and are hunting for the quickest, easiest, and safest place to obtain it.
Vegetarians
This category of visitor is simply browsing your Website, because although they may have some ideas about their next meal they are either nervous about making a selection and need more convincing, or they are simply grazing your pages to see if you have anything tasty.
If your content does not scare them away and provides the right information, they will be happy to spend some time looking around to see if anything arouses their interest.
Website Problems
The problem with the vast majority of retail Websites is that their content has been written without full consideration of the mindset of its visitors; whether they are hungry meat-eaters or lay-back vegetarians.
Their pages contain all the information that both categories of visitor are searching for, but presented in such a way that it hampers their quest. The meal that the meat-eater seeks is often hidden among tall grasses, while the vegetarian can be quickly dismayed by the frequent offerings of meat.
The One-Click Solution
What your Website home pages require is a simple signpost that directs the meat-eaters towards their objective and the vegetarians towards theirs without detracting from your message.
Ideally, this must be introduced in your headlines and followed up in your opening paragraphs so that both category of visitors stay on your Website and proceed towards their chose goal.
The following content must be written with a full understanding of the mindset or thoughts and motivations that brought the visitor to that page.
Feeding The Meat-Eater
Within seconds of arrival the ravenous meat-eater must be made aware that your Website contains a delicious meal that is easily and quickly obtainable with no danger and very little effort. The meat-eater's mindset will be something like:
Is there meat here? (Is the product I seek on this Website?)
Where is it? (I can't see the product; where is it?)
Is there any danger taking the meal? (Is it safe to buy on this Website?)
What effort is needed? (Is this the best value/price?)
When you satisfy each point, your conversion rate will rapidly increase with this category of Website visitor.
Feeding The Vegetarian
This category of visitor is more difficult to please, because mostly they are unsure of what they're seeking; they have a problem but cannot define it.
If you thrust your well-prepared meals at them from the onset, because they are nervous and unsure they are likely to make a rapid exit.
The way to success with the vegetarian visitor is to thoroughly understand and satisfy their motivation in visiting your Website. Their pattern of thought is likely to be:
What is of interest here? (I'm not sure what I'm looking for.)
Is this what I need? (Will it solve my problem?)
Does it come with extras? (What incentives do you offer me?)
Sounds good, but... (Is it good value?)
Can I be sure of that? (Why should I trust you?)
When you can design a page that can define the vegetarian browser's problem, show a product that solves the problem, provide an incentive to immediate action, and provide an atmosphere of sincerity and trust your Website will have higher conversion ratios.
Example Website
Take a look at the following Website. It provides masses of links to satisfy the browsing vegetarian, and immediate downloads for the meat-eating hunter, plus opportunities for free quotes and a subscription to a free newsletter.
http://Decking.EnquiryHouse.com/
When you become your own customer and examine the mindset of your various visitor types, you are well on the way to making your Website successful.
