The Internet Home Business Magazine for Moms & Dads

Without A Doubt, The Most Important Question You Can Ask Your Customers

 

(note: for those of you who think this may be Wendy writing again, and you know who you are, just a warning…it’s Dawud.)

I see so many businesses making the same mistake. They focus so much on themselves and their message that they forget they’re in business for their customers.

You know what I mean?

You visit their websites and what do you see: self-indulging content that says everything about who they are and what they do. Most people think, that’s okay. And it is, if you don’t mind missing out on the most important question you can ask in business:

How Can I Help You?

Yeah, I know, it’s pretty simple, right? So simple that I think we sometimes take it for granted. We think, somehow, we cover it when we’re writing about what our business can do. But often, it’s not covered.

So is that it? All I have to do is ask people in my niche market, how can I help you?

Of course not! You need to tell them how I can help you. In other words, you need to make the explanation of your business so clear to them that they can see themselves being helped by your business. To do this you need to do a couple of things:

  1. Be sure to answer WIIFM. Right off the bat your audience is going to be asking, what’s in it for me. So tell ‘em, right now. Make it clear - in their language, with simple English that there’s something here they want.
  2. Write about them. No one’s really going to be interested in what you do until they know you understand and care about them. So write about them and the problems and challenges they face. Make it clear, again, that you understand where they are.
  3. Solve it for them. Solve their problems - right there on your website. Give them the answers. Again, make it clear. Just don’t give away the how to use the answers part. The how is why they need to hire you or buy your products.
  4. Solve it for others. Get feedback, testimonials and case studies from people you’ve worked with. Post them all over your website showing people in your target market that you’ve solved this problem for others a number of times before.
  5. Call Us Now. Don’t expect people know what to do next. So tell ‘em. Give ‘em action steps so it’s clear to them what their next step is. Then they can choose the most appropriate response for them.

Your entire website (and blog) should emanate that you can help solve the problems your target audience face. Don’t hide it. Let ‘em know. Just be sure to let them know in a way that they can relate, understand and act from.

And remember to ask the most important question…how can I help you?


Hi, I’m Dawud Miracle. Professionally, I’m a blog and marketing consultant, business coach, educator and web developer who helps people use their websites to grow their business. I’m also a devoted husband and father to two, soon to be three, children. And I’m always interested in a good conversation.
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  • Discussion

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    Comments

    1.
    On October 3rd, 2007 at 4:22 pm, Wendy Piersall said:

    ROFLMAO = “you know who you are

    2.
    On October 3rd, 2007 at 5:56 pm, James said:

    I just made a similar post yesterday with a little bit different question.
    All excellent points to remember.

    3.
    On October 3rd, 2007 at 6:14 pm, Wendy Piersall said:

    James - Share the link, por favor? :)

    4.
    On October 4th, 2007 at 4:45 am, Char said:

    Too funny!!! But at least I was able to read the post with the right voice in my head this time.

    Great work as always.

    5.
    On October 4th, 2007 at 6:23 am, CraftBoom! said:

    I completely agree with everything you said in your post Dawud. As a owner of a business I think you’d be mad not to ask your customers what they want, and how you can help. Encouraging customer feedback can only (at least)save you time, and money…

    I wrote a post about customer WIIFM on my blog http://emomsathome.com/craft-boom/how-to-describe-your-handcrafts-to-boost-your-sales-features-vs-benefits/(for product descriptions). But yep, I agree your whole site should emanate that you’re there to help :)

    6.
    On October 5th, 2007 at 9:09 am, WendyMilonas said:

    Great post Dawud!

    I think I’m guilty of that. :(

    I need to go through my own site and give potential clients information about what I can do to help them instead of just showing them what I’ve done and how much it’s going to cost them.

    If I were to visit my site, I’m not completely sure I’d hire me. Thanks for the eye opening change of perspective.

    7.
    On October 6th, 2007 at 12:01 am, Dawud Miracle said:

    @Char - glad to oblige

    Overall, I think we can all learn how to reach our clients and customers more effectively in our websites. That’s why I constantly recommend to client I consult with and coach that they should regularly evaluate their website content. The more clarity in your business, the clearer your writing can be about your clients.



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