Share, Don’t Teach
Why your website should inspire your customers, not educate them.
When it comes to captivating your audience online, it’s time to drop a surprising truth bomb – everyone wants to learn, but nobody wants to be educated. Your website is not the place to highlight the gaps or failings in your potential customers’ experience; it’s an opportunity to share how your expertise can support them in their needs, their mission, in a way that truly engages your audience.
Here’s why this is true: According to a study by renowned website usability guru Jakob Nielson, people can’t keep much information in their short-term memory. This is especially true when they’re bombarded with multiple abstract or unusual pieces of data in rapid succession – such as on an over-crowded website hell-bent on “educating” the user as to why they’d be foolish not engage with their product or service. He goes on to explain how short-term memory famously holds only about 7 chunks of information, and these fade from your brain in about 20 seconds.
Which could explain why your website analytics may record lengthy visits to your website, but low numbers of enquiries – they just get lost.
When you get it right though, your website becomes a magnet for your audience, drawing them in with valuable insights and expertise. Your online presence becomes a hub of inspiration, igniting a sense of curiosity, trust, and connection. What’s more, you (as the creator / Founder / Managing Director), become known as THE go-to person for experience and expertise in your field.
But, on the flip side, if you ignore the power of sharing and stick to a traditional teaching approach, your website might end up as just another forgotten URL in the vast ocean of the internet. You risk alienating your audience, losing precious opportunities, and failing to stand out in a competitive digital landscape. Above all, there’s a fine line between teaching and making the reader feel stupid for not knowing this already – hardly conducive to beginning a long and loyal customer relationship 🙁
So, how do you make the shift from teaching to sharing?
Your website should be a place where you initiate a conversation rather than deliver a lecture. Start by understanding your audience’s pain points, dreams, and questions. Share stories, anecdotes, and insights that resonate with their needs and aspirations. Encourage them to explore, discuss, and learn at their own pace.
The key is to make your website a place of exploration, a source of inspiration, and a platform for building a connection. Create content that sparks curiosity, provides value, and leaves room for discussion. Sounds pretty good, right?!
You see, the truth is: nobody loves your business like you do
…but that doesn’t make them wrong or stupid – and you cannot afford to let them feel that it does.
I had this discussion recently with a fantastic small manufacturing Company who came to us for a new website, as they’re in the process of transforming and modernising the business, so their current site no longer represents them authentically online. They create a very modern product in a very traditional way and – understandably – feel strongly that this is the right way to do it.
They told me they “needed to educate” people operating under the misconception that mass-produced similar products were of equal quality – and they’re wrong to think this. Thankfully, my own experience of over two decades spent creating award-winning websites that deliver deliver real results, told me otherwise. Nobody wants to hear that they’re wrong.
Instead of this, it would be far more effective to instead share with the customer the benefits of the traditional processes they use – including longevity, custom colour options, significantly lower environmental impact – the list went on! Suddenly, the conversation went from explaining the problem, to sharing the solution – a guaranteed winner in any business conversation, or a “win-win” as it used be known 😉
Sidebar: for real-world examples of this and how to apply to your website, see Chapter 11 “Who is your website actually about?” in my best-selling book Website Mastery for Business Owners who Don’t Speak Tech
It’s time to unlock the true potential of your website. Share, don’t teach – this approach is the cornerstone of creating a thriving online presence. Engage your audience, ignite their curiosity, and build a lasting connection. By transforming your website into a hub of inspiration, you’ll not only save time and money but also have a more significant impact online. Make sense?
If you want tailored guidance on achieving these successful outcomes, we’re here to help. Connect with me and let’s find the expert solution to drive exponential growth for your business.
Your journey to online success starts with sharing, and we’re here to guide you every step of the way.
Have you read our best-selling book: Website Mastery for Business Owners who Don’t Speak Tech?
Download a free chapter or buy your copy from http://www.websitemasterybook.com