4 Critical Keys to a Wildly Successful Website

January 14, 2012 by Jennifer Bourn | 23 Comments

Successful Website Wireframe SketchesAt Bourn Creative we approach websites differently! And we want you to think about your website differently too …

I challenge you to stop thinking about the pages and the pieces you need to include in your site and how they are all going to fit together. That’s the old way of building websites.

Instead I want you to think about your site in a more strategic way.

I know “being of service” to your clients and audience is important to you. I know you want to follow your passion, help others, and make a difference in the world. I know you want to change lives – and you can.

But I also know that to do all of those things, you also need to make money. As one of my premiere clients, Suzanne Evans always says, “Money isn’t everything, but it touches everything that is.”

This is why your website exists – to make money.

But the key to a wildly successful website that works when you’re not working is a seamless blend of sales conversion strategies and being of service to your audience. When you can meld these two concepts into a website, you will get more clients, shorten your sales cycle, help more people, and make more money.

First, I want to you think about your website as having four different sections, each with a different purpose:

Successful Website - Know Like Trust Conversion

Section 1: Know

This section of your website is dedicated to helping website visitors get to know you and your business. The “Know” pages of your site are designed to help people learn more about you and your background, what you do and how you do it, who you serve and why, and what results you get.

These pages answer all of the “What’s In It For Me?” questions your visitors have, and include your Home page, About page, Services page, Products page, Speaking page, and Contact page.

Section 2: Like

This section of your website is dedicated to forging a connection with your website visitors and building a relationship with them. The goal of the pages in this section is to help them learn more about you, form a connection with you, and start to like you – and the key is to get personal and to provide value!

These pages may offer glimpses into your personal life, showcase your personality, and offer your opinions; they include your About page, Media page, Portfolio page, and even a Photo Gallery. These pages are also your "education" pages, where you teach your audience something, help them, and provide real value; they often include How-to Articles, Blog Posts, Tutorials, Resource Lists, and more.

Section 3: Trust

This section of your website is dedicated to building credibility, reliability, and trust by positioning yourself as an expert, providing value and quality content, and showing a history of proven results.

The goal of these pages is to make it a no-brainer to hire you, buy from you, or join your list because they trust you and believe in you. They include your Testimonials page, Portfolio page, Blog Posts, Media Page, Privacy Policy and Disclaimer pages, As Seen On page, and Affiliate page.

Section 4: Money/Conversion

This section of your website is dedicated to getting your visitors to take a specific action – to click, register, enroll, sign up, buy, subscribe, download, opt-in, call, email, contact, submit, get instant access, join, or purchase.

The goal of these pages is to convert a new visitor into a client, customer, or subscriber that you can continue to market to, sell to, and work with in the future. They include your opt-in box/area, Sales pages, Landing pages, Squeeze pages, Contact page, Teleseminar/webinar registration pages, Free Offer pages, and Product pages.

By applying the “know, like, and trust factor” to your website – and adding in the crucial step of conversion, you’re naturally leading your website visitors to the action you want them to take without icky in-your-face marketing tactics, ugly and cheap-looking blinking arrows, and giant, obnoxious call-to-action buttons.

With this approach the natural flow of your website is crafted specifically to help your ideal clients self-select themselves right into your products, programs, and services without ever having to “sell” them.

As a result, your phone rings and your inbox is full of requests from new clients ready to get started and pay you what you’re worth … and nothing feels better than that!

FILED UNDER: Blogging & Blog Strategy, Client Attraction, Website Design Tips & Strategy
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    About the Authors: Jennifer and Brian Bourn owners of Bourn Creative, a Sacramento web design company, help established businesses build beautiful, feature-rich, custom WordPress websites and blogs, design powerful, personal brands, and help their clients learn to leverage their website and blog to attract more clients than they ever thought possible.


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    Feedback and Comments:

    1. Tiffany deSilva

      Jan 14, 2012 at 11:00

      This is a fabulous post, Jennifer. I often coach my clients on creating seamless marketing and sales systems in their businesses and an effective money-making website is a critical component of both. This article is just more proof of how fantastic your website design skills are– I guess that’s why I love your work. :-)

      Reply

    2. Mary Ellen Miller

      Jan 14, 2012 at 12:25

      Great tips Jennifer! I plan to work on he conversion tip in this new year. Thanks!

      Reply

      • Jennifer Bourn

        Jan 18, 2012 at 01:28

        Me too!!

        Reply

    3. Andrea Costantine

      Jan 14, 2012 at 12:53

      I love the “know, like, trust, conversion.” I do feel that people forget about this. I can, that even on my own site, it’s not my main focus. It’s time for me to go through my site thinking these four key points, and seeing how to pull it together. I think we often forget how our site is perceived, rather than focusing on the “pages we need.”

      Great information!

      Reply

    4. Sue Painter

      Jan 14, 2012 at 03:24

      Jennifer, I really love this blog post and feel as if you have nailed it on the head. People often don’t think about the PURPOSE of their site, and get all lost in the colors, bells, and whistles. You’ve got the bottom line and describe it wonderfully. Thanks!
      Sue

      Reply

    5. Brenda Stanton

      Jan 15, 2012 at 12:54

      Jennifer,

      As always, you inspire me. Your content always speaks to the depth of web design vs. the surface of it. It’s such a gift that you give us a process to access as well and to really focus on the client engagement vs. the rules of how a website to be set-up.

      Awesome tips – and as usual, I’ll be printing :)

      Thanks again,
      Brenda

      Reply

    6. Jeff Brunson

      Jan 16, 2012 at 06:04

      Jennifer, a very timely post. I’m going to share this with a collaborative partner in Chicago as we’ve been talking about this very topic. We will leverage your expertise in this post as we continue our dialogue. Thanks for the gift of your Expertise.

      Reply

      • Jennifer Bourn

        Jan 18, 2012 at 01:24

        Thank you Jeff – please let me know if you need anything!

        Reply

    7. Cathy Alessandra

      Jan 16, 2012 at 10:39

      GREAT tips! I’m going to review all my pages with this in mind!

      Reply

    8. Jessica Maes

      Jan 16, 2012 at 12:08

      Love this! Thanks for keeping it simple – the best advice usually is!

      Reply

    9. Viola

      Jan 16, 2012 at 03:56

      Great tips and just in time for me since I am in the process of re-designing my entire website.

      Thanks

      Viola

      Reply

    10. Sydni Craig-Hart

      Jan 16, 2012 at 05:16

      THANK YOU Jen!!! I wish you would scream this from the rooftops. Too many entrepreneurs focus on making their website “pretty”, when what it needs to do is make them money.

      I love that you focus on conversion as the last critical piece, and if I may, I’d like to add a “B” part to that, which is following up and building a relationship.

      THIS is why I refer so many clients to you! :)

      Reply

      • Jennifer Bourn

        Jan 18, 2012 at 01:23

        Sydni – Thanks! There are a lot of designers than can make your website pretty but then it doesn’t produce the results it should. There are a lot of programmers can that can make it work, but it’s ugly. And, there are a lot of marketers that can make it sell – but often things are broken and it doesn’t look very good. I like to think we’re the perfect blend of all three :)

        I also completely agree with your “part B” :) Following up and building a relationship is critical as well – and for us that goes into the website marketing/use phase!

        Reply

    11. Kristi LeGue

      Jan 17, 2012 at 01:21

      Jen, this is exactly what separates you from every single other web developer out there. You look at things so differently. I love it! I remember when I first decided I wanted a web site and people kept telling me to look at the web sites of other CPA’s and let them know. I was like a deer in the headlights. I didn’t WANT to look like other CPA’s! I wasn’t LIKE other CPA’s! You really put everything into perspective here for entrepreneurs.

      When I had you create my web site for my CPA practice, I cannot tell you how many people over the years commented on how beautiful it was and how it didn’t look anything like they would expect for a CPA. That was exactly what I wanted. You have a gift Girl! Thank you so much for sharing it with us.

      Kristi

      Reply

      • Jennifer Bourn

        Jan 18, 2012 at 01:20

        Thank you Kristi!

        Reply

    12. Bill Painter

      Jan 18, 2012 at 07:19

      Conbversion should be obvious but often people think “Oh, I need a web site!” and forget the purpose of it. Thanks for the tips and a different way of looking at your website.

      Reply

      • Jennifer Bourn

        Jan 18, 2012 at 01:20

        Bill – You’re right! Most people jump right into the design because it’s the fun part and forget to strategically plan it!

        Reply

    13. Gina Bell

      Jan 20, 2012 at 06:10

      Jennifer! I love how you’ve applied the know-like-trust factor lens in this way! I agree with many of the commenters – I’m going to do a double-take of my own site to make sure I have this process working for me. As always your advice simply ROCKS!! xo

      Reply

      • Jennifer Bourn

        Jan 23, 2012 at 07:24

        Thanks Gina! I don’t know anyone who has termed it like we have :) You hear “Know, Like, Trust” all over the marketing world … but rarely applied to websites, and rarely with the natural 4th step of sales conversion!

        Reply

    14. Amy Kinnaird

      Jan 22, 2012 at 11:18

      Jennifer, what a great idea by relating it to the know-like-trust factor! These are things I always talk about with my clients, and now I can apply that to their websites, as well. Perfect analogy. People will be able to relate and understand this concept and see the “holes” in their websites.

      Awesome explanation. xo (and I am going to keep these in mind while refreshing my own site soon!)

      Amy

      Reply

      • Jennifer Bourn

        Jan 23, 2012 at 07:28

        Amy – It’s such a simple concept, but I’ve never heard anyone reference it like this but us. Everyone knows how critical the KLT factor is, but when their website falls short, they can’t figure out why … and usually it’s because 1) they didn’t apply that knowledge, and 2) they didn’t add the conversion step!

        Reply

    15. tinagleisner

      Jan 29, 2012 at 02:50

      Like the idea but I think it must take a while to really integrate into your site, especially when some pages play dual roles

      Reply

      • Jennifer Bourn

        Feb 06, 2012 at 04:10

        Tina – One page at a time is how we do it. The key is to sit down and map out exactly how you want a visitor to travel through your website – and not just in one path. We print out or even use blank pages – and spread them out … then we start with one page and strategize. Ask questions like “If someone landed on this page first, what would they most likely be looking for and what do we most want them to do. As a website owner you’ve got to create the paths visitors take and make sure they’re driven by actions you define.

        Reply

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