How to plan your website to support your customer journey
Your website is a space that can support your audience on their journey, whatever stage they may be at. In this post I’m sharing how we get clear on what they may need along the way and how we take this into consideration when we’re planning your website structure.
Stage 1 : Aware of a problem
Your potential customers are doing a bit of research, they’re aware of a problem, though they may not be sure of the root cause and are actively trying to source answers.
Our websites have the ability to nurture and support our potential clients, before they buy a product or hire us for a service. They are the supportive customer assistant who can answer questions and offer guidance to those who are keen to learn more, but may not be quite ready to make a purchase.
What to include on your website to support your audience at this stage
This stage is where we can educate our audience on areas that they may be struggling with. We have the opportunity to guide them, share our expertise, offer how to’s and tutorials, this content should be free and helpful, it is not there to sell your service, but to help your audience with a problem they may be facing.
You could include:
- Blog – educational content, share your process, tutorials, share your perspective, break down expertise into categories they may need help with. Even if you’re not planning on blogging often, having a few pillar articles could be a really good idea.
- Free resources – book recommendations, videos and tutorials
- Free course – guide them through a problem with a free short course
- Free PDF guides and work books – breakdown a part of your process
- Newsletter sign up for free advice, tips – you can also include a downloadable resource as an extra incentive.
Stage 2 : Considering options
During this stage your audience have realised that they are needing outside help with their problem and are actively looking at the different options available to them.
What to include on your website to support your audience at this stage
They need to see what you have on offer and how your product or service can benefit them. If you have multiple options for your services, you can list them all on one page with a bit of an intro, then a button leading them to a more in depth overview.
You could include:
- Services or Work with Me page
- Individual service / product page – breakdown the service including the transformation they would receive, and testimonials from previous clients
- Portfolio – showcase your best work
- Testimonials – these can be included throughout your website
- Case studies – these could be on the blog or have a dedicated space
- FAQ – what questions may your audience have before working with you? Answer them here.
- Pricing guide – either as a download, hidden page or on the sales page, if the price varies you could include a starting from price
Stage 3 : Ready to buy
They know what they need, and are ready to invest to overcome their problem, how can you make the process as easy and smooth as possible?
What to include on your website to support your audience at this stage
If a potential customer is ready to invest, you want to make sure that their buying experience is seamless. Depending on your service or product this will look different, and may not take place completely through your website.
You could include:
- Book a call button (if you generally have calls before a purchase) you could also embed your booking calendar onto your site. This could be included on the service page.
- Enquire now form (if you prefer to collect information before a call) You could have a form embedded on a separate page, and link to it from your service page.
- Buy now buttons on sales pages – these could link to a Stripe checkout, Thrivecart, Samcart or Flodesk checkout. (I personally prefer these options over PayPal)
- Thank you page – its nice to include a thank you page, maybe with a video of you, if the purchase has been made through your site. This is possibly more suitable for courses and services over physical products, but it could be a nice touch!
Next Steps
Review your website, and ask yourself – How can I improve the overall customer experience from the very beginning?
Think about your customers journey, and what they could find helpful along the way.
Make an action plan, of what you would like to improve on or areas you would like to add.
Our websites are spaces that should be continually evolving, so don’t try and add everything right now, making just one or two new additions each month is a really good starting point.
You can continually add to your website, creating resources and blog posts when something comes up that you feel your audience may find helpful.
Cover image Kaboompics
