What Do Customers Want To See?

23 replies
Not sure if this is the right sub-forum or not, but since it involves brick and mortar businesses, here goes.

When people (patients, clients,customers, etc) look at the web site of a professional (doctor, lawyer, dentist, accountant, chiropractor, etc), what do they want/expect to see on the home page?

Do they want pictures, testimonials, qualifications, types of services provided, etc?

What will make the people call the professional? Is there a trigger that will cause them to call?

Please note that I am not talking about seo, I am trying to figure out what people want/expect on the home page of a professional's web site.

Thanks!
#customers
  • Profile picture of the author DABK
    I expect testimonials.

    I expect an address that's close by.

    I expect them to list the service I'm looking for, but not a long list of services (i.e., it has to pop up, the one I'm looking for).

    I expect them to have a tab to an ABOUT US page.

    I expect them to not say the same ole' thing:
    We are the best. We love you. Trust us.

    I expect their site to be about me, not about them... So: "We have a combined 104 years of experience. We are good at what we do. We care about you." is not good.

    Nor is: We aim to become the largest X in the city.

    I want to see an offer.

    I want to see hours they're open.

    I want to see a phone number that leads to a live person.

    I'm not, alas, one of a kind.


    Originally Posted by AlphaWarrior View Post

    Not sure if this is the right sub-forum or not, but since it involves brick and mortar businesses, here goes.

    When people (patients, clients,customers, etc) look at the web site of a professional (doctor, lawyer, dentist, accountant, chiropractor, etc), what do they want/expect to see on the home page?

    Do they want pictures, testimonials, qualifications, types of services provided, etc?

    What will make the people call the professional? Is there a trigger that will cause them to call?

    Please note that I am not talking about seo, I am trying to figure out what people want/expect on the home page of a professional's web site.

    Thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author shadow92
    I'm sure others will chime in and you'll probably hear whatever rolls off the tongue easy. You know..all the rehashed BS.

    Here's what people want though -

    Credibility - The internet is all about review based sales now. With Google Reviews, Ebay reviews, Amazon reviews people go straight to the reviews.

    When you're looking at a nifty box of crayons to buy on amazon, what do you look at? The description to see exactly what colors are included or how big the box is? Maybe momentarily but if it's more than 1 sentence your attention is already out the window, lost.

    You're going straight to the reviews. Why? because you want to make sure that you're not spending your hard earned money on a POS

    The offer - People seem to think that they can just paste up any ol service on the internet, throw in some pictures, slap a phone number up and people will flood the phonelines. I can't figure out why people still think that.

    Consumers want to feel special. They want to feel like you're giving them an offer that most people don't get. Now most businesses can't do this, it's unreasonable to think that you can make your own buffet with someone elses services.

    But here's an example that I did with a client that will show you what I mean.

    Let's say his name is Bob. Bob is an attorney that practices in Family Law. Bob's website was like everyone elses. It sucked. Not the design, but the content, the copy, THE OFFER.

    Bob called me and asked what I could do for him. Here's what we did.

    We didn't add pictures, we didn't hire a copywriter and make a fluffy sales page. We simply made an offer. That offer was that Bob agreed to listen to your case, and give you a legal plan of action for free.

    You might be thinking "Doesn't every attorney do this?" You would be correct to say that many do. However most of the time, their websites don't reflect that.

    We decided to build Bob's website around this offer. Fast forward....

    Bob's website now has a very large optin box right on the home page, front and center. Reads "Don't waste my time, and I won't waste yours. Come sit down and have a chat, it's on me"

    Right below that is a form for them to complete, with a good day, time etc. None of the shit their filling out matters but see that's the thing...they THINK it does. The only thing that matters it the phone number they include so Bob can call them and set his own time and date.

    On each side of the form are slider boxes. One containing 3 video testimonials with Bob asking his client's "So what happened during our little chat Lindsey?" And they answer...
    Just short 45 second-1 minute videos. On the right of the form are scrolling testimonials about how great of an attorney bob is with 4.5-5 star ratings.

    What else is on the home page you might ask. NOTHING

    Their only optin is to sit down and have a cup of coffee with Bob.

    I won't go into numbers but let's just say Bob is doing MUCH better with his sales.

    Why? because he created instant and visual credibility for himself, and he looks very genuine because his entire website is dedicated to his free little chat.
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    • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
      [QUOTE=

      Right below that is a form for them to complete, with a good day, time etc. None of the shit their filling out matters but see that's the thing...they THINK it does. The only thing that matters it the phone number they include so Bob can call them and set his own time and date.

      chat.[/QUOTE]

      Thanks for this example.

      The booking process and show up process can be made more
      automatic so it saves his time or his assistants time
      making the booking time plus cutting the number of no shows
      by using Schedule One.

      Best,
      Doctor E. Vile
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      • Profile picture of the author shadow92
        Originally Posted by ewenmack View Post

        Thanks for this example.

        The booking process and show up process can be made more
        automatic so it saves his time or his assistants time
        making the booking time plus cutting the number of no shows
        by using Schedule One.

        Best,
        Doctor E. Vile
        Good point. Noted. I'll look into it.
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        • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
          Originally Posted by shadow92 View Post

          Good point. Noted. I'll look into it.
          Lawyers have a real problem with no shows to their bookings.

          That tool can be set up to send out reminder emails
          of their booking, therefore cut down on no shows.

          Best,
          Doctor E. Vile
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  • Profile picture of the author Luis Michael Orts
    Shadow, that is simplicity at it's finest.

    Do you also happen to offer SEO for your client? If so, is it affected by the simplicity of the website?
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    • Profile picture of the author shadow92
      Originally Posted by Luis Michael Orts View Post

      Shadow, that is simplicity at it's finest.

      Do you also happen to offer SEO for your client? If so, is it affected by the simplicity of the website?
      Keep in mind that I said HOME PAGE. He does have other pages on the website and they're accessible by the navigation as with any other website.

      It's no different than raking any other website. We rank each page for it's specific set of keywords. On the standard pages, we use the same exact CTA as we do on the index page, except it's on the sidebar. It's still the main focal point of the page though.

      So to answer your question, no...it doesn't effect the ranking of the website.
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  • Profile picture of the author AlphaWarrior
    Great comments! Thanks! I noticed that one thing both DABK and Shadow said that they like to see is an offer and then Shadow gave a great example.

    What else do you want/expect to see on a home page?

    Other than testimonials, what can you do to build trust with a viewer?

    Thanks again!
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    • Profile picture of the author DABK
      Get the offer, it makes a huge difference.

      I once created a site for an insurance guy, ugly site, wordpress 2010 theme, as is. The offer was not great, but different than the competition (Come into my office and talk to me about your insurance needs and I'll give you a FREE $5 Starbucks gift card).

      Went from 0 of website visitors buying to 1 in 16.5 visitors from the targeting area buying (1 in 33 of all visitors, including robots, visitors from China, Latvia, and some other odd countries and of course from other States (where he was not licensed to sell, anyway).

      Not a great offer but he was not willing to do anything else. And, by the way, when most people came by, he did not give them the gift because they did not ask.


      Originally Posted by AlphaWarrior View Post

      Great comments! Thanks! I noticed that one thing both DABK and Shadow said that they like to see is an offer and then Shadow gave a great example.

      What else do you want/expect to see on a home page?

      Other than testimonials, what can you do to build trust with a viewer?

      Thanks again!
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      • Profile picture of the author Amanda Murdoch
        Hi ...
        Just to help you get this right for each of your clients ...
        The business' customers will want to achieve something won't they???
        Could be anything ..

        Opening times
        prices
        services offered
        directions
        reputation etc

        What I suggest you do is first sort out the customer buying process for each type of business and covering each stage of purchase too
        Go out and ask the customers who will be using the website
        Spending an hour doing that can give you an amazing amount of insight ... And earn you a fantastic reputation of getting it right because you're a very smart marketer

        You will be surprised at the amount of variation dependent on the target market of the business - and the nature of their service

        Then all you need to do is action step out each of the customer actions and buying processes within the website so that people can achieve their goal of their website visit quickly and easily

        Hope this helps
        Good luck,
        Amanda
        Signature
        Get More Out Of Your Business ...
        Marketing Consulting, Training & Coaching
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    • Profile picture of the author bizgrower
      Originally Posted by AlphaWarrior View Post

      Great comments! Thanks! I noticed that one thing both DABK and Shadow said that they like to see is an offer and then Shadow gave a great example.

      What else do you want/expect to see on a home page?

      Other than testimonials, what can you do to build trust with a viewer?

      Thanks again!
      Credibility badges such as SSL, BBB membership, Chamber membership,
      professional certifications and endorsements...

      This came up on another thread:
      https://www.cloudflare.com/
      Signature

      "If you think you're the smartest person in the room, then you're probably in the wrong room."

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  • Profile picture of the author iAmNameLess
    The freakin phone number needs to be all over the page. Seriously. I've seen so many great websites that hide the phone number making most of their traffic useless. Leads that call by phone convert much higher than leads by form.

    On client sites, I make the phone number display 4-5 times on the home page. Make it stupid easy to buy from you.
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    • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
      If it's not a emergency type of service,
      then make available a Buyers Guide.

      A Buyers Guide makes them a better informed
      buyer who don't make costly mistakes from
      making the wrong choice.

      Without a Buyers Guide, the buyer only sees
      what seems self serving advertising, dismisses
      much what is seen, attracts more desperate price
      shoppers.

      With a Buyers Guide, you attract the the cream
      of the crop buyers because they hate making a
      bad choice and you saved them from it.

      Best,
      Doctor E. Vile
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    • Profile picture of the author bizgrower
      Originally Posted by iAmNameLess View Post

      The freakin phone number needs to be all over the page. Seriously. I've seen so many great websites that hide the phone number making most of their traffic useless. Leads that call by phone convert much higher than leads by form.

      On client sites, I make the phone number display 4-5 times on the home page. Make it stupid easy to buy from you.
      LOL - I was in this master mind group. We had just had a talk about small E (Ego) and big E as it relates to
      sales - especially asking for the deal and pricing. The following week one of the guys presents his new
      brochure and there was no contact information at all on the brochure. Small E won that week.
      Signature

      "If you think you're the smartest person in the room, then you're probably in the wrong room."

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      • Profile picture of the author AlphaWarrior
        Originally Posted by bizgrower View Post

        LOL - I was in this master mind group. We had just had a talk about small E (Ego) and big E as it relates to
        sales - especially asking for the deal and pricing. The following week one of the guys presents his new
        brochure and there was no contact information at all on the brochure. Small E won that week.
        LOL - I've notice that on some professionals' sites, you have to literally hunt for contact information.
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    • Profile picture of the author AlphaWarrior
      Originally Posted by iAmNameLess View Post

      The freakin phone number needs to be all over the page. Seriously. I've seen so many great websites that hide the phone number making most of their traffic useless. Leads that call by phone convert much higher than leads by form.

      On client sites, I make the phone number display 4-5 times on the home page. Make it stupid easy to buy from you.
      I agree that having the phone number multiple times is the way to go.

      Most sites just have the phone number or "Call" phone number. This isn't a very strong call to action. What cta do you use or do you suggest?

      Thanks!
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      • Profile picture of the author iAmNameLess
        Originally Posted by AlphaWarrior View Post

        I agree that having the phone number multiple times is the way to go.

        Most sites just have the phone number or "Call" phone number. This isn't a very strong call to action. What cta do you use or do you suggest?

        Thanks!
        I'm sure a lot of people hate this but really, calling for a free estimate/consultation still works.

        My preference, for my good clients at least is to position them in a way that they have something proprietary. For example, an HVAC contractor I've worked with, we placed a big CTA image on the right sidebar saying:
        "CALL (#)
        For Our FREE Step by Step
        Cooling Process To Save You Money"

        It seems pretty simple... but it works. I think it works because it's positioning them as having some free step by step advice to solve their problem. These people didn't find them because they were simply researching... when the AC goes out and it's freakin hot, they're going to call someone. This just makes it easier and less risk for them to call this company because they're already giving them something for free. It's a process, a proven process, less risk.

        I asked this particular client what the 3 most important things are to keep your house cool and keep the AC working. Every person that calls his company, wants something fixed, (or to sell something) and out of ones that become a customer, 90% sign up for his maintenance and check up package that consists of checking those most important things.

        The first thing is getting traffic... if you get traffic you're probably going to get leads even with a below average website. Hell, local searches, 60% of the people don't even click on a website, they call straight from the results. The next thing is doing what you can to remove the risk of doing business with you.

        That's just how I approach it at least. Works well for me and the clients I've done it for.
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        • Profile picture of the author AlphaWarrior
          Originally Posted by iAmNameLess View Post

          I'm sure a lot of people hate this but really, calling for a free estimate/consultation still works.

          My preference, for my good clients at least is to position them in a way that they have something proprietary. For example, an HVAC contractor I've worked with, we placed a big CTA image on the right sidebar saying:
          "CALL (#)
          For Our FREE Step by Step
          Cooling Process To Save You Money"

          It seems pretty simple... but it works. I think it works because it's positioning them as having some free step by step advice to solve their problem. These people didn't find them because they were simply researching... when the AC goes out and it's freakin hot, they're going to call someone. This just makes it easier and less risk for them to call this company because they're already giving them something for free. It's a process, a proven process, less risk.

          I asked this particular client what the 3 most important things are to keep your house cool and keep the AC working. Every person that calls his company, wants something fixed, (or to sell something) and out of ones that become a customer, 90% sign up for his maintenance and check up package that consists of checking those most important things.

          The first thing is getting traffic... if you get traffic you're probably going to get leads even with a below average website. Hell, local searches, 60% of the people don't even click on a website, they call straight from the results. The next thing is doing what you can to remove the risk of doing business with you.

          That's just how I approach it at least. Works well for me and the clients I've done it for.
          As I understand it, you are tying together the offer and the CTA.

          When you list the phone number separately from the offer, do you use any cta other than Call phone number?

          Thanks!
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          • Profile picture of the author iAmNameLess
            Originally Posted by AlphaWarrior View Post

            As I understand it, you are tying together the offer and the CTA.

            When you list the phone number separately from the offer, do you use any cta other than Call phone number?

            Thanks!
            Just a Call for a free consult or quote or estimate... Call us and find out why we save our customers more money than any other company in the area is one that is good for body text, with the phone number.

            Not exactly ground breaking, but it doesn't necessarily have to be.
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            • Profile picture of the author ewenmack
              Prospective customers want to see answers to their questions.

              The new owner of a manufacturer who sold
              to resellers only asked the women who answer
              the phones what were the common questions.

              There were two.

              So he had those answers put at the top of website
              and made so big that you had to scroll down to see
              the rest of the content.

              Just that one change had the qualified leads go from
              6 per month to 6 per day!

              No more money spent on traffic or ads, just gave what the dealers wanted
              on the website.

              Best,
              Doctor E. Vile
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  • Profile picture of the author Bayo
    I work with Chiropractors, Lawyers, Attorneys, Financial Businesses and other types of businesses that offer services. The service based business demographic has been the point of focus for what we do since 2008/9 when the recession started receding.

    One thing I can tell you is that for the most part, what THEY want to see i.e. your client, is usually NOT what will help them be successful in business.

    What the Chiropractor, Accountant, Dentist etc Wants to See on their Website

    For some of them they want to show their accolades and qualifications because that's what their competitors are showing. They will most likely want you to make that happen but when they don't get the desired results it's your problem.

    What they Need...

    What they really need is informative content that leads prospects to get in contact with them so they can engage them and determine if their prospect is indeed the type of person or business they can help.

    That's the type of result we provide to our Chiropractors, Dentists, Lawyers etc. Attorneys/law professionals are too used to talking about themselves and to this day, when you visit the average Attorney's website it's more about them than anything else.

    Mistake.

    What Their Prospects Want to See on the Website


    What they future clients and customers want to see is evidence that they i.e. the service professional or service business have experience successfully serving people just like them.
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  • Profile picture of the author Skystar
    A video! Prospects need a quickie overview of the product, seller, demo etc. Your can feature all the other embellishments a good site offers, (on links - not page clutter), but a sharp little 90 sec video really attracts people.

    Here are just a few of the reasons videos work so well:

    - Prospects can understand your product.
    - Videos boost search rankings
    - Quick and easy response tracking
    - Prospect engagement
    - You listing will be found quicker and be displayed more prominently.
    - Increases site visitors, especially organic traffic.
    - Increases 'site-time' - the time visitors spend on your site.
    - Decision-makers prefer videos more than reading text
    - Increases sales conversions
    - Videos are mandatory for mobile - small screens are hard to read.
    - If you're not doing video you competition probably is
    - Video makes more of an impression - higher viewer retention
    - Video is easy to understand - nothing is misinterpreted
    - A video presentation gives your listing, website and product higher perceived value
    - The share rate is much higher than just sending website links
    - Videos are unique, unlike websites which tend to look the same

    PS: IAmNameLess is absolutely right about including a phone number. We won't even deal with a site, vendor or seller that doesn't feature a responsive customer service phone number prominently displayed on their site. When we're cruising along and need clarification or an answer from a seller, we need it NOW, not hassling around with emails.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rus Sells
    There was a survey last year that I saw and I saved the chart.

    Some of the factors tied in the number of responses.

    List of products was #1 at 12%
    Price list was #2 at 11%
    Phone number #2 at 11%
    Address #3 at 10%
    Hours #3 at 10%
    Company info #4 at 9%
    Contact email #5 at 6%
    Map and Directions #5 at 6%

    It gets really worse in percentages from here on.

    Attractive website 3%
    Company images 3%
    Testimonials 3%
    Store finder tool 3%
    Fast web site 3%
    Accreditation's 2%
    Staff photos 1%
    Mobile site 1%
    Blog/FAQ content 1%

    This was a survey done less then a year ago so I believe
    the results are still very relevant.
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