Companies invest huge sums in attracting visitors to their web pages. Why would they then allow readers to drop off the page because of poorly organized content? Of course companies that invest in Search Engine Optimization as a way to attract internet viewers want to keep readers on their page as long as possible.
The ability to articulate your company’s products, services and value in fewer than 30 seconds is hugely important in face-to-face meetings. People tend to give up only a few seconds of attention during for you to state your case for why they should continue paying attention. Fail this and you might not get their attention back. The value of the 30 second pitch is a well-worn path, but it remains a key element in success of sales or promotional work.
Many page authors make the mistake of occupying too much web page space to communicate simple value statements. In the case of a web page though, the 30-second rule applies multiple times per page and means that the author must continually campaign to keep reader attention. This often requires a careful scripting and organization of the web page message and generally involves two phases: getting the reader’s attention and keeping it throughout the page.
Social manners do not impact how a reader views a web page. If a page is confusing or doesn’t provide value, the reader clicks on to the next page or article. Reader’s don’t worry about being rude and can click off a page in a second. As people generally can read much more quickly than they speak, the page author has very few precious seconds to make the value statement and provide a really good reason for the reader to stay on the page.
Achieving the #1 search result ranking on Google is worthless if the reader just clicks off the page and onto a competitor’s site. Organizing the value statement around four key ‘30-second pitch’ rules then centers on four elements:
Organization Description Tagging Value Wit
Organization – Content should be organized around the value statement. A claim of value that the reader will remember is highly useful here. Using bullet points to present further details of value also work well. Some web authors wrestle with content organization – especially in condensing the message down to a few key statements and points. Clearly stating the value though, sets reader expectations for the value they will receive by staying on the page.
Tagging – The description tag appears in the search engine results that users see when making a decision which page to visit. Value has got to be stated very quickly in your description. Making a bold but logical claim frequently helps. Something like ‘increase your sales by 30% in six weeks by.’ is a good, bold statement that provides the user with an exact statement of value as well as an expectation that he/she will learn how do to that by visiting your page. Later in the text, though, you must validate that claim!
Value – Continually make the case that each reader can expect value from reading on. Provide quick examples of that value in each paragraph. What exactly is your page’s value? Will the customer earn more revenue? Will he/she have more fun? Whatever it is… make it clear to the user that he/she needs to keep reading to learn more about all the benefits you intend to provide. When organizing your composition, think carefully about the different bits of value you provide customers. Then simply tell the reader about those benefits one statement at a time.
Wit – Charm and wit are useful in disarming the defenses of a critical and reticent reader. Making serious matters seem less intimidating can encourage your reader to initiate a business relationship with you. Reaching out to a prospective service provider is a difficult task – especially when the prospective customer has his guard up against being used or oversold. Wit usually fits better in the latter parts of your post, as you have already grabbed the readers’ attention with the value proposition and are attempting to respond to whatever call-to-action you are using.
Companies selling on the internet can greatly reader attrition on their web pages by using principles of the ‘30 second pitch.’ Besides, what good does it do to convince a reader to look at your page and then loose him/her because of poorly organized content?
SEO Consultants in Denver assists businesses grow and expand by increasing sales and by generating revenue via the internet. Offering Low Cost SEO in Denver and Colorado, the company provides no-cost consultations and estimates.
Tags: B2b, Business, Business Management, design, ecommerce, Elevator Pitch, Home Businesses, Internet, Internet Business, Sales, SEO