In the first post in this series I discussed one of the reasons your site may not be bringing you clients, aiming your content at the wrong market. The number two reason also has to do with your content.

Once we’ve reviewed the site and looked at the content to determine who is being targeted, our next step is to see if they are talking to them or at them.

Sadly, the majority of businesses talk at their target market. What do I mean?

They give them a sales pitch, explaining what they do, why they’re good at it and try to impress potential clients with their education, experience, awards and testimonials. Don’t get me wrong, there is a place for those things, and I’ll go into that another time, but it shouldn’t be the main focus of your site.

It’s not really their fault, traditional marketing was all about making an impression, talking big and tooting your own horn. Thankfully, marketing is changing. Widespread use of the Internet and social media is changing how people search for services and products.

Potential clients are no longer searching for the provider with the most impressive list of achievements but one that shows they understand their needs.

So what should you be doing?

You should be talking to your visitors and letting them know you understand what their needs may be. Realize that you might not know everything they need and ask them to let you know what their problems are. Encourage them to interact with you.

Instead of thinking about what your readers need to know about you, think about what they need to know that you know.

Today take a hard look at that content again and make sure you’re not talking at your audience but actually talking to them and with them.

Related Posts:

• Business Lesson of the Week: Standing out in the Crowd
• Your Business Website is Your Online Sign
• Why a Business Website Beats the Yellow Pages (& Earns You My Money)