Just over a week ago, I started offering a Free Small Business Website Analysis to my readers, and the response has been awesome thus far. I’ve literally been talking to business owners and entrepreneurs all over the world in an effort to help them enhance their website and fully grasp what Web 2.0 is all about.
Who's the face of your business?
Although most of these business websites share similar issues and weaknesses, there is one surprising weakness I’ve seen thus far on just about everyone’s site, which is the fact that they all lack a face.
What do I mean when I say face? Well, I mean exactly what I just said. A face. Specifically, YOUR FACE.
Here’s the deal. Web/Marketing/ Sales 2.0 is all an extension of the fact that we all now find ourselves in the information age, and today’s consumers, way more than ever, expect to be fed when they go to a website. They are also looking for relationships. Yep, the old adage that people will buy from those they like has never been truer, except now it’s become, ‘People will buy from the web sites they most like.’
As I’ve discussed multiple, multiple times on this blog, in order to gain a visitor’s trust on your website you’ve got to give them tons of remarkable content. You must teach them. You must show them you are a wealth of knowledge when it comes to your product.
But you must also show them WHO THE HECK YOU ARE. As I mentioned, people buy from people they like. And sometimes, information isn’t enough to gain their trust. You’ve got to reach out even further for certain consumers. This is what this blog post is all about. It’s about business owners, CEOs, and the like showing themselves on their websites. It’s about these same people showing the consumer that ‘Yes’, they are a real person behind the screen. Yes, they do lead lives like everyone else. Yes, they have a ‘unique’ story to tell.
Blogs vs Small Biz Websites
In fact, this phenomenon in many ways explains why blogging has exploded on the internet and why many bloggers have avid and extremely loyal followers. You see, bloggers tend to open up to their audience. They’re constantly sharing personal experiences. They’re sharing their struggles. Their ups. Their downs. Simply put, they often find success by being essentially an open book for their readers and subscribers. (Hopefully, I fit this category) 
At the same time, the majority of business owners show no personality or presence whatsoever on their company website. Frankly, this is stupid. It makes no sense. Wake up guys and gals. This is relationship selling 101, and we’ve all got to embrace it.
For an example, here is my bio information, as well as a personal photo(my kids), found on my business’ website: (sorry if it’s a long, work with me a little..)
Education:
- Graduated from Northumberland High School in 1995.
- Attended West Virginia University and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Spanish and a minor in Physical Education.
Interesting Facts:
- Captain of football, wrestling, and baseball teams in
My Three Little Treasures
high school.
- Served a church mission in Chile from 1997-1999.
- Author of three published self-help books: Heavenly Father’s Angels, Stop the Yawns, and Teen Talks to Stop the Yawns.
- Founded www.PoolSchool.us, one of the most educational swimming pool site on the internet.
- Married to high school sweetheart Nikki and has three children: Danielle(9), Joseph(6), and Larsen(2).
- Named 2007 Young Entrepreneur in Residence by Indiana University.
- First person to ever come out with a ratings system for fiberglass pool manufacturers.
- Speaker for the 2008 and 2009 National Pool, Spa, and Patio Convention held in Las Vegas.
- Founder of the popular Sales/Marketing Blog: The Sales Lion
Greatest Accomplishments:
“I’d have to say that my greatest accomplishment would be my time spent in Chile as a missionary. Despite having no ability to communicate with the people when I arrived to the country, I was able to become very fluent in their native tongue and witnessed many people’s lives change positively through the Christian principles we taught. For those two years, all I worried about was the welfare of other people. My focus was on one thing and one thing only. There was no TV to watch, no football games to attend, no dates to go on. It was truly a rewarding and unforgettable experience, and it established the foundation of the person I am today as well as the rest of my life.”
Most enjoyable part of owning River Pools:
“I’ve enjoyed having a vision for the company and watching that vision come to fruition. It has also been rewarding the friendships I’ve been able to establish with customers, co-workers, and most recently with other companies with whom I’ve been able to assist.”
Hobbies:
All sports, (especially racquetball), reading, writing.
Interests:
WVU football, studying/reading the classics, motivational speaking, human relations, UFC.
Person you most look up to and why:
“While I was in Chile, my mentor was a man named Ted Lyon. This good man was full of love and compassion for others and has lived a life of service and hard work. He helped me to see the potential I have and pushed me to exercise my free agency in life to make a difference…..I must also make note of my beloved grandfather, who passed away recently at the age of 93. He was the kind of man that makes you want to be the best you…when I was in his presence, it was almost like I was experiencing a moment with the Savior himself….I look forward to the day when I’m in his presence again….Thank you Grandaddy.”
Ok, so there you have it. If any of you were able to get through that, hopefully you understand what I mean when I say ‘Owner’s Bio Page’. In fact, I believe every ‘Meet the Owner/CEO/Founder/Whatever you want to call it Page’ should include the following:
- Interesting Personal Facts
- Greatest Accomplishments
- Hobbies
- A Little Info about the Family
- Why You Love Your Job
- A Personal Photo
The Results of Putting Yourself Out There
It amazes me how often I’ll meet a customer on a sales appointment or on the telephone and they’ll say something like, “Marcus, that so awesome that you wrote a book when you were in college.” Or “Marcus, your kids are adorable” or “Marcus, so you went to WVU, I guess I won’t hold that against you!”… and on and on.
Because of my openness, a large portion of my customers and prospects know quite a bit about me before we even meet. But that’s great, as there is nothing I’d rather hear from a customer upon our initial contact than, “Marcus, so great to finally meet you. I feel like I know you already!” (I’ve literally heard this hundreds of times). In fact, it’s exactly what I’m looking for, because the better a customer knows you, the more they’ll be inclined to like you. (Assuming, of course, that you’re not a freak) And as we all know, if they like you they’ll probably buy from you.
So here is your challenge. Put your face on your website. Open up a little bit. Talk about yourself. Stop being a closed book and you’ll be amazed just how much of a response you’ll get from your customers. This is what Web 2.0 is all about.
Questions? Comments? Join the discussion! I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences regarding this interesting topic and how it has affected you and your business.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Great one!! Marc you are 100% right, with my restaurant I try to become a friend to my consumers, not just some place to grab a bite to eat and they love my history on my website also!
It baffles me why everyone doesn’t do this Marcus. I can’t tell you how often I meet a customer or talk to them for the first time and they are genuinely excited to speak with me about the things they’ve read on my bio. It really gets the relationship of to a great start.
.-= Jason Hughes, figliving´s last blog ..Memoirs of a Christian Entrepreneur: How I met Jesus in Fort Worth Texas. =-.