Web + Wins #11 Stop Selling Features. Start Showing Results.
This Week's Update
This week I'm re-running the website workshop I hosted a few weeks ago with the SBDC and SC APEX. I’m excited for round 2!The whole point of the workshop is helping business owners with no website (or one that needs work) walk away with the essentials to show up more professionally online. These are DIYers who aren't quite ready to work with a web design professional.One of my favorite parts of running these is what I get to see behind the scenes.Businesses I had no idea existed, serving clients all across the Midlands – and websites that tell me everything about where they are in their journey. When you look at dozens of sites in a short window, the common threads jump out fast. And almost every time, it's the small things that are doing the most damage. But they are all fixable!We're keeping it in-person for now, but a virtual version might be in the future. If that's something you'd be interested in, hit reply and let me know!
Get a Web Win: Stop Selling Features. Start Showing Results.
I'm working on a website right now for a data company that has been in business for over 20 years, serves everyone from hospitals to manufacturers, and has incredible client retention.
They’re running an impressive operation, but their website isn’t reflecting that. It reads more like a product manual. Lots of solutions pages with features, no stories, no social proof, no outcomes or results.
Your potential clients aren't landing on your site thinking, "I wonder what features this company offers." They're thinking "do these people understand my world, and can they solve my specific problem?"
One of the biggest updates we are doing is adding industry-specific pages, focused on results and outcomes, answering the questions in potential clients' heads.
What an industry page does that a solutions page can't:
Speaks directly to a specific type of client in their own language
Shows case studies and results relevant to their industry
Answers the frequently asked questions and objections specific to their world
Makes a hospital decision-maker feel understood in a way that a manufacturer never would, even if you serve both
How to think about this for your own site:
Who are the distinct types of clients or industries you serve?
Could a client in that industry, landing on your site, immediately find content that feels written for them?
Are you leading with what you do, or what your clients walk away with?
You don't have to scrap your solutions pages. Keep them for the people who want the details. But add an industry layer that meets your best-fit clients where they are.
I'll share this site with you soon, once it's launched!
Convo Corner: Wes Hickman
Recently I got to sit down with Wes Hickman, a fellow Columbia Connectors member and EOS Implementer. If you're not familiar with EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System), I wasn't either until my husband Drew experienced it firsthand at a previous company, and saw what it looks like when an organization runs with intention.
Wes and I talked about how EOS applies not just to businesses but to your personal life too. The core idea: set your "rocks" — your big commitments — and make consistent progress toward them. It's less about the day-to-day grind and more about being intentional about where you're actually trying to go.
It was such a great conversation, and he brought me a book! That's the second person in the last few months who's shown up to a coffee chat with a book recommendation in hand. I love that and might have to start doing the same.
Give Wes a follow here.
Let's Talk
So my calendar has been packed – a little too packed to be honest! As we move towards July, I’m going to quiet things down and focus on my existing clients and systems. I’ve got a big personal life change coming up IYKYK, and I think I want to share a little peek into that soon.
If you need a website update (or know someone else who does) reach out to me here and we'll talk.
Dana
Founder @ Snaply Sites
