Back in 2009, while I was on my way home from a trip to visit family, I was struggling with a marketing problem – trying to figure out how to build an effective landing page. I prayed about it and I was blessed with a marketing revelation that, while simple and to the point, has been a key in changing the way I look at building businesses (and their websites). This simple revelation, within only a few short months of implementation, brought a client of ours a contract worth over $2M and it has led to thousands of successful sales.

The 3 Cs of a Successful Website

1. Context
2. Credibility
3. Call To Action

Let’s dive right in.

Context

When a visitor lands on your website, you only have a few seconds to get their attention before they’re gone. You need to give them an immediate context that says, “I have exactly what you’re looking for.”

Here are a few ways you can do that:

• Business/Project Name – Oftentimes, your business or project name will convey a basic sense of what it is you do. If this is the case, make sure you’ve made the most of it and you introduce your website with the right name.
• 3-Second Speech – You need to be able to convey what it is you do in three seconds or less. Work on it until you’ve got it down. Once you have it down, use the text in a prominent place on your website to give context.

Credibility

After you’ve established context, you need to give your visitors a clear and obvious reason to believe that you’re a credible authority and that you can help them.

Here are a few tips for establishing credibility:

• Endorsements – Share what others have said about you and their experience working with you.
• Photos – Share a personal photo, a photo of your office location, photos of your products, etc. Go for the highest quality possible and avoid using stock photography.
• Videos – Show the product in use, give a quick tour of your office, share a brief message from the president, etc. Keep it simple and well done.

You’ll recognize a consistent theme here: let others establish your credibility.

Call To Action

This is where many websites fail. As you’ve established context and credibility, you must follow through with a clear call to action. To make it clear, your “call” needs to answer three basic questions:

1. What do you want me to do? – Tell your visitors, very clearly, what it is you want from them.
2. How do you want me to do it? – Don’t assume they know what the next step is, guide them clearly and let them know exactly what they need to do next.
3. What’s in it for me? – Why should they care? What do they get for doing what you’ve asked them to? This is the “benefit”. Don’t talk about the features of your great product or service, outline clearly the benefit they will receive.

Now, go look at your own website or business idea. Ask yourself the questions:

• “Who am I sharing my message to?” (Context)
• “How can I connect with them in less than 3 seconds?” (Context)
• “Why should they believe what I’m telling them?” (Credibility)
• “What am I asking my audience to do?” (Call to Action)

Let me know what you think about what I’ve shared! Did it inspire you? Can you apply this to what you’re working on now? Write a comment and let me know what you’re doing with what you learned.