Make it Easy for People to Work With You
I was ready to hire someone.
After years of doing everything myself, I was ready to invest more into my business.
For context, I don’t make decisions quickly. Deliberative is one of my top five CliftonStrengths. So every decision usually involves a careful consideration of the pros, cons, and risks.
And I’m frugal.
So when I’m ready to pay someone for their services, it’s a big deal. After researching some potential options, I tried connect with a few.
Here’s what happened:
One website was under construction
Many business owners didn’t have a website
Most websites I did browse were confusing, distracting, or just bad
In every case, these people made it hard for me to say yes. I was ready to give them my time and money. But instead of engaging me, they turned me away.
I don’t want that to happen to you.
People are hardwired to seek the path of least resistance. We want the easy path.
It doesn’t take much for us to get distracted or lose our focus. So business owners have to understand this part of human nature and know how to work with it, not against it.
That’s what behavior science does best.
And it’s why it needs to be the foundation of your website.
Behavior science focuses on why people think and behave like they do. And behavior design is how we use that knowledge to change someone’s behavior. Though I’d been applying these approaches for years in my coaching practice, I gained a much deeper understanding of how to do this ethically for marketing when I completing the Irrational Labs Behavioral Design Bootcamp in 2022.
“By designing solutions that align with human psychology, we can make it easier for people to do things they already want to do.”
One of the most effective way to do this is to make something easy.
For business owners this is critical knowledge if you want people to buy from you. Here are two ways to make it easier for people to say yes to what your offer.
Reduce the effort required: remove even the smallest barriers to action
Simplify your messaging: make it clear and easy to understand
People come to you for help.
They need information, a service, or a physical product. Many are ready and willing to give you their money, time or both, but if you make it hard they won’t.
Here’s another example of a business that got it wrong.
I needed a new outfit recently, so I headed to a national retailer who offered the selection I wanted.
After spending time searching the aisles, I choose a single item and headed toward the line. It was long… too long. Even though I was not in a hurry and had time to wait, I didn’t. Why? Because I’m impatient. And the long line made waiting hard. I returned the item to the rack and walked away empty handed.
Maybe this sounds silly after I’d invested so much time to find what I needed. But most of us walk away more often than we think, especially online.
Your website might be that long line.
Almost everyone who visits your website is impatient, like me. We like instant gratification. People come to you needing something and are hopeful you have the solution. But here’s the catch in virtual environments… they scan the line before looking around.
What are they looking for?
Am I in the right place… is this for someone like me?
What do you do… can I understand it in a few seconds?
How do you help me… does this solve my problem?
Can I trust you… do you seem credible, experienced, real?
What should I do next… is the next step obvious and easy?
The bad news?
You have less than 8 seconds to invite them to keep browsing.
Not everyone who lands on your website is ready to buy. But you open the door to the possibility of them turning to you when they are.
The human decision cycle looks like this:
Awareness → Consideration → Decision
People might be anywhere along this continuum, so your website has to meet them at every step. And, it doesn’t take much to lose them. It can be as little as a confusing headline, missing call to action button, or poor design.
Bottom line?
People have a problem and you have the solution. Make your business the obvious choice with a great website infused with good behavior design. You can DIY the changes or we can do it for you.
You may only get one chance to change someone’s life.
