G'day guys! Let's talk about the delicious business of website conversion but with a twist. It’s about choosing between three flavours of ice cream on the shelf: salted caramel white choc, vanilla, and choc mint. What's this got to do with conversions? Hang on, it'll all make sense soon.
The salted caramel ice cream is always the one I will reach for given the choice of the 3. I am not a big fan of white choc, but I am a sucker for salted caramel, I'll go a salted caramel anything. This ice cream is hyper-relevant to me, I am the core target market.
Everyone's friend, Vanilla, is the generic offer that never offends. No one is going to turn down a Vanilla ice cream. Nobody hates Vanilla. Entrepreneurs fall into an easy trap of thinking of all of the people they could serve, and all of the products, offers or services they could provide. No-one wants to exclude a sale opportunity!
Choc Mint is my son's favourite, so he is always going to choose it.
But if I have to choose between Vanilla or Choc Mint for myself, Vanilla is going to lose the sale.
If I can’t have the Salted Caramel I crave, I am still going to choose something special, rather than something, well… Vanilla.
Choc Mint is not for everyone. There are choc mint haters out there. People who would prefer to have no ice cream at all, rather than feel like they are brushing their teeth and eating ice cream at the same time! You are going to lose those sales.
But really, did you want to work with those Choc Mint haters anyway?
Losing those choc mint haters will be offset by how many more choc mint lovers like my son will flock to you.
Avoid Vanilla Branding: Steer clear of generic, forgettable branding, design and copy. It might seem safe, but it won't convert as effectively. You blend in with all the other vanillas on offer and you won’t be hyper-relevant to anyone.
Embrace Your Choc Mint Flavor: Specialize in something that sets you apart, makes you special. The services or clients you prefer or work best with. Build your website to appeal directly to these people.
You might turn off the choc-mint-haters, but your core target audience will love you all the more for it. And you don’t necessarily lose the caramel lovers.
For example, People still ask good wedding photographers to do family portraits, even though it is not their speciality.
They are special and good at what they do.
This is more appealing than just a generic photographer who does everything, but you’re not really sure what they are good at.
A special offer, targeted to the right people is going to convert much better than trying to appeal to everyone.
Be brave enough to be the Choc Mint to the Caramel lovers out there, safe in the knowledge that most will still be happy to work with you. Doing that will make the Choc Mint lovers flock to you, and ignore the Choc Mint haters.
Cheers, and here's to being the choc mint in a world full of vanilla!
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