Are you ready for a website? You might need business therapy first.
The rubber hits the road when you layout and design a website.
I’ve observed a phenomenon. Some clients know exactly what they need. We’ll launch their site without even getting on a Zoom call and just work on revisions via Slack or WhatsApp.
Others, not so much.
This first type of client will give me a thumbs up at launch, then lets me know they’re off to a meeting. They’ll thank me and remind me to send them the invoice for the final payment.
The second type of client will find a prompt to write their website headline sends them into an existential tailspin.
They need what I call ‘business therapy’.
No judgement on either type of client! None at all.
I used to find this confusing and couldn’t identify the factors that caused such wildly different reactions. For a long time I thought is was just personality differences.
Now I know what it is.
It has to do with where a client is in their business journey. Both clients have come to me because they’ve self-diagnosed that ‘a website’ is the solution to their problems.
A website can be the solution, but it is going to be solving two distinctly different problems.
The first client is just up levelling their game. They understand their niche and positioning. They’ve got a website that’s outdated and they just need it to reflect where they are now.
A refreshed website is the straightforward solution.
The second client is fuzzy on their niche and positioning.
This makes it difficult to do everything: create the right offer, write copy that speaks to their target audience, and price accordingly. They are unclear on their USP, who they are serving and how. They’re lacking a brand strategy.
A website might be the solution to their problem.
It could be a solution if they are spinning their wheels and taking too much designing at the whiteboard; they’re too much ‘in their head’
The process of launching a simple website can sometimes bring enough clarity to move forward. Action (often) brings clarity.
But this doesn’t work for everyone.
Sometimes it is a matter of personality and temperament. Sometimes it does depend on where they are in their business journey.
For example, a client that went straight to market with an offering that gets them business (but not enough, and perhaps not the right kind), wants to make a slight pivot or knows they are not delivering value at their full potential.
They probably need to stop, assess and do some deep ‘business therapy’.
When they come back to me, getting their site launched is easy.
Other times the client is launching a new business idea. It might not be perfect, but they have enough of their niche and positioning in place.
My instincts tell me they just need a gentle push onto the stage and they’ll start singing. At some point deeper brand strategy work will be necessary, but now, the best next step is to just launch.
I’m getting better at making this assessment in discovery calls.
This is an art not a science.
I don’t always get it right.
But now I know what to ask and what to look for. A big clue is if I’m confused about whether I can help them or not. I’m getting better at it all the time.
Do you see yourself in these examples?
Where are you on your business journey?
Let’s connect for a pressure-free conversation to find out.