What goes through my head when I write a website? ??

Ok, I often get requests to see examples of websites I've built, but I can't share many of them (because of NDAs, etc.), so I wanted to do a breakdown of a site I *can* share.

...and I thought I'd use www.kidsbooksforbusinesses.com (the site for the new business I just sneakily launched) as an example. ??

Let's dive in! ??

Step 1: Pick a horribly boring business name

" Kids' Books for Businesses ?!? That name is so dry it makes saltines taste like watermelon. ??"

Yep. I'll own it.

It's an incredibly dry and unimaginative name, but it's PERFECT because it's clear. It answers the question, "What do you do?" such that if someone even so much as just saw the logo, they get it...at least to a reasonable extent.

"What does Kids' Books for Businesses do?"

"We write kids' books, but for businesses as a super unqiue and interesting form of marketing."

Boom.

Sure, I could call it something trendy like "NUTCRAKR," but then I'd have to spend the first five minutes of the conversation explaining what the company does and how I came up with the name, and ain't nobody got time for that.

Step 2: The header section

No other section of this website has received as much pushback as this section has.

Literally everyone I've shown this to has said that this section doesn't explain what the product or service does...but then literally everyone scrolls.

Mission: accomplished.

Let's break it down, element by element:

• Headline: Every single B2B website header looks the same, so I went with something different, intriguing, and thought-provoking...and a little weird.

"What the heck does that even mean? I better scroll down..."

Note: The singular use of "prospect" was intentional. I want each website visitor to envision a specific person in their head.

• Imagery: Again, practically every B2B site is stale, so I wanted to use a startlingly different image to catch attention and build intrigue. This particular image is one of Daryn Rowley's beautiful works that she drew for my latest children's book! It also fits super well with the headline.
• CTA/Button: As I went with the intrigue approach, I needed to have an intrigue-focused CTA. I can't push for a sale, "Contact Us," or pricing at this point. If someone wants to learn more, I need to make it easy for them to do so.

Step 3: Social Proof

...because, duh.

A couple quick notes on social proof:

• If you don't have a lot of company logos yet, go quotes. Quotes are powerful.
• If you can, pick a quote from someone who's in your target role or position and make sure the text of the quote gets as close to your customer/prospect's "moment of insight" as possible.

Step 4: Address your customer's question

Hey, we know they're all thinking it, so we may as well call it out directly and answer it:

Short. Sweet.

Points out the flaws with the status quo and draws a contrast. Sets a vision for the future.

Note the more direct CTA in this section:

At this point, someone might "get it," and see the value, so give them the opportunity to bounce here without reading the rest of the site.

Step 5: Drive the value home and sweeten the deal

If the last section didn't convince you, here's another one:

Breakdown:

• Headline: Draws a contrast with the status quo. Who reads your current marketing "again and again?" ...and who would read it to their kids? ??
• "This is not" — Want to prompt ChatGPT with "write a story about my brand?" Expect to get a load of garbage. This section is an opportunity to emphasize the value and why this product will be different (and better) than you could produce on your own.
• "It's guaranteed" — Again, we're reinforcing the value, uniqueness, and contrast vs. the status quo.

IMO, being able to list yourself as a co-author is an AMAZING way to sweeten the deal. You can essentially become a children's book author, show your kids the book you wrote, and pass down your legacy for generations to come...all on the company's dime! ??

(Crap...Was I supposed to say that part out loud? ??)

Step 6: The "That's Me" section

It looks like this section is trying to weed out companies that aren't a good fit (...and that's partially true), but it's really designed to sell and help people identify themselves with the traits listed in the bullets:

"Want to create something big and meaningful? Need to make a bigger, more unique impact? Trailblazer in a new space? That's me!"

Step 7: Meet the team

Yes, this is a "Meet the Team" section, but I didn't say "Meet THE Team," I said: "Meet YOUR PERSONAL creative team."

When you kick off a project with Kids' Books for Businesses, it's not "You vs. Us." You lead your own personal team of creatives. This further adds to the sense of ownership and control.

• CTA: The CTA in this section (which wouldn't fit in my screenshot) says "About us." It feels more personal than a redundant "Meet the team" and a little less weird than "Who we are"

Step 8: The last shot

Ok, honestly, I hate these sections. (Hey, I'm allowed to say that. ??)

If you made it this far, you're at least considering it, but I'm not going to convince you here.

So I found this epic pic from David Miles, and thought this text went well:

This isn't a standard "Boost your output by 80%" kind of sales pitch (although I think we could get some good stats), and honestly, I don't want to work with those types of customers. (Did you know you can strategically use text to subtly weed out prospects you don't want to work with? ??)

We're selling the dream and the uniqueness of the approach here. I want to work with companies and teams who are looking to break the mold of our redundant "Ultimate Guide" culture.

I want to work with teams who "get" the vision so that justifies the consistency in my approach.

So, there you go.

There's ~8 hours of my thought and effort distilled into ~1,100 words, but I'm hoping it shows off some of the thought/logic I put in when I do website copy.

The entire time I'm thinking about my audience and their mental state and how that aligns with the desired actions I need them to perform:

• Who they are
• Who I want them to be
• Who I don't want them to be
• What I want them to do
• How to guide them to do what I want them to do
• Where will their gaps in knowledge be
• What questions they have
• What additional questions they'll have after each sentence I write

Have I fed it into Wynter to test it?

Nah, maybe that will come later, but those tests don't always tell you everything anyway. I don't want to attract any marketing team, I want to attract the right ones, and you can't always pick this out by industry or demographic data.

Whaddya' think?

I hope this was both entertaining and thought-provoking and that you got something out of it.

If you think a kids' book would be a super unique and memorable way to get your customers' and prospects' attention, or if you just want to check out the site yourself, please visit www.kidsbooksforbusinesses.com. ??