When it comes to writing for your internet business, WIIFM, or “What’s In It For Me”, are probably the most important 5 letters there are. They may even be the most important as far as your overall business success is concerned. What people want to know when they visit your web site is what’s in it for them, and, if the message on your site isn’t clear as to what that is, but your competition’s is, you’ll be playing right into their hands, leaving you at a competitive disadvantage.

Get Them Asking Questions

While you need to let your visitors know what you can do for them by providing answers and solutions to their questions, you don’t need to supply all the answers; you should leave room for them to ask a few questions for themselves.

For example, if you meet someone who says he’s a carpenter, what exactly does that mean to you? You have a general idea of the type of work he does, but you don’t know specifically how what he does can help you. Now, had he said he’d installed kitchen cabinets, built garages, done fence work, etc., it may have triggered questions in your mind, such as “If he’s done that type of work, could he install a deck for me?”, which may lead to an entire conversation and perhaps you hiring him to build that deck you need. And all because he gave you some insight into what was in it for you by giving details on what he might do for you. 

The same principle applies to writing for your web site or for your potential clients in general, i.e. the more questions you can ask your visitors, the more you’ll pique their interest, which is a very powerful, tried and tested copywriting  technique. But be sure your writing’s constructed in such a way as to not answer all your visitors’ questions. The more questions you can create in the minds of your potential clients, the more intrigued they’re likely to be, since, as a general rule, people don’t like having unanswered questions lingering around in their heads. This gives you access to your visitor’s mind, making him much more amenable to your web site’s message and the ultimate goal of attracting visitors to your site, such as purchasing products.

Your Marketing Pie

Even though you might like it to be, your internet business web site isn’t a printing press for money. If you have an e-commerce site, it certainly has the potential to be a 24/7 money-making sales and marketing machine, but, initially, the main objective of your web site, literature, advertising, press releases and social networking should be customer contact.

All your activities aimed at generating customer contact (social networking, web site, etc.) are what’s known collectively as your marketing pie. Each activity is interrelated with and supports the other and is an important ingredient in the making of the overall pie. Once the pie has done its job and contact has been made, the ball’s then in your court.

A Major Slice Of Your Marketing Pie

Your business’s web site is a major slice of your marketing pie, but does it pass muster? Let’s find out:

  • Does your site tell its readers what you can do for them at the top of every major page of your site?
  • Can your readers easily find your company’s phone numbers?
  • Do you provide GPS locatable navigation information if you’re located in a new office development?
  • Do you provide a page with directions? If so, is there a map that’s clickable to display an interactive map at Google or MapQauest? Are the directions accurate and well written?
  • Do you at least provide your location?
  • Is there a Press (or Media) Page with web accessible press releases? How about a way to contact your media professional? A brief description  of your company and its new and/or most important products? If not, how can anyone easily write a story or piece about you and your company?
  • Is there only a form on your “Contact Us” page? What about phone numbers, mailing and e-mail addresses, city, country, time zone? Do you provide specific contact information for customer service and management?

If you have no answer to some of those questions, you might want to refer your site to a UK internet business coach who can advise you on what need’s to be done to bring your web site up to speed, and can make sure your internet business site answers the question “What’s In It For Me” when your visitors arrive.

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