Marketing - at its foundation - is about taking a product or service, and putting it out to public consumption in the most effective ways possible. Essentially, it is about persuading people that you are the company they are searching for. To do this correctly you need to carry at least some knowledge of the following:

Your audience

• Who are they?
• What do they want?
• What questions might they have?
• How can you put their mind at ease?

Your product/service

• How is it different from your competitors?
• Why should they choose you?

Realistically you should be able to answer most of these questions in at least a vague manner, but it’s not necessarily the answer to these questions that matters here – it’s the way in which you present your knowledge of each answer, and how well this translates to the user.

Now, you may think you know exactly what your users want to see, but the fact of the matter is people make decisions for their own reasons, not ours.

Principles of Influence

Let’s take a look at some of the ways in which a passing user can be positively influenced into thinking you are the right choice for them.

1 - Give reasons why your service is best

Reason Example
“3 reasons why you should choose our service: high quality, reliable and fast”

Reasoning uses logic and appeals very much to the left-brained individual. It promotes a rational objective for its case and, when used in conjunction with fact it can be very effective.

2 - Make them dream

Dream Example
“Imagine how much more money you will make if we triple your conversion rate”

Inspiring somebody can be wonderfully powerful. If you speak with passion and conviction about the possibilities of what could be achieved by working with you, even the most logical-thinking of individual could be influenced.

3 - Give them something to respond to

Question Example
“Do you want more sales through your website?”

Asking a question prompts a response that will usually provoke the previous principle (make them dream). Used sparingly, asking questions can be very effective because it inspires and promotes the idea of “what if”.

4 - Offer a deal

Deal Example
“Take out hosting with us and get your first 3 months free!”

This may sound suspicious but in reality, nearly every company offers some kind of deal at some point. A deal gives the user an extra reason to choose your service because they feel like they are being given something extra.

5 - Silent Allies

Silent Allies Example
“9 out of 10 customers consider our customer service to be the best they have found”

Silent allies are the bunch of people who have previously worked with your company and found success in its service. Again, use sparingly as it could sound untruthful if overused.

Answering the Questions Above

Now that we are armed with the principles of influence, how can we answer the questions we asked at the beginning of this article?

Your audience – who are they and what do they want.

Well, we know roughly that they are looking for the service you provide; otherwise they would not have landed on your page. The type of user differs greatly – a small business owner is a very different demographic to a blue-chip company employee asked to source a service by the boss.

For this reason your answer needs to be convincing but somewhat ambiguous. Consider opening with a question backed up by a reason.

What questions might they have?

This is an easy one – simply be pro-active and ask the question for them. For example, a banner on your homepage that states “Are you looking for effective SEO services?” is very enticing because it will probably answer a question, or questions, they already have.

How can you put their minds at ease?

Consider taking the deal approach by offering them a money-back guarantee if they are unhappy, or use silent allies to persuade them. If you have helped over 20 public sector companies grow their online presence over the past 10 years, this is an excellent influencing tool.

Your product or service

Unfortunately we cannot tell you about your own business; only you can do that, but using the powers of influence you have learned in this article it might go some way to helping you explain your motivations with true conviction.

One final tip to always consider – once you have completed a piece of work don’t simply judge it on its visual appearance; judge it also by its convictions. If you truly believe it, then chances are others will too.