Stage 1 is Infancy

First, we have the “Welcome to My Site” stage. The owner put a lot of hours into the homepage to show off everything offered.  The dominant word is I or We. It’s going from the owner to the world. The visitor is welcome but ignored. I often compare a website to having a conversation with bypassers in front of your shop. In stage 1, the owner still thinks his website is like the inside of his shop. His home where the candid visitor stepped in.. On a website, the visitor rarely gets further than his head through the open front door. Quickly in, quickly out.  The form is usually a blog platform like WordPress or a point-and-click hosted solution like Wix or Squarespace. Cheap, proven, and low learning curve are the criteria. The content is predictable A homepage with a big hero picture and navigation. A blog (especially on WordPress) centered on daily activities. A few product pages (books, course, service, you name it) A few boilerplate pages: about us, contact, legal stuff. At least 2 or 3 pages serve no purpose but are just in case someone looks for it.

I compare it with infancy because it’s a stage you will not go back to, and most of the knowledge used is innate. There is little training, experience, or design thinking involved.

The first step to improve is to identify your knowledge gaps, and the landing page coach course is here to help.

Stage 2 is Awareness

The Second stage is when the owner becomes conscious that what matters is to answer the visitor’s question: “What is in for me first and foremost?” and to build on that. So, instead of an open house with an unguided visit, the website starts a conversation and builds trust and interest page after page. It’s full of lessons learned with the first stage, other websites, readings, and taking courses. This awareness is why the same owner will not return to stage 1 again. The effort and involvement put into a stage 2 site are not higher than a stage 1 and less emotionally intense.    The dominant word is “you”. Now, we talk to the visitor as a person. It’s like chatting over the front door with a curious passerby. Instead of pitching, the site weaves the visitor’s needs, interests, and goals with what the owner can offer.

The blog is still there but more strategic. It covers questions people have and reuses keywords to rank well. Off-topic writing is banned. Inverted pyramids (the most important point first) have replaced rambling.

Product pages use interest, attention, desire, pains, problems, and benefits instead of a mere description and features. 

There is a newsletter and a mean to collect email address via susbcription.

The contact form is gone, as well as the address and phone numbers.

All contacts are channeled via social media.

Support pages offer self-helped solutions like tutorials and checklists.

Social links are omnipresent with testimonials and share buttons.

The website exists in an ecosystem of social presence. It leverages services like Calendly for reaching out, Kit or MailChimp for newsletters, Eventbrite for events, and YouTube tutorials.

Landing pages make their first appearance.

Conversion is still a big word, and the conversation follows a random path.

Stage 3 is maturity.

It’s not anymore the work of one person.

A designer joined. She provides a personalized experience. Branding is everywhere, including on third-party peripheral sites (social, YouTube, etc.).

A professional copywriter may advise on the most important pages.

The focus is on conversion and SEO.

You must be seen and have incoming traffic all the time This traffic must be coaxed into conversion by different means. There is a funnel, and it has been thought of. At once and by using proven formulas or step-by-step.  Data is collected and analyzed. Different solutions are tested with constantly the same idea in mind.

Make the most conversions from all the visitors. 

Every hour, every day, some online sales specialist will devise new experiments. Landing pages are created and dropped Events, lead magnets, and promotional campaigns are created This is a team effort, not anymore a single person’s work Why does it matter? Because when you are in stage 2, you eye on stage 3 but you shouldn’t compare yourself nor plan incremental changes to become a stage 3 site. It’s usually out of reach.

So admire big brands and large corporations’ websites, learn from them, but don’t judge by comparison.

From stage 2 to stage 3, the process involves curiosity and experiments.

Beyond stage 3

And then? You can imagine more stages, but it becomes reserved for large organizations, causes, or states.

It can’t be called stages anymore since there is no evolution from stage 1.

It becomes more about branding. Sites tell a story, and feature realizations with an abundance of pictures. Such sites don’t go down to selling. They improve the visibility and build trust in the brand. They are also used for promoting large events.

Those sites are the occasion for agencies to showcase their creativity; The desired effect is Wow and virality. No one-size-fits-all classification exists. Such projects involve dozens of people and can have budgets in millions.

This journey from stage 1 to stage 3 is what I wish the Landing Page Coach could help you accomplish, one step after another, in Kaizen style (continuous improvement) supported by short courses and feedback.