Going deeper into the user experience is essential to creating a persuasive, effective online experience.

Some Web designers just know how to make sites look nice. Content developers create content that turns visitors into customers. We call that “conversion” which is the ratio of people who visit a site and those who actually call, buy something, or become clients.

Content Developers create Web sites that get visitors to take action. We call that “persuasion”. If visitors don’t take an action, there is no point in the site looking good. The action can be to call for an appointment or more information, download a free article, sign up for a newsletter or actually buy something. In fact, recent studies show that a site has to capture attention in the first 10 seconds with content that meets their needs. Studies show people are so overstimulated that they just want to find what they need and not be distracted by the design.

Persuasion is the Foundation of Design

Many people use a website not to buy something but to get more information about you or your company.  The site needs to persuade them that you are a good match for meeting their needs. If the site looks beautiful but does not deliver answers to visitor’s questions, they won’t feel satisfied and they won’t make the decision to use you.

That’s what the actual content on the site is so crucial. Beauty is important, but form follows function and the site has to sell first. Then the design will follow and be used to make the sales message stronger and the ability to use the site easier.

Designing a website before the content is written is putting the cart before the horse. Design is important but only in so much as it helps people find the information visitors need. To get results, you need a persuasive website.

What is Co-Creative Web Development?

Co-Creative Design is my own idea that combines the spiritual practices of visioning and meditation with solid traditional marketing, persuasive selling, information architecture and the new field of neuro web design.

It is based on Persuasion Architecture® designed by Jeffrey and Bryan Eisenberg from Future Now. They are my mentors and trained me. Bryan Eisenberg is now the voice of Google ‘s Conversion University. Before I met the Eisenberg boys, I was a Web designer. Now I consider myself a co-creative content developer.

Co-Create with Personas

Co-creating is done by developing four to six typical users called PERSONAS and through a process of combining meditation and imagination, creating SCENARIOS or narratives about their lives. Then using traditional sales methodology, those users design the content of your Web site. You co-create your web site with your potential customers! Together you create persuasive websites with content that will generate sales because you go deeper and address the needs of your customers. At the same time, you let them see who you are, you let your light shine.

Personality and Persuasion

Co-creative Design uses imagination to create users with different personalities: humanistic, methodical, spontaneous and competitive; and in different stages of the decision making process: browsing, certain or committed. You can also use personas in different user categories, say volunteers or donors for a non-profit or customers and practitioners for a healing center. It is these imaginary users that will help create persuasive, effective copy that appeals to a variety of visitors and so you can convert more visitors into customers.

If you have a non-profit organization, potential donors have different needs from volunteers. If you have a travel agency, people who want a specific destination have different needs than someone just looking for a travel deal. If you are a healer, someone with serious health issues has different needs from someone with minor health issues.

Decision Making is the Big Factor

Some people decide slow, some fast. We account for both user’s needs. A competitive person takes their time and needs to know why your service is better, a humanistic person wants to know about you and your staff, but if they like you and feel good, they decide quickly. A slow methodical person needs a lot of detailed information which might overwhelm a spontaneous person who is interested in how you can improve his lifestyle or solve his problems fast.

In the process, we create real people with real lives and different needs and personality traits and we ask them what they need to make a decision to take an action. This becomes the content of the site. The copy we write is benefit-driven to serve the needs of the user, not to tout the qualities of the seller. This makes people take action and ACTION is the magic word!

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Learn How to Develop Personas and Write for the Web

4 Hour – 2 Part Workshop for only $395
SESSION 1 – 2 Hours
You’ll learn:

• how to develop personas – detailed user profiles
• how to work with them to help you build persuasive content
• how to answer the questions they ask and meet their needs

SESSION 2 – 2 Hours

You’ll learn how to write persuasive copy including:

• search engine optimized pages
• benefit-driven statements
• web-friendly formatting

Contact kit@kitkaplan.com to see if your website is persuasive.