Creating a Strategic Website to Attract Your Dream Clients

The She Shines Podcast, with Anna Laura, Alex and Kris Jones

Speaker 1 (00:02):

When you're consistent with your call to actions, people

think, oh, they're in charge. I know what they want me to do. They must be my

guide. They must know what they're doing because they're clearly taking a

leadership role and telling me what to do. And that's what people want. I mean,

they are the hero. So they're coming to your website and you are as a character

in this story. You are their guide.

Speaker 2 (00:29):

Welcome to the She Shines podcast with your host, brand

photographer and serial entrepreneur, Anna Laura, and super proud career woman

with a passion for entrepreneurship. Alex, tune in for some connection

community and Girl Talk Plus, join their conversations with other entrepreneurs

and professionals who've been there, built that and are paying it forward.

They'll take your burning questions and turn them into actionable steps with

the glass of champagne in hand. Here we go.

Speaker 3 (01:05):

All right, have you ever tried to make your own website or

landing page? Hand up? Hand up. Hands, hands and feet up over here for sure.

And maybe you have felt like us, right? You have the colors, you have photos,

you're just throwing words on that screen like confetti and voila, your

alexandria.com site is live. And while you were hoping for the sales to

explode, like yes, I've got these bomb colors, wonderful photos, you're just

left with crickets.

Speaker 4 (01:38):

Yes, been there. You're literally, it's like you're

telling my story. What we've experienced firsthand is the power of using not

just images, but also words that speak directly to your ideal client or ideal

community. As you're going to hear from our amazing guest today, making a site

actually has very little to do with you, even if it is Alexandria. And really

you're going to want to focus on your ideal community and the problem that you

saw for them. And if you've been around for a sec, this is something we are

huge on if you've ever been in our mentor program or gone through our very own

playbook.

Speaker 3 (02:21):

Yes. So let's chat about our podcast guest today, Chris

Jones. She is the founder of Red Door Designs and she's a StoryBrand guide. If

you're not familiar with StoryBrand, we cannot recommend this book enough.

Seriously. It's called Building a StoryBrand. Run to the blog post for this

episode and definitely snag yourself a copy. Literally Anna Laura was reading

this, was it last summer and

Speaker 4 (02:50):

Yeah, it was last summer, last winter, I think.

Speaker 3 (02:51):

Yeah. And would voice note me all of her takeaways and be

like, we have to do this. We have to do this. And Shehan book club. Yeah. Yes,

exactly. It was such a wealth of knowledge and you guys will learn a little bit

from our conversation with Chris today. And in fact, Chris was mentored by the

StoryBrand founder Donald Miller himself, so you know, are getting the goods in

this episode.

Speaker 4 (03:16):

Oh, she knows her stuff.

Speaker 3 (03:17):

She knows her stuff. Girlfriend has over 20 years of

experience and clients like Nike under her belt, as you'll hear, she is

extremely passionate about helping self-employed women. Get website copy that

sells so they can multiply their revenue and focus on what they do best.

Speaker 4 (03:34):

Yes, I love this so much. So here are a few must hear

moments. You're going to hear the formula for how to use the power of

storytelling on your site, imagery and copywriting, tips that convert clients

must have website sections. Hello. And be sure you keep the blog post for this

episode, which gives a few more must haves as well as several of the links

mentioned in this episode. So let's not dial anymore, go on ahead and dive on

in.

Speaker 5 (04:06):

Welcome back to the She Shines podcast, everybody. We are

so pumped. If you could hear the conversation before we hit record, you're

clearly so excited to have Chris Jones in the house. Welcome, Chris.

Speaker 1 (04:19):

Thank you so much. Happy to be here.

Speaker 3 (04:22):

Alright, so before we get into the meat of this

conversation, which we are really pumped to learn about, because like Anna

Laura said, we were chatting a little bit before and you guys know she shines.

We've been going through some changes. So we know this conversation is going to

be so timely for so many of you out there. But before we get there, tell us a

little bit about yourself. Walk us through your background. What made you take

the leap into this crazy world of entrepreneurship and the journey that you've

been on since?

Speaker 1 (04:52):

Well, I think I'm an entrepreneur at heart because when I

was eight years old, I started smushing flowers in the neighborhood and making

perfume and selling them door to door. So I had this idea of figuring out ways

to make my own money. And then later that year my mom let me get my own

business cards printed. Love it. So I had professionally printed business card

at eight

Speaker 3 (05:22):

At eight, which

Speaker 1 (05:23):

It was called Chris's Crafts, and it had little rainbow

balloons on it.

Speaker 3 (05:30):

Do you still have one of these cards?

Speaker 1 (05:32):

My aunt who saves everything, found it. She had kept it.

And so I do have a copy of it. You need to

Speaker 3 (05:41):

Laminate it.

Speaker 1 (05:42):

I totally do. I know, I know. I hope it lives on forever.

Oh, beautiful. And so that kind of actually started my interest in graphic

design. So I would just take pre-made goods like candles or jewelry holders or

just plastic things, and I would say, Hey, I'm selling this item and I'm going

to write your name on it in your favorite colors with paint pens and puffy

paint and the whole thing. And so that kind of started way back early on. But

as an adult, I got really into graphic design in my early twenties and just

knew from the first class that I took that it was like my heart and soul and

really my purpose and my reason for being here on the planet. And it was a lot

about design, but in my opinion, design is really about storytelling. So really

what happened was I spent many years doing design work, working in ad agencies

and working in big corporations like Nike and Adidas, and then eventually went

out on my own and kind of hung my own shingle with red door designs. And over

the years just delved deep into that world, never looked back, just it was just

totally meant to be for me to have my own company. But what happened was I

began to realize the limitations of design. It used to be early on in the web

that if you had a great looking website, it could really help you grow. And now

it just doesn't get you there. You have to have very strategic, very

intentional copywriting and using the power and the fundamentals of story to

really connect with people and convert your ideal clients.

Speaker 3 (07:49):

Absolutely, yes. I was going to say, this is a beautiful

segue into our conversation here. Also, I'm still reeling over your 8-year-old

business cards and I really hope that you find it. It's making me so

Speaker 1 (08:04):

Excited. I'll send you a picture of it. Please,

Speaker 3 (08:07):

Please do. Alright, so we are here today to chat all about

storytelling and strategy and attracting clients with those things. So when

your pitch came over, we were really excited because you talk about these five

must have website sections that every expert or small business owner should

have. So we feel like that's a really good place to start. So tell us what are

those sections that we need on our website? Why do we need them and what are

they?

Speaker 1 (08:43):

Yeah, okay. Well, when you land on a website, the first

thing that you see is the header of that website. So that's where the images

and the big headline is. And that is obviously it is the most important real

estate on the page because you can either pull somebody in at that point or you

can confuse them or overwhelm them and they will leave the website. So

everybody's got that on their website, but it's not always doing the work for

you of really inviting your people in to engage with you. So that area is

really an opportunity to be stupid simple. Do not be clever, do not be cute.

Just say what you do. I'm an accountant for people over 50 or whatever it is

that you do. Just keep it so simple. So there's no questions or the best

plumbers in Nashville, Tennessee, I'm talking about, it's so simple that people

kind of think, really, I think I can do better than that, but don't

Speaker 3 (09:54):

Saying, it's so hard for me hearing don't be clever or

cute. I'm like, what do you mean totally? How do I do that?

Speaker 1 (10:01):

I know I'm all about the fun personality and having a

little flare, but in that section, really, if you are causing people to think

too hard to figure out what you do or to scroll too far down the page and they

still don't quite know what you do, people say in that section you could say

envision success. And it's like, well, what success climbing a mountain? Or are

we going rafting or are you teaching me how to type? I don't know. Yeah, that

area is really important to basically just state what you do and infuse in a

benefit or two so they understand why am I here, how is it going to benefit me?

Everybody is on your website not because of you. They're on your website

because of themselves. They're there to solve a problem for themselves. And so

they're looking always scanning the environment. What's in it for me? What's in

it for me? What's in it for me?

Speaker 1 (11:10):

It's not a selfish thing or an ego-based thing. It's just

truly how we're wired as humans. We're just scanning the environment to figure

out how we can survive and thrive. And when you create copy that speaks to

that, it goes a long way. And then the third part of this section is a clear

call to action. So you want to have, in the upper right section of your

website, you want a very clear call to action, and then underneath the header

area of your website, you want that same clear call to action. So when you're

consistent with your call to actions, people think, oh, they're in charge. I

know what they want me to do. They must be my guide. They must know what

they're doing because they're clearly taking a leadership role and telling me

what to do. And that's what people want. I mean, they are the hero. So they're

coming to your website and you are as a character in this story, you are their

guide. So you need to tell them what to do. A clear call to action is a

wonderful way to position yourself as the guide. When I talk about a clear call

to action, I'm not talking about something like learn more or connect or you

can do better than that.

Speaker 5 (12:37):

You heard it here first. Chris

Speaker 1 (12:38):

Says, you can do

Speaker 5 (12:39):

Better guys. You can do better,

Speaker 1 (12:41):

You can do better. I believe in you send, you want it to

be very clear. Schedule a call, send us an email, start your project. So it

needs to be both actionable and very clear rather than vague.

Speaker 5 (12:58):

Yes. I love this so much. Something that we sort of

skipped over. We talked about it before we hit record, but Chris was mentored

by Donald Miller who wrote Building a StoryBrand and some of these principles

as you're speaking now I'm remembering reading them. So last year I read the

book and I would voice message, Alex, here's what I learned today. And so if

you go to our website, you can actually see some of these implemented. But now

as you're speaking, I'm like, oh, we got some more work to do. So yeah, this is

so exciting to hear and spark those takeaways and I'm like, oh yeah. Oh shoot,

I should really

Speaker 1 (13:43):

Go back in there. Donald Miller's book, building a

StoryBrand is just one of those as a business owner, everybody should read that

book every year because every year it'll hit you differently or you'll see

things just like you are now that you're like, I understand that more. I can

always fine tune and tweak my website a little bit more and I'm doing the same

thing, right? It's not a static thing where you're done, but an evolution as

your business grows. Yes.

Speaker 5 (14:14):

And I am excited to dive into this next question too

because obviously the header is very big in attention grabbing. And then

throughout your site infusing this idea of storytelling, not only in the copy

that you write, but really in the visuals too. And so I'm a branding

photographer, so this speaks to my heart telling a story through imagery. How

can we do that most effectively?

Speaker 1 (14:43):

Oh my gosh. I love talking about photography because with

the work that I do, photography is so incredibly powerful in telling that story

in so many ways. And you essentially can use photography in three different

ways. So number one, you can show photography that represents your ideal client

in their happy success final state, like everybody that comes to your website

wants something, they want to achieve success in whatever you are selling to

them. So they want to get organized with their bookkeeping or they want to get

fit and lose weight, or they want to break free of chronic pain. So you really

want to show them, let's just say we're at a retirement planner's website, so

we really want to show visuals of those ideal clients after they've really

gotten their retirement dialed in and they're feeling very relaxed and happy

and joyful, and they have peace of mind because they're in that happy after

state of working with you.

Speaker 1 (16:01):

So part of storytelling on your website is really about

positioning yourself as the guide and your client as the hero. The hero is

actually the weakest person in every story, and the guide is the strongest

person in every story. And so the way we position ourselves as the guide is to

really paint a picture of what's possible for your ideal clients. And

photography is such a great way to do that. Another incredible way, and I make

all my clients Don do this, but a lot of business owners don't even think to include

this on their website, but if you do, it makes a huge difference. So someone

comes to your website and they're like, okay, who is this person? She's telling

me about herself and her expertise, but really what they want to know is what's

it going to feel like to work with you?

Speaker 1 (17:05):

And that's one of those just blind areas that we forget to

really show people what that looks like. So when my clients do photo shoots

prior to doing their website, I always encourage them to bring a friend to the

photo shoot and get photos of them working with a client. Or if you're a

service-based provider, usually you're working with people one-on-one or

couples or groups, and you really want to overcome the unknown that people have

in their brain about what it might look like or feel like to work with you. And

so you just want to capture these visuals showing the connection and care that

you have for your clients

Speaker 5 (17:51):

That's beautiful, and not make it so much the insert your

name here show, make it more about who you're actually serving. Not so much

focused on yourself.

Speaker 1 (18:01):

Right, right. It's really kind of a medley of showing your

clients in a very happy state of what they're going to feel like after they

work with you, and then showing you with your clients, showing that care and

connection that you provide with your clients. And so photos of the two of you

together, and then also photos of you, of course, headshots of you showing the

whites of your eyes. That's a really big way to develop trust. People don't buy

from people they don't trust. And photography, especially professional

photography, if you care enough to invest in photography for yourself, you're a

professional, you care about your business and you're more trustworthy just by

the very nature of having a professional photo shoot.

Speaker 5 (18:54):

I'm going to use this clip all the time. Good.

Speaker 1 (18:59):

Yeah, repeat, repeat.

Speaker 5 (19:01):

Oh my goodness. Just said,

Speaker 1 (19:04):

It's so true. It makes all the difference. I mean, I'm a

huge believer in storytelling and the power of words on your website, but as

powerful as the photography and when they're paired together, so few people on

the internet are pairing them together in an intentional way, the combination

catapults you above and beyond all your competition. It's amazing what happens.

Speaker 5 (19:30):

Yes. And speaking of the copy as well, which is another

obviously very important part, so you have the images that kind of I think draw

people in to want to read whatever it is on the screen. What would your tips

there be for infusing storytelling with something that is impactful?

Speaker 1 (19:50):

Yeah. So we touched a little bit on one of the main

sections that you want to include on your website, which of course is that

header. But I'm going to break down the formula for story. I think it will help

translate how story actually converts to a website environment. So every story

you've ever heard, every movie you've ever been to, any book you've ever read,

the formula is the same. It truly is. I mean, when it's done well or even when

it's not done well, it is the same darn formula every time. It always begins

with a hero who has a problem. And that's what pulls us in is like, oh my gosh,

there's this character. We're getting to know them a little bit, and they have

a problem, they're struggling with something and we don't know if they're going

to be able to overcome it.

Speaker 1 (20:53):

So right then and there, we are engaged and our brains, it

is irresistible for us. We cannot help but engage and we will not disengage

until we know that that problem or struggle has been resolved. And this is why

in this day and age when you've got cell phones and emails and to-do lists a

mile long and twins crying in the background, I mean, there's so many

distractions. But when we enter into a movie theater and the lights go down and

the story begins, we don't even think about our phone or anything else in our

whole lives for an hour and a half to two hours, nothing on the planet has the

power of story in that way. Nothing can connect with us and pull us in the way

that stories do. And so the fundamentals are really the same as a business

owner who's creating a website or the way you do your social media or the way

you talk about your business.

Speaker 1 (21:58):

It's a hero that has a problem. Your customer or your

client is the hero with a problem. And then about 20 minutes into any movie or

book, a guide enters into the story. And that guide has been there, done that

has already overcome the struggle that the hero is in the midst of, and they

have a plan. So the guide gives the hero a very clear plan and calls them to

action. And so then if the hero follows the plan and engages with the guide,

they reach success. And part of what the guide does is show them what success

actually looks like, which we touched on a little bit with the photography is

one way to do that. So when you break it down, it's step one, you've got a hero

with a problem. Step two, the hero meets a guide with a plan, and step three,

we show them what success looks like.

Speaker 1 (23:03):

That's every story. So how does that translate to a

website? Basically, we have to start with the problem. It's very, very simple.

Section one after your header is the problem section. I just call it the

problem section. It's three to five bullet points or three to five sentences

that really articulate the problem that your clients are facing. And if you

take nothing else from what we've talked about today, this is probably the very

most important thing, is very clearly articulating that problem and in a detailed

way, because when it's detailed enough, so many things happen, the story loop

opens up, and we can't help but engage. And then also when you articulate it

very well, subconsciously, our brains automatically think that you are the best

one to solve this problem. For me. It's probably happened in your lives before.

If a friend's like, this is what I've been feeling, or this is what I went

through, and it's so clearly articulated that you're like, yes, I get it. Yes,

I know what you're talking about. What did you do to solve that?

Speaker 1 (24:22):

So it's a really powerful way to begin your website

because the other thing it does that is so cool is it creates a real deep sense

of connection. People feel seen and they feel heard. And there are clients that

I've had that are kind of, I would say, a little bit resistant to this idea

because they don't want to be Debbie Downer or they don't want to be negative.

Then I get it. I really, really do. But when you really understand the power of

story and the formula for story, you really do have to start with the problem.

And then you just need to remind yourself, I am helping people figure out if

they're in the right place. And if they're not your ideal client, they're not

going to connect with or relate to the problems that you're communicating. So

it kind of gets rid of the people that aren't the right fit, and it really

pulls in those ones that are the right fit.

Speaker 1 (25:22):

And so that section one, it's so, so important. And then

it's followed with another section where we really paint that picture of

success. So I like to pick three things, and I like to either show photography

or icons to really show that these are important and they're all about success.

What is your life going to be like after you engage with me? Are you going to

be able to climb to the top of a mountain? Are you going to be the one who

knows how to throw the best parties? What is it? Are you going to have peace of

mind about something that currently is stressing you out? So pick three really

beautiful things that represent the success that you provide to your clients

and really make it important. So that problem section is really followed by,

okay, I get your problem. I know where you're at, I'm meeting you where you

are, and I can help you get here. I know the way to help you get here.

Speaker 3 (26:36):

Yeah, this is so great. And I feel like these two things,

the problem section and then the showing success after I feel like are the

easiest things to skip because it's like, oh, I created this business and I

have this wonderful product or service, and here you go, right? And you don't

really address those big parts that, like you said, can really, really help

your client or customer base really get to know you, really get to trust you

and feel like you understand what they're actually going through. And I know

that's how I shop. I love to feel like you get me. I always a sucker for good

marketing if it sounds like me, if I've used the same words, the language, if I

have it in my class, I'm like, I'm buying from you immediately. So I'm so glad

you mentioned that because I think they are very, very easy things to look

over. But when done correctly, they can make huge shifts for your business.

Speaker 1 (27:29):

They can. And one of the things that I really also want to

clarify and mention is that that success section, it's not a features section.

So features is about you. You don't want to make yourself the hero. It's really

about the hero's success. How is their life going to be so much better because

they've engaged with you and you notice this is your website. We haven't even

talked about you yet. We are all about the hero already in the first three

sections. So it's kind of a load off, I think, for people or a relief in a way,

because some people, they create a website and they're like, what do I write

about? Do I guess I have to write about myself? And it's kind of a relief to be

like, oh, no, no, I don't actually, I have to. Of course, you are a character in

your story, so there is a time and place on your website to talk about you, but

we haven't gotten that far. We have to earn their trust and create a connection

first, and then you earn the right to talk about you and your process and what

you have to offer.

Speaker 3 (28:42):

Beautiful. So beautiful. Thank you Chris, so much for

sharing all this wonderful information about creating your story brand and

infusing this to your website strategy, your copy, your visuals. I mean it

really kind of spiders into everything. And this podcast episode I think is

going to be such a beautiful blueprint for our community. And everyone, please

make sure you go to the blog post because we have Linked Building a StoryBrand

by Donald Miller. So go ahead and snag yourself a copy, and we have all of

Chris's links in there so you can go on and stalk her and see everything that

she's doing. But please tell everyone where we can connect with you and what

you're currently working on.

Speaker 1 (29:32):

Absolutely. So the main way that I work with clients is I

have a StoryBrand website copy that sells program, and it all happens in 2.5

hours flat because everybody I work with is just so busy who has time to write

their website copy, and it can take days, months, years. So I have a system,

and the wonderful thing about it for people is that you're not doing it on your

own. It's literally we do it one-on-one with me. And so you walk away knowing

it's done and it's telling a story, and then you can check that off your list

and get back to doing the work that you love. And then I also have a free

workshop that helps you confidently answer the question, what do you do? So it

really helps. You

Speaker 5 (30:26):

Love a dreaded question. I

Speaker 1 (30:27):

Know it's like, are you freeze or you cringe, or you're

like, it's either a two word answer or you kind of talk over word vomit,

somebody glazing over. And so the cool thing about that is that once you have

the right words to communicate what you do, basically, you don't have to

recreate the wheel. You can take those words and copy and paste them onto your

LinkedIn profile, copy and paste 'em into your social media profiles, put 'em

in your email signature on your business card, all that stuff. So it's kind of

the workhorse for any entrepreneur.

Speaker 5 (31:02):

This is beautiful. And that's what I was thinking this

whole time too, but everything you're talking about like, oh, we could use this

on social media, everything. It's so awesome.

Speaker 1 (31:10):

Yeah. So I forgot to share though that the free workshop

is at Clarity with Chris with a k.com. That's clarity with chris.com. And then

the website copy in 2.5 hours flat is@grow.red door designs.com. That's with

two ds and an S at the end, red door designs.com.

Speaker 5 (31:34):

Beautiful. And like Alex mentioned earlier, all of this is

linked in the blog post of this episode, so feel free to head on over and click

away. Be sure you give Chris a follow and shout her out, ask your questions,

anything. I'm sure she would love to hear from you. I'm speaking for you. So

Speaker 1 (31:53):

Yep, you're right.

Speaker 5 (31:55):

I just had that feeling. Thank you all so much for tuning

in. Chris, thank you for joining us.

Speaker 1 (32:01):

Thank you for having me. It's been such a pleasure.

Speaker 5 (32:04):

Yes, and until next time, keep shining.

Speaker 2 (32:08):

Thank you so much for joining us on the She Shines

podcast. Before you go, be sure you subscribe so you don't miss out on the next

episode. Plus, we would love to hear what you enjoyed most. So share a takeaway

and be sure to tag us at she X shines. And lastly, please take a sec to leave a

thoughtful review or pass this episode on to someone you feel could use it.

Until next time, keep shining. Cheers, girlfriend.