Posted on December 22, 2016 by Jason Wright

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Changing your life begins with a deeply personal internal battle. You’re fighting against bad habits, the people in your life and demons that bring you down. There’s no greater pressure or fear in the world than your health and the health of your family. This is a story about people, people like me.

My whole life I’ve struggled with weight issues. I was heavy when I was little and I’m heavier than I should be now. I’m strong as an ox, but no amount of strength can make up for the stress you put on your heart. I hit a stride and made some significant life choices that led me to a healthier lifestyle with dramatic results. This video shares that story eloquently.

I’m special. I’m unique and as Neil Degrasse Tyson put so beautifully, “we are all made of star stuff.” Each of us follow our own course in life rarely diverting from what’s comfortable. This comfort, can lead to profound negative impacts on one’s life in terms of fulfillment and experiences. When you’ve dealt with self esteem issues and oppression all your life, it becomes the only thing you know. Your heart yearns for something more, but you’re lacking support, the drive or the physical ability to make a difference and take ownership of your life.

Change happens from within both at a conscious and subconscious level. Change is hard. When I changed, the world treated me differently, I wasn’t inferior to others. I was finally equal. Doors opened, people loved me and I loved people. I didn’t want to hide anymore and my life changed forever from that moment on.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_fancy_title color=”#81d742″ size=”36″ margin_bottom=”18″ font_family=”none”]I accepted that I’m made of star stuff.
[/mk_fancy_title][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Sadly, change doesn’t always stick. Change is hard to maintain year after year and sometimes you slip. Sometimes you slip into your comfort zone again because it’s easy. It feels right. You could call it an addiction. What happens though, when you’re ready to make a change again? Maybe alternative treatments are the way to go. Maybe it’s time to take a new step in living a better life.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_fancy_title color=”#81d742″ size=”36″ margin_bottom=”18″ font_family=”none”]What makes someone take that next step?
[/mk_fancy_title][vc_column_text]I mentioned change is hard, but before we can find ways to help those in need, we must understand them better. To look at them not as numbers, but as human beings. One of the top reasons behind an individual’s weight loss goal is to improve their health thereby, making them FEEL better about themselves.

They want to FEEL that they aren’t the fat friend. The friend who can barely fit into a seat on a plane. These cases exist everywhere and these victims are often hiding away the negativity as much as possible from the ones they love. They are embarrassed, ashamed, hurt and scared. The world has been coming down on them for a long time and, they are alone.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_fancy_title color=”#81d742″ size=”36″ margin_bottom=”18″ font_family=”none”]Understanding this audience gives you a profound look into who they are.
[/mk_fancy_title][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]You take this information and apply it to our Ideal Customer Profile worksheet to create clear and concise user profiles. These profiles are invaluable for both your internal and external marketing teams.

You need to create a feeling, a compassionate feeling where you are not feared, but rather a welcome presence in an otherwise lonely world. Here are some great examples of the kind of content I’m referring to:

(this is one of my favorite all time commercials; greatness lies within us all)

(really creates a feeling of “care”)

(creates a great sense of trust and builds confidence)

(not everything needs to be so serious)

Kristen Craft (@thecrafty), a recent speaker at MozCon, mentioned that attractive people will receive 70% more messages on OkCupid (a dating site, tried it) than those deemed unattractive. This is true because our society is so focused on the sexualization of all genders.

Where’s this going? Content is critical across the board whether it’s what you say on your website or how you respond to reviews on Google. Your content is a key component in convincing your audience to take the next step.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_fancy_title color=”#81d742″ size=”36″ margin_bottom=”18″ font_family=”none”]Getting users to act through brilliant and beautiful calls to action.[/mk_fancy_title][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Visuals should be stunning and your stories should connect with your users. Connecting with them at their delicate sensitivities, and at the right time, is the difference between driving action or not.

I was going to put a whole bunch of examples in this post, and then I found this amazing blog, check it out.

The above blog post contains strong examples and ways in which you can increase conversions by more than 300%. As Cara Harshman stated recently, “leave emotion out of design…it’s not about emotion.” This is so important to the success of improving conversions. Often times a designer becomes emotionally attached to their work and feel hurt when other team members begin piecing elements apart.

We love our team and our designers are amazing. We work closely together to maintain both visual balance and a sense of hierarchy for calls-to-action.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_fancy_title color=”#81d742″ size=”36″ margin_bottom=”18″ font_family=”none”]People make important life decisions all the time. So how do you help them take the next step?[/mk_fancy_title][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We’ve talked about connecting with emotions and generating some really great visuals to draw people in. You could argue that everything we’re talking about is content, and that’s true, but how do you craft compelling content users want to devour? It’s simple (kind of), be human.

Look, people love stories, so share real stories of real people (with written permission of course) and get them out onto social media. Your goal is to reach as many people as possible, but it’s not all about pulling in massive traffic numbers. It’s entirely possible to have a low traffic website with a high number of conversions. Growing conversions and traffic together is your real target and we can show you how to get the results you’re looking for, by sharing a series of our top suggestions as seen below.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_fancy_title color=”#81d742″ size=”30″ margin_bottom=”18″ font_family=”none”]Load that home page quickly! [/mk_fancy_title][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]A home page that takes more than 3 seconds to load isn’t a total loss, but you have to make that your top priority. As more users search and access websites on mobile devices, yours needs to be mobile optimized.

Use tools like https://tools.pingdom.com/ to test your website load speed.[/vc_column_text][mk_fancy_title color=”#81d742″ size=”30″ margin_bottom=”18″ font_family=”none”]Clearly say what you do and who you are. Everywhere![/mk_fancy_title][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]It’s often overlooked, but super critical. Make sure that the messaging on your website is clear and makes sense to your users. Don’t get lost in trying to sound like more than you are. Spreading the “we create a balance in your life through nurturing your…” message is great, but nobody really understands the meaning behind it, and worse, you’re not taking the opportunity to connect. Here are some examples of great headlines that work.

[/vc_column_text][mk_fancy_title color=”#81d742″ size=”30″ margin_bottom=”18″ font_family=”none”]Make that call-to-action stand out.[/mk_fancy_title][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]What do you want? Phone calls, form completions, appointments or all of the above? I think you would agree, that as long as someone is contacting you, that’s all that matters. Sure you might prefer phone calls, but texting, live chat and other forms of textual communications are on the rise. So, allow users to take action in a way that fits their style.[/vc_column_text][mk_fancy_title color=”#81d742″ size=”30″ margin_bottom=”18″ font_family=”none”]Share great stories and meaningful content.[/mk_fancy_title][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Get permission from your patients and share their before/after stories in ways that users can interact with. Invest in video testimonials when possible and integrate their stories throughout your website. Quote your patients in service content and other areas. Make the website feel more about them and other people like them, and less about you and the credentials you have.

Here are a few examples:

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][mk_fancy_title color=”#81d742″ size=”36″ margin_bottom=”18″ font_family=”none”]Inspiring Potential Patients Forces You to Get Comfortable with Change[/mk_fancy_title][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]You can’t keep using the same website you developed in 2005. The technology has changed so much since then and the channels in which can reach your audience have changed too.

Getting out of your comfort zone (like me), can create new positive life experiences and engagements. Seizing the moment and taking the steps mentioned above will help you not only connect better with your audience, but ultimately improve the quality of your contacts.

If you would like more information or find out how we can help you create a connection with your audience, please reach out. I’d love to chat.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]