Your We Count is the number of times We (or I) appears on the home page of your website. A higher We Count usually means the messaging is less likely to convert visitors into prospects.
We is the dirtiest word in marketing.
We has been responsible for more unrealized opportunity than any other word in the English language. It’s like a big Bat-signal screaming “I’m going to talk about myself.”
When a prospect lands on your website, they want to know if you can solve their problem. If you can, they want to know why their life will be better if they choose you.
In their position, a bombardment of We statements is like a first date who talks about themselves the whole time. Ever been in that situation? Was there a second date?
Why all the We?
We is everywhere because we all know our own story best. Talking about ourselves is a default starting point. It’s also a fallback position when we can’t think of something else to say.
All of us could go on for pages (or hours) about ourselves. You could probably produce section after section about how great you are, how many awards you’ve won, how committed you are to your vision and mission, how happy your people are, how you’re making the world a better place, etc.
And your prospect will be unmoved because the messaging isn’t centring them. They care about themselves. For now.
Once you deliver the goods, they’ll care about you very much. They’ll eat up all the We you want to serve and relay stories of your excellence when recommending you to friends.
But they have to choose you first. We makes that outcome less likely.
So, no We is the ideal?
Correct.
But if you have to use a We, follow these three rules:
– No We above the fold.
– No We before articulating at least three ways your prospect’s life will improve by choosing you.
– No We followed by a vague verb like think, believe or promise. Acceptable verbs describe an action you take as part of delivering on your promise (i.e.: build, design, program, teach, choreograph, etc).
If you’ve followed the rules and still think you need a We, consider these suggestions:
– Try flipping the thought into a You statement: “We’ve been around for eighty years,” vs. “You can feel confident with eighty years of continuous experience in your corner.”
– Try replacing We with Our. This removes you as the subject of a thought. You can read more about this here.
If you STILL have to use We, relate it to the process making the difference to a prospect and why it matters: “We only use high quality ingredients in our equine feed so your horses are lighter on their feet and your stables are easier to clean.”
When should you do your We Count?
Today. Yesterday. Ideally, you did a We Count before you published your website. It’s not the end of the world if you didn’t. Website messaging is easier to change than design or UX.
If your We Count is coming in high, one way to bring it down is by having a set of Hooklines. It’s your story without a single We, making it the story to tell because it’s the one your prospects want to hear.