In this article, I’ll show you 5 ways your current website is likely to let you down and cost you the support of voters.
Plus, how you can avoid these mistakes?
If you’re like most other politicians, your website is probably the last thing you think about.
Although you know it’s important to convince undecided citizens and engage your existing supporters.
Take the time now for a short health check-up of your website. If you read this article and apply the tips, you will see:
- More potential voters can find their way to your website – especially through Google Search and SEO (with 백링크 작업 or Backlink Operation).
- Visitors to your website understand exactly what you’re doing and why they should choose and support you.
- Instead of just browsing your website for a few minutes and then clicking away (without ever returning), your visitors will start a dialogue with you: and you can turn visitors into fans and supporters over time.
Mistake #1: Your website doesn’t set you apart from all the other politicians
Why should I vote for you of all people?
Stand out from other politicians
That is the crucial question.
Unfortunately, most political websites look exactly the same (I don’t necessarily mean the design itself): they speak the same language and have the same generic content such as press releases and political viewpoints.
Even if you think your website looks and communicates differently, for the average visitor who browses your site for 5 minutes, it probably looks exactly the same as everyone else.
Why is this important?
If your website doesn’t set you apart from the competition, visitors have no reason to contact or stay in touch with you.
If you are an interchangeable party representative, you will not convince undecided citizens or win new supporters.
How to do it better
The best websites of politicians I know always contain the following 3 points, which you should also show clearly:
- In which field have you specialized and do you know more than anyone else?
- What have you already achieved as a politician? With a case study that shows that you are clearly different from the competition. Or if you are running for the first time: What have you already achieved privately that you also want to apply in office?
- And most importantly, share useful and unique information on your website that encourages every visitor to get involved. Share background knowledge that can’t be found anywhere else. Let those affected tell their stories.
Mistake #2: Your website is “me, me, me” focused and full of political jargon instead of addressing the concrete needs of your constituents
Talk to your website about:
- Your political points of view, arguments, and goals? Described in detail and in the same language as your proposals?
Or does she talk about:
- The concerns and problems of your constituents and how do you specifically advocate for them? With simple language that is quickly understood by every visitor?
Probably the former, right?
This also makes sense, since you talk to political colleagues every day in this language to solve complicated problems.
In addition, very few politicians have studied sales psychology or marketing. Writing convincing texts is not in everyone’s blood.
Why is this important?
If your website only talks about your advances and goals in complicated language, most visitors will simply skip it and end up not being any smarter about why they should support you of all people.
On the other hand, when they land on your website and their own concerns and desires are addressed, they start nodding their heads and see you as the person who knows exactly what they want.
And if you then start describing the results you can achieve for them (rather than the way to get there, such as your competencies or political advances), then they will see you as the person who can solve their problems.
This change of focus (on them instead of on you) can turn a simple online brochure into a real visitor magnet!
How to do it better
The simple option: Hire a professional copywriter. A good copywriter is more than worth his money, as he knows exactly how the texts affect visitors and convince them.
The more difficult option: Improve your writing skills, for example with this “Learn to write better” e-book by Aurel Gergey.
Start writing! With a focus on your ideal voter, their concerns, desires, and values. This will completely change the emotions of your visitors. And more importantly, it also changes their behavior on your website!
Mistake #3: Your website is missing the social proof elements
What are these social proof elements anyway?
Unfortunately, there is no nice translation for the term. Translated, it means as much as social provenness. Basically, this means that other people confirm your statements:
What other people say about you is more important than what you say about yourself.
Why is this important?
Man is a social being. No one wants to stand up for something alone. The most effective way to overcome this hurdle is by simply showing that they are in good company with their support.
If you want to attract supporters, show satisfied supporters.
The trick is so common, even street musicians use it by putting some coins and bills in their hats themselves. But it works!
How to do it better
Here’s what you can do to make your website as trustworthy as possible:
- Insert the logos of all supporters on your website and create a page where you introduce all your partners: parties, associations, organizations, memberships, clubs, and companies.
- Ask real people like fellow politicians, supporters, and voters if they write a few sentences about you. To ensure that the personal recommendation looks real and has a lot of weight, give each person a face: photo, name, place of residence, and activity (including the link to the website, if available).
- Write a case study on your greatest successes: Which situation and problems did you tackle and have you solved? And more importantly, how did this specifically help the people who supported you? Nobody cares that you have pushed through tax reform. But you suddenly find yourself a hero when, thanks to this reform, a family of 4 can save 1,500 CHF in taxes every year.
- The supreme discipline is when you can get other people to tell their personal stories about how your work has helped them. Imagine if you only had 1-2 personal stories as Barack Obama has in their thousands.
ALSO READ: 5 Ways International Shipping Can Be Affected By Politics
Mistake #4: Your website doesn’t tell your personal story
As a politician, you are used to the fact that it often revolves around your person and you are in the public eye. But when it comes to their website, many politicians become quite impersonal and have only published their CVs.
The CV is interesting for journalists to look up, but bores most other visitors.
Why is this important?
People are curious. The “About Me” page is the most visited page on a website. Therefore, it is extremely worthwhile to optimize this page and tell your personal story convincingly.
People vote for people, not promises.
How to do it better
- You don’t have to (and shouldn’t) kick out your entire private life. The nice thing is that you can specifically choose 2-3 personal and suitable stories that explain your commitment and motivation as a politician.
- Pictures say more than a thousand words. Instead of the professional press photo, a more personal and authentic photo would be optimal.
- Since you have your visitor on the hook at this moment: Take the opportunity and remind him at the bottom of the page to contact you. Be it by registering in a newsletter, liking your Facebook page, or classically by e-mail.
Mistake #5: Your website only gives visitors one option to contact
When people come to your website, what do you want from them? What are the ways to contact us?
Many politicians limit themselves to the direct contact options with a contact form or by e-mail. Or expect the visitor to join the committee or make a donation during the election campaign.
In principle, it is absolutely right that these possibilities are offered. But that’s all there is to it in most cases. Which is a missed opportunity.
Why is this important?
95% of visitors to your website will not be willing to contact you, let alone support you. They are in the information phase and are looking at the candidates or have found their way to you based on an article.
So if the only contact options are those that most will not use… then the visitor will leave your website and probably won’t find their way back as quickly.
What if you could collect his contact information and contact him again in the next few weeks with more information?
You would have the opportunity to continue to build trust and regularly stay in his memory with current topics.
No, I don’t mean networking on modern social networks like Facebook, but the good old e-mail.
Why Facebook is not optimal
There are some politicians who have now seriously dared to approach social media. And also on this topic, I have planned many articles and tips, but here is a very brief explanation of why Facebook has no chance against a well-kept e-mail list:
Facebook wants your money!
What does that mean? If you share anything on Facebook, only between 10-15% of your fans will see it. Facebook intentionally reduces your reach.
Organic reach on Facebook: Depending on the topic of your posts and the number of fans you have. Source: edgeranker.com
In order for more people to see your posts, you’d need to advertise.
So you need a more reliable way to reach your fans and supporters. And that’s the classic email.
How to do it better
Here’s how you can proceed to get the email address of your interested visitors:
- You’ll need an email marketing service to collect visitors’ addresses and send them emails (Outlook isn’t an alternative). For example, I use MailChimp for this.
- On your website, you need to set up a registration box that interested parties can use to register.
- With the email marketing service, you can have each new newsletter subscriber send an automatic series of emails over a period of time. For example, you could report in an e-mail about the greatest successes of the last term of office. Or in another email about the most pressing issues, you will tackle once you are elected.
- Of course, you will not be able to reach and convince every single visitor with it. But the chance of bringing a potential supporter to your site through regular contact is many times higher than hoping that they will contact you on their own with a single visit to your website.