Dr. Joe Vitale is Mr. Fire and when I got an email from him saying "I love your book" we talked first by email and then by phone. Joe interviewed me for his subscriber base, and during the interview he asked if I had looked at his site from a Neuro Web Design point of view. I told him during the interview that I would review his site in my blog, so here goes!
What is Joe doing well in terms of principles from the Neuro Web Design book, and what could he change to make his site (www.mrfire.com) more persuasive?:
1. Use More Pictures That Tell a Story: Joe is using photos and videos and that draws attention, but he needs to use more pictures that tell a story. On his home page there are pictures of him, but where are the pictures of all the people he has helped? There are lots of testimonials and stories from people (that's persuasive) but a picture of these people in action would be more persuasive. And how about pictures of people doing all the things we all want to do that Joe's books and ideas will help us achieve? Especially attractive people doing interesting, worthwhile, and fun activities.
2. Use Scarcity: At the web site there is a page announcing his upcoming seminars. He should consider using scarcity. If they are filling up fast he can have a note with a color background saying, "This seminar almost full" or "Only 3 seats left".
3. Use Social Validation: There are many places where he could use social validation. How many people have attended his seminars? How many books has he sold? How many people are estimated to have watched The Secret (he's in that movie) or any of the other movies he's been in? How many people have sent in testimonials to him (he has lots and lots at his website). It would be powerful to show these numbers.
4. Tell More Stories in the 3rd Person: Joe has many fans and they write in telling about how his books, mentoring, and courses have changed their life. But these stories would be more compelling if they were told as stories. Rather than all the stories being told in the person's own words in the first person, it would be more powerful if some of the stories were told in the 3rd Person narrative form as true stories: "Amber had been struggling for eight years in a combative relationship with her mother, but after coaching with Joe she was able to change their relationship in only a few days...."
5. Use More YOU YOU YOU: Joe's content is all about individuals reaching their goals. So his website is full of all the wonderful things you will have come into your life when you practice what he is teaching. A lot of the content is written in paragraphs, and this will put the old brain to sleep. The web site would be more persuasive it if would really focus on the word You more, and point out (to the old brain) in short bullet points and pictures exactly what You are Going to Get by reading the book, watching the movie, or signing up for coaching.
6. Reduce Fear of Loss: On the home page Joe has some FREE! offers. I'd like to see more FREE offers on the inside pages, especially when he wants to get someone to spend money. The FREE on the home page is to subscribe ... but it's actually not totally clear what I am subscribing to (a newsletter?) FREE works best when it has to do with a purchase, as it mitigates fear of loss.
7. Limit Choices So People Will Choose: Joe does so much... he has books, movies, seminars, coaching... his site is rich and full of things to read and check out -- too many things. Research shows that if you give people too many choices they choose nothing at all. I wonder how many people come to the site and leave without purchasing anything or signing up for something. Sure, you can have all that info at the website, but Joe should consider making only one or two or three at the most actions really clear... make it seem that the first decision is just amongst three alternatives. That would get people to take an action.
There you have it... 7 ways for Mr. Fire to turn up the heat. Joe Vitale has great content. I hope some of these ideas will help his ideas get out there even more persuasively than before.
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