In today’s digital-first world, your website is more than just a URL on a business card; it’s the frontline of your brand’s story, inviting potential customers into a journey with your business. The StoryBrand framework, pioneered by Donald Miller, has revolutionized how businesses communicate with their audience, transforming complex messages into clear, engaging narratives. This framework isn’t just for new sites; it can rejuvenate an existing website, making the complex simple and the simple compelling.
At Good Agency, a StoryBrand-certified marketing agency, we don’t just build websites; we craft narratives. Our mission is to guide values-driven business leaders toward healthy growth through quality content marketing. By leveraging the StoryBrand framework, we ensure our clients’ messages are not just heard but resonate, turning visitors into loyal customers.
Solidify Your Brandscript & One-Liner
The journey to a resonant and impactful website begins with the foundation of your marketing message: the BrandScript and one-liner. This stage is crucial, not merely a step but the cornerstone upon which the entirety of your StoryBrand website is built. It’s about distilling the essence of your brand into a narrative that captures and communicates your unique value proposition in a succinct and compelling manner.
The BrandScript
This is where you articulate the story of your brand. The BrandScript goes beyond simple product descriptions or service offerings; it delves into the why and how of your business. It outlines the journey you guide your customers through, from the challenges they face to the resolution you provide. Crafting a BrandScript requires a deep understanding of your audience’s needs, desires, and the obstacles they encounter. It’s about positioning your brand as the guide, with the expertise, empathy, and authority to help the customer (the hero) overcome their challenges and achieve their goals.
The One-Liner
If the BrandScript is the story, the one-liner is the headline. It condenses the essence of your BrandScript into a single, powerful statement that can be communicated quickly and remembered easily. A good one-liner addresses the problem your customers face, your solution, and the success that solution brings. It’s the hook that catches the interest of potential customers, inviting them into the story your brand tells. To learn more, check out this blog we wrote on how to write a killer one-liner, with examples.
Once established, your BrandScript and one-liner become the litmus test for all content. Every piece of copy, from the headline on your home page to the call to action on your contact page, should reflect and reinforce these foundational elements. They ensure consistency across your website, tying together diverse pages and content into a cohesive narrative that speaks directly to your audience.
Keys to Keep In Mind As You Write
- Consistency Is Key
The importance of consistency cannot be overstated. Inconsistent messaging confuses your audience and dilutes your brand’s impact. By aligning every piece of marketing content with your BrandScript and one-liner, you create a strong, clear voice that cuts through the noise of the digital marketplace. This consistency builds trust with your audience as they come to understand and rely on what your brand stands for.
- The Litmus Test
As you redesign your website, the BrandScript and one-liner serve as your navigational tools, ensuring that every element, from design to content, aligns with your brand’s story. If a proposed piece of content doesn’t support your one-liner or fit within your BrandScript, it’s a sign that it may not serve your marketing goals or resonate with your audience.
- The Structure May Vary Client-to-Client
While this framework provides a solid structure, customization is key. Every client is different, and their website should reflect their unique value proposition and audience needs. The process of refining the voice and message on the home page to the heart of their About page may go through several iterations, ensuring the perfect alignment of narrative and brand identity.
- Optimize for SEO While Staying On-Brand
To make your website pages work harder for you, ensure they’re optimized for search engines by incorporating relevant keywords throughout the content, especially in headings and subheadings. However, the primary focus should always be on maintaining the integrity of your brand’s story and the clarity of your message. SEO should enhance your narrative, not detract from it.
Mastering the Home Page
The home page is the grand entrance to your brand’s online presence, a critical touchpoint that can either invite visitors in or turn them away. Mastering the home page with the StoryBrand framework involves more than aesthetic design or intuitive navigation; it’s about crafting a narrative that immediately engages visitors, communicating who you are, what you do, and how you can solve their problems within seconds of their arrival.
The Aspirational Identity and Main Keywords in H1
Your home page’s H1 tag should do double duty, incorporating aspirational identity with main SEO keywords. For instance, “Affordable Custom Homes for Sale in Houston, Texas” doesn’t just tell visitors what you offer; it speaks to their aspirations, tapping into their desire for affordable homeownership in a specific locale. This blend of identity and keywords makes your value proposition clear from the outset, optimizing for both human interest and search engine visibility.
Clarify Your Role in H2
Beneath your main header, the H2 should distill your function and mission into a simple statement, such as “We Sell Affordable Homes.” This clarification cuts through the complexity, presenting your brand’s role in the customer’s journey in straightforward terms. It’s about reinforcing your identity and how it aligns with the visitor’s needs, setting the stage for deeper engagement.
Showcase Success
This is your time to shine! Immediately following your H2, highlight three client successes. This isn’t just about showcasing your achievements; it’s about demonstrating tangible results, building credibility, and fostering trust. These success stories should resonate with your target audience’s aspirations, showing them the potential for their own success through your services.
Content Body Structured Around the StoryBrand Framework
As you write concise, clear, and attention-grabbing copy, consider the following elements:
- Problem: The first paragraph directly addresses the visitor’s problem, possibly with bullet points for emphasis. This is about acknowledging their challenges and showing empathy, a key StoryBrand principle.
- Success: Follow with a paragraph on success, showcasing what overcoming the problem looks like. This might include an “Informational Bucket” filled with data or stories illustrating the achievable benefits.
- The Plan: Introduce a clear, three-step plan outlining how visitors can succeed with your help. This simplification of the process reduces overwhelm and encourages action.
- Authority: Establish your credibility with a section dedicated to your authority in the field. This can include accolades, years of experience, or testimonials.
- Reviews: Include genuine reviews to further build trust and provide social proof of your effectiveness.
- Call to Action (CTA): A strong, clear CTA invites visitors to take the next step, whether it’s contacting you, signing up for a newsletter, or viewing listings.
- Lead Generation: Offer something of value in exchange for contact information, such as a free consultation or market analysis, to capture leads and continue the conversation.
About Page
The About Page is often where the heart of your brand’s story beats the loudest. It’s not just a space for company bios or historical timelines; it’s where you articulate why you do what you do, connecting your mission with the values and needs of your audience. Leveraging the StoryBrand framework here means going beyond surface-level details to weave a narrative that deeply resonates with visitors, reinforcing the idea that they’re not just buying a product or service—they’re joining a story bigger than themselves.
- Incorporate StoryBrand Heavily: The essence of your StoryBrand framework—your BrandScript and one-liner—should be palpable on the About Page. This isn’t about listing achievements or milestones; it’s about framing your journey in a way that mirrors your customers’ journey. Highlighting the challenges you’ve faced, the obstacles you’ve overcome, and the success you’ve achieved allows customers to see their own aspirations reflected in your story.
- Craft Your Bio with StoryBrand: Sometimes, companies provide their own bios, which may focus on credentials or professional achievements. However, within the StoryBrand framework, every bio is an opportunity to further the narrative. Editing and plugging these bios into the larger story of your brand helps personalize your mission, making it more relatable and engaging. This tailored approach ensures that the bios contribute to the overall narrative, drawing customers closer to your brand.
- One-liner/Brandscript Reprise: The About Page is an excellent place for your one-liner or fragments of your BrandScript to make another appearance. Whether it’s through direct quotes, thematic elements, or narrative threads, reintroducing these core messages reinforces your brand’s consistency and commitment to its values. This repeated exposure helps solidify your brand’s story in the minds of your visitors, making it more memorable and impactful.
- Optional Business Information: While the focus of the About Page is on your brand’s story, including some basic information about your business can also be beneficial. This might include when the company was founded, what services or products you offer, and why the business was started. These details provide context, grounding your story in reality and offering visitors a clearer picture of your brand’s origins and evolution.
- BONUS TIP – SEO Optimization with Rich Content: To ensure your About Page ranks well in search engines, aim for a minimum of 1300 words, incorporating elements like your 3-step plan for success, an FAQ section, or a call-to-action paragraph. This not only aids in SEO but also provides visitors with a comprehensive understanding of your brand, its mission, and how it can help them achieve their goals. Rich, engaging content that speaks to both the heart and the mind ensures your About Page serves as a powerful tool in your marketing arsenal.
When crafted with the StoryBrand framework in mind, The About Page becomes more than a corporate overview; it becomes a place where visitors come to learn not just about what you do but why you do it and how your story intersects with theirs. By making your About Page reflect your brand’s core narrative, you invite customers into a story of mutual success and shared values.
Service Page
The Service Page is where the rubber meets the road regarding what you offer and why it matters to your audience. It’s not just a list of services; it’s an opportunity to embed the StoryBrand framework into your website further by clearly connecting your services and the customer’s journey. Here’s how to ensure your Service Page effectively communicates your value proposition within the StoryBrand narrative:
Define the Purpose of the Service Page
The primary goal of the Service Page is to clearly articulate the services or products you offer and position them as solutions to your customer’s problems. It’s about moving beyond features to focus on benefits, showing how what you offer makes a real difference in your customers’ lives. This page should answer the question, “How can we help you succeed?” in an informative and inspiring manner.
Tips to Structure Your Service Page for Clarity and Engagement
- Short Introduction: Start with a brief paragraph that sets the stage, explaining what you do in simple, customer-centric terms. This should echo the aspirational identity and main keywords used throughout your site for consistency and SEO.
- List of Services: Provide a clear, concise list of the services you offer. Each service should link to a more detailed page, if available, where customers can learn more about how each service addresses their specific needs.
- Establishing Authority: Use this section to reinforce why customers should trust you to solve their problems. This can include short case studies, testimonials, or an overview of your expertise and experience in the field. Presenting authority in a way that aligns with the StoryBrand framework means focusing on how your expertise benefits the customer rather than simply boasting about your qualifications.
- Benefits Over Features: While it’s important to explain what your services include, the focus should be on the benefits these services provide to the customer. Use bullets or short paragraphs to highlight how each service helps the customer overcome their challenges, achieve their goals, or fulfill their desires.
- A Clear Call to Action: Every Service Page should end with a strong, clear call to action that guides customers to the next step, whether it’s scheduling a consultation, signing up for a service, or contacting you for more information. This CTA should be framed within the context of continuing their journey to success, with your services as the pathway.
In essence, the Service Page is a vital chapter in your website’s narrative that should seamlessly integrate with the StoryBrand principles of clear, customer-focused storytelling. By detailing what you offer through the lens of how it benefits the customer, you reinforce your position as the guide in their story, leading them toward a successful outcome.
Contact Page
The Contact Page is arguably one of your website’s most straightforward yet significant pages. It’s where the narrative you’ve carefully constructed throughout your site prompts visitors to action. But to transform this prompt into actual engagement, the Contact Page must be clear, inviting, and reflective of the StoryBrand framework’s customer-centric approach.
1. Create a Welcoming Atmosphere
Begin with a friendly, two-sentence introduction that welcomes visitors and sets the expectation for what happens next. This might involve briefly explaining how you respond to inquiries or what a visitor can expect after reaching out. The goal is to reduce any anxiety about making contact and reinforce the notion that a team is eager to help and listen behind the website.
2. Include Essential & Relevant Contact Information
While it seems obvious, the critical components of a Contact Page can sometimes be overlooked or presented in a confusing manner. Ensure your page prominently features:
- Phone Number: Offer a direct line to your team, making it clear whether there’s a preferred time or day to call.
- Address: If applicable, include your physical location, which not only aids in SEO but also helps ground your digital presence in the physical world, enhancing trust.
- Email Address: Provide an email contact that feels personal and monitored, encouraging visitors to reach out with the assurance they’ll receive a timely response.
3. Set Communication Expectations
Beyond listing ways to get in touch, managing expectations regarding communication is crucial. This could involve mentioning typical response times or highlighting alternative contact methods like social media channels. Setting these expectations upfront fosters a sense of reliability and attentiveness.
Integration with the StoryBrand Framework
The Contact Page should echo the narrative and aspirational identity established throughout your site. Use language that invites visitors to continue their journey with you, making it clear that reaching out is the next step in achieving the success they seek. This alignment ensures the page feels like a natural extension of the story you’ve been telling rather than a mere logistical necessity.
A Clear Call to Action (CTA)
The Contact Page’s CTA is crucial; it should be compelling and straightforward, guiding visitors towards making contact. Whether it’s to “Schedule a Consultation” or “Get in Touch Today,” the CTA should resonate with the urgency and desire for resolution that’s been built up through your site’s narrative.
Design and Usability Considerations
Ensure the Contact Page is easy to navigate, with a simple, clutter-free layout that prioritizes usability. Forms, if used, should be concise, asking for only essential information to make the process as effortless as possible for the visitor. Remember, the easier it is to reach out, the more likely visitors are to take that step.
Conclusion
Redesigning your website with the StoryBrand framework is not just about aesthetic updates or improving navigation—it’s a strategic overhaul that places your customer’s story at the heart of your online presence. So here’s the recap:
- Solidify your BrandScript and One-Liner to ensure consistency and alignment of your core message throughout your website.
- Master your Home Page by crafting a compelling entry point that highlights your brand’s value proposition and guides visitors deeper into your website.
- Share the heart of your brand’s mission on the About Page to connect with your audience’s values and aspirations and build trust.
- Make your Service and Contact Pages an integral part of your site’s narrative to offer clear solutions and easy ways for visitors to engage with your brand.
Applying the StoryBrand framework can transform your website into a dynamic narrative that engages, informs, and compels action, but it requires expertise, insight, and a deep understanding of both the framework and effective website design.
Good Agency
Good Agency stands ready to guide you through this transformative process. As a StoryBrand-certified marketing agency, we specialize in turning complex messages into clear, impactful narratives that resonate with audiences and drive growth. Our mission is to help values-driven business leaders like you achieve healthy growth through quality content marketing, enabling you to fulfill your mission and impact the world for good.
Want to see how your website can be transformed with the StoryBrand framework and our expert guidance? Schedule a call with Good Agency today. Let’s create a website that not only ranks but resonates and converts.