How to make money from your website by doing 3 things

What website design has to do with mismatched couples

You have very likely heard the phrase ‘it’s what’s on the inside that counts.’ This is a true phrase in many instances. It’s why we see happy couples who seem mismatched on the outside (by our current societal standards.)

You might think, “How did they get together?” All you see is the outside. It’s also why we see ugly websites, horribly ugly, terrible looking websites that do well financially. If you want to make money from a website, pretty doesn’t hurt, but it isn’t enough and I’m going to tell you what more you need today.

So let’s talk about why “mismatched couples” actually work well sometimes. Why?

Why do people fall in love with someone that society says, “They look better than that other person.” How does that happen? I believe it’s because they make the other person feel understood and important and seen. That’s when we fall in love. That’s when we really connect with another person. That’s when the outside no longer matters.

This is also why you see couples who are in their 90s, who are extremely happy and very in love. It’s because they have learned to see what’s on the inside. They know how to make their spouse feel understood and important.

This is exactly what my MAP {Money And People) Method for website design does. I believe that you can’t, and even shouldn’t, really earn money unless you honestly care about your people and help them feel important and understood. That is what is really going to make your business take off – when you are truly able to support people in pursuing their goals and dreams, those that you can help them with.

The three things you need to do on your website

So there are three things that are necessary in order to build a MAP Method website.  I can tell you the 8 sections you need on your homepage, that’s included in the MAP Method. I teach you all about those 8 sections in this post. But if you don’t have these three things, it won’t matter that you know what sections should go there.

It’s like faking it. You can tell when you go on a date with somebody and they’re faking it, they’re just flattering you, but they don’t really get you. You can tell. People will be able to tell on your website, even if you do everything technically correct. You follow all the rule books, you do all the marketing tricks. If you don’t really do these three things I’m going to teach you today, it will flop because people won’t feel important and understood and seen.

The three things are:

1. You must have a deep understanding of the big picture and micro problems that your people have.
2. You must know exactly what your ideal client’s life would look like if they no longer had those problems. What would change? What would they have more of? What would they have less of? What would be better? What would be fixed?
3. You must recognize and validate the excuses that they have that are holding them back, from making that change and solving those problems.

3 real-life online business examples and how they do these 3 things

I want to dive into these three a little bit deeper and give you some specific examples.

#1 – Understand the big picture and micro-problems that your ideal client has.

I know that, if you’re listening to this and you are my ideal client, you either have a website or you want a website.

You feel called to be online with some sort of an online business, but you don’t know how to make it happen. You are either not starting at all or starting and wasting a lot of time, maybe even years of time, spinning your wheels, trying to figure out how to make money online.

You know you’re supposed to be here, but you can’t quite get to the point where you’re actually feeling sick. That is the big picture problem that you face.

An example of a micro-problem that you face would be: What is the very first sentence you should put on your website? What should be the biggest sentence right at the top? What should that sentence say? That’s a micro-problem. It relates to the big picture problem, but there are hundreds of little micro problems that I can help you with that will lead to you being able to have a website that makes money.

I have a client her name is Chantelle. She owns LaCouture skincare, you can find her on Instagram at @lacoutureskincare. The big picture promise she solves for people is that, as women age, they begin to become uncomfortable in their own skin. Quite literally the skin on their face. As they get older, they look at themselves in the mirror and they just don’t look like they used to, and they feel uncomfortable in their own skin. That’s the problem that she solves for people. 

So what is a micro-problem that she might solve? Well, a micro-problem that she solved for me was whether or not I should use hot or cold water when washing my face. So micro right? Tiny, itty bitty, little problem that helps me with the bigger problem of feeling uncomfortable with my skin.

A third example Stacy of Oquirrh Kitchen Table. You can find her on Instagram at @oquirrhkitchentable. She solves a problem for moms who hate being in the kitchen because it’s a place of stress and frustration. And as a result of that, they eat out far too often. That’s the big picture problem that she solves for people.

Here’s a micro-problem that she very recently solved for her people on Instagram. She taught them how to use their Instapot to make their own rotisserie chicken. It took her just a few minutes, the same amount of time it would have taken one of those moms to drive to the store and buy a rotisserie chicken. She showed them how to make their own in their own home. She empowered them to do that. If you want to find that tutorial, it is in her story highlights.

So those are some examples of number one – You need to understand the big picture and micro-problems that your people have.

#2 – Know exactly what their life would look like if they no longer had those problems.

So let’s talk about me. If I solved your big picture problem, you would be making money online without sacrificing your family.

You’d be using that money to do good in the world and to do good for your own family. For high-quality family vacations. For investing in your children’s talents and you would find joy in that. I know exactly what your life would look like if I solved that problem for you.

Let’s talk about the micro-problem. We talked about what the first and biggest statement should be on your website. If I solve that for you, you would know exactly what to promise your visitors at the very top of your website. You would know exactly what to do.

Let’s move on to Chantelle at LaCouture Skincare. If she were to solve this problem of feeling uncomfortable in your skin, not only would she help you to have beautiful skin, but you would be comfortable in it, even when it didn’t look perfect.

None of us have perfect skin every day. Part of the gift that she would give to you, part of the solution she would provide for your life, is not just that she would improve the look of your skin overall with education and products. When your skin doesn’t look its best, you would still feel comfortable and confident.

What about that micro-problem? Well, she taught me that I should use lukewarm water when I wash my face. So simple, but now I’m confident when I wash my face, that I should use lukewarm water.

Let’s talk about Stacey from Oquirrh Kitchen Table. If she were to solve that big picture problem of really hating to be in the kitchen, she would teach you how to use the kitchen, to build relationships with those that you love the most, while nourishing your body with healthy food. That’s her goal.

She wants you to get to this place where not only do you not hate the kitchen, you use it to build and strengthen your relationships and nourish bodies. If she teaches you how to cook a rotisserie chicken, well, guess what? You’ll learn to really enjoy the sound of that rotisserie chicken sizzling in your own kitchen, it would bring a little bit of excitement to you and make you happy and proud.

#3 – Recognize the excuses your people use.

What is it that’s holding them back and keeping them from solving these problems and having those solutions that they want?

I know that, for you, you believe it costs too much money. That’s what led me to create things like Ask Me Anything where you can get tech support for just $49 a month.

I also know that you are tech allergic, tech overwhelms you. That’s why I created Tech School. That’s why I created Website Templates. That’s why I created the Get Stuff Done workshops, so you can come and get support with your tech. 

I also know that you feel like your loved ones think that this dream is ridiculous to think that you would be able to earn money from a website online and courses that you teach in digital products, say what? You’re a little bit embarrassed to talk to them about that, I know that about you.

Chantelle knows that you feel like skincare is too complicated and not customizable enough. So she has created resources that allow you to get a very customized skincare routine for your specific skin. She also will create resources, helping you to feel more comfortable in your skin even when your skin doesn’t look its’ absolute best.

And Stacey, she knows that you don’t have any time, that you’re running around doing carpool, overwhelmed and afraid that healthy food might not taste all that good. And that you just don’t have the skills, you’re just not a chef. She knows that you tell yourself that you’re just not a chef. You just don’t know how to cook.

She also knows that your kids whine and complain when you say that you’re going to cook dinner and they’re going to eat something healthy that night.

When you know those things, you can help your people move past them. This is what you do in order to help your people feel understood, important and seen. And when they feel understood, important and seen, they will connect with and trust you.

They will move forward with you. Whether that’s joining your email list, purchasing a product, reaching out and asking you a question, they will connect with you in some way. And that can happen even if your website is not beautiful.

A pretty website won’t necessarily make money

Having a beautiful website doesn’t hurt. It can make a great first impression if your website is well-built. It can make it easy. Building your website the right way is all about making it easier for your people.

But if your website is ugly, if you pick the wrong colors, if your logo looks homemade, it doesn’t matter. As long as you really understand the problems that people face, know what their life would look like if they didn’t have those problems, and know the excuses they use to hold themselves back you can be successful online.

I hope I have dispelled the myth that a beautiful website will make you money. There’s a lot more to it.