Ask yourself: “Is your website about you or your audience?” People only care about themselves. I know it is harsh, but it is true. When someone goes to your website he is only there because he wants something for himself or for someone he cares about. He doesn’t care about you. He wants an answer to one question: “Can you help me?”

Of course, your website has to be about you too. You have to list your credentials. Talk about your services. Show what your customers say about your service or product. But, most importantly, it should be about how you can help your customers.

Here are some ways you can make your website about your prospects and customers:

Provide free information – If you are an attorney, provide free information about your services. If you are an estate attorney, answer the most frequently answered questions about trusts and estates. Ask your front desk person to keep a going list of questions people ask when calling your office, and create content around answering the questions.

Teach – Some of the most successful business websites are doing an excellent job teaching. You might think that if you teach people around the area of your paid service people will not hire you. The fact is most people still prefer to hire a professional. In addition, you could teach the basics and have people hire you to do the more advanced things.

Write a book – Writing a book is a complex and time consuming job, but it can be a very valuable marketing tool for your business. You can give a free copy of your book when someone signs up for your email list. You can email a chapter a week to avoid someone signing up for the book and unsubscribing right after receiving your book. They get to read a new chapter of your book for the next several weeks and you get to email them in return. It’s a win-win situation..

Videos to explain – Video is the most frequently consumed content online. Websites with video content engage visitors longer. You can use videos to explain difficult concepts, to teach, or to provide relevant information for your visitors. You can also upload your videos to YouTube for additional search engine traffic.

Podcasts – Podcasting is also a very effective marketing tool. You can record yourself and post the audio files on your website. Podcasts are very appealing to people because they can be consumed while driving, working out, or traveling. You can also post your podcasts on iTunes.

Software – You can develop software that your prospects can use for free. It requires a substantial investment in time and money, but it could be a great investment. A software that provides a useful service could get people to return time after time to your website. Preferably, make your website a web based application instead of a downloadable application. When you have a web based application you can continue to communicate with people that return to use your software.

The above are just a few examples your business can turn your website into a real asset. Remember that your website should be less about you and more about what you can do for your prospects. The best websites give before trying to sell anything.