Like a book, a website consists of pages with words. Those words either sell the book or keep it on the shelves. Use these tips to avoid your site from becoming a dust collector.
Grammar
I shouldn’t have to write this, but your website is a publication, and like anything being published don’t forget to hit the spell check button (a quick tap of the F7 button). Furthermore check grammar, syntax and agreement that computers aren’t able to detect. No one wants someone with the spelling of a 5th grader, selling or telling them anything. Elementary school kids are great at selling candybars but not your E-Commerce products.
Personalization
Too often, websites today focus on you. Everything is me me, the company has done this, the company has improved that the company was awarded is. But we tend to forget that websites are about and targeted to readers who are interested in your product and not your trophy case. Furthermore, they have only visited the website because they want something from you and for themselves not a checklist of accolades.
Remember that you are writing to an audience and not lauding and self-congratulating your company or products. Let your visitors know that you know they exist and that you have built the site for them, not for your businessc ego. Possesive words like you, your and yours speak volumes to visitors and encourages them to learn more about a product or further navigate your website. If you go on and on about yourself, your achievements and your progress,the customer feels like you have forgotten about them and therefore have nothing to offer them resulting in them going with the nexr competitor.
The more you target your website to people’s everyday and ordinary emotions by not just having a user-friendly interface or layout, the more likely they are to click through it. If your site speaks directly to a visitor then they will speak back to you with either money or response or whatever else you may need.
Minimalism
The best websites are simple with a balance of simplicity and complexity realizing no one wants a simple site or a complex one. The best websites are a simple blend of images and words and again you shouldn’t overdo that either. Too many pictures makes your site look like an elementary picture-book while too many words transform your website into a novel and too many of both equals an advertisment- all things that your average visitor isn’t interested in.
Organization
Again like anything else, organization is key in your presentation and this is easily done with a simple layout. Once you have that layout- begin to categorize and group links and pages together for an easy to use and navigate site. No one wants to really search for information, they want it served to them on a platter and that platter is a well organized and linked site because websites are brochures, not research papers.
Language
You may have written master research papers and live in Texas but your visitor shouldn’t know that. Visitors to your site come from all over (hence the purpose of the Internet)and while you cannot customize each and every page to each person’s taste, it does help to speak in a universal language that anyone can understand regardless of gender, race, culture, education when visiting your page. Big SAT Prep words and regional slang are not selling points if you really want your website to grow. Appeal to all and you can increase and win business. If you examine the word “feature” a common word found on most websites you’ll notice it’s the same as the word benefits but it appeals and excites anyone whereas features appeals to someone specifically looking for that feature.
Wording
But being universal doesn’t mean being unclear. In fact be very specific about what you are selling, what products you are offering or simply the policy of your company. You shouldn’t be receiving phone calls or emails that begin with “I was reading your website and I couldn’t or I didn’t…..” If you receive this feedback then your website is either as unorganized, not very user friendly, or vague. Don’t be afraid to provide details.
Visuals
When providing those details, again visitors prefer visual aids. Bullets and bold are great ways to not only better organize your page but to make your page more readable and your site more navigatible. That doesn’t mean use extra large fonts, extra punctuation marks, extra formating or in fact anything extra. Even when reading this page, youll notice that there arent any long paragraphs worthy of a college dissertation. If your going to right that dissertation give it a Read More link and link it to its own page that was your visitor is visiting that page on his own accord.
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