People are visiting websites less and less. They are getting their information from Facebook or other social channels. Yet most of us can’t just ditch the traditional website. So how can we keep it relevant and draw our customers in?
Online users:
- Want ease of use
- Use it for entertainment
- Need interest in the topic
- Want community
- Clean and easy to navigate – to much stuff is a turn off
- Websites need to be about action. Customers want to buy, sign up, learn or discover. It’s about being able to do stuff.
So how are you going to make sure the welcome mat is out for your customers?
- Create content for readers. Before you start updating your site, ask yourself “what is it I do online?” I bet your answer isn’t going to be “read a bunch of corporate information.” What do you want your site to accomplish? If you answered with words like inform you might be in trouble. Your site needs to be more than just a dumping ground of information.
- Speak their language. If your site sounds like an annual report threw up on the pages you probably aren’t getting a lot of users. Invite viewers in with action words: Meet our people, Explore our program, Connect with us. Web language is active language.
- Write less text. People don’t like to read long passages online. Writing more words doesn’t make you smarter. You work harder to write shorter and more concise. Want to test your skills? Pick a passage on your website and see if you can rewrite a section in 25 words or less without losing meaning.
- Make your pages scannable. Break up copy into chunks. Use headers to move readers along. Use lists. Include hyperlinks. People don’t like to dig for information. Test the theory? Pull up a webpage. Sit on your hands. Can you find all the information you need without using the mouse?
- Make it interactive. Show, don’t tell. Use video. Make it shareable. Use photos. Use surveys and polls.
- Build community. Do you have a way for your customers to connect with you through your social channels? Do you give them reasons to add you? Do you help them connect with other users of your product?
By giving your customers what they desire, your web traffic will grow and will be a valued resource for your business.
