Is Your Website Message Clear?
To run a successful online business, you need to make sure that the website message is clear. If it takes your website visitors five minutes of browsing your website to establish what it is you do, your website certainly isn’t very clear – and it’s unlikely you’ll be converting many leads!
Writing a clear website message sounds simple – but there’s actually more to it than just using simple vocabulary. Here are our top tips to make sure your website message is heard loud and clear:
It’s not about you…
The first thing you have to remember when trying to produce a clear website message is that it’s not about you. You’re not writing this content for yourself, you’re writing it for your audience – and that means everything needs to be explained in the clearest, most explicit terms possible.
Put yourself in your target audience’s shoes and imagine yourself visiting the website for the first time. What information might you be looking for? What type of benefit or value does the website offer? If you can answer these questions, you’ll be well on your way to creating a clear website message.
Get straight to the point of your website message
No potential customer will stick with a site if they have to read through pages of text to find the information they’re looking for. It’s important for you to get to the point quickly and be as succinct as possible. Construct your content so that it’s laid out in short paragraphs, and use bullet points and sub-headings to break it all up.
Don’t blur the boundaries
Try to ensure that each different concept, product or topic has its own page or post. If you try to mesh everything onto one page, your key messages could well get lost and you’ll have trouble giving each topic enough time and space on the site.
Avoid jargon where possible
Not everyone coming to your website will be totally new to your field of operation – in fact, many of them are sure to have at least a rudimentary understanding of the industry in which you work. While you don’t necessarily have to spell out everything, it’s wise not to use jargon or acronyms if you can. If you have to use an acronym, there’s nothing wrong with offering a description in parentheses, and if you have to use jargon terms, why not write a blog post outlining what they mean, or include them in the FAQs?
Make sure of pronouns
Use the word ‘you’ as much as possible. This will help when you’re writing (it’ll help you see things from your customers’ point of view) and it’ll help customers feel more engaged with your message, putting themselves in the situations you’ve described and mentally answering the questions directed at them.
Have you got any tips for clearing up your website’s message?
