Note: This article was originally published in The Greeley Tribune, Sunday Business Section, December 15, 2004
DaGama Web Studio, Inc.By Lori Gama-White
Communication Arts, a prestigious visual communications trade journal for artists, designers and other creatives, recently devoted its entire issue to Interactive Design, The Web and where it's going. A major point it made was that content needs to be smartly written and smartly designed. Content is the key that unlocks the door to your Web site. If smartly done, the content can be like a guide, showing the visitor which path to take, which link to click and which action to take.
Content is more significant than anything else inside your Web site. Your Web site is more than just a bunch of HTML code: it's a tool that can help you grow your business. The tricky part about this is knowing how to creatively wield that tool. Here's a hint: remember what the inventor of the World Wide Web, Sir Tim Berners Lee said: the Web is not about technology: it's about communication.
With the New Year approaching, now is a good time to take a look at your communication tool-your Web site-to see how it can be improved so that it can return on its investment. If you manage a Web site, you're essentially managing your company's marketing/brand/essence and that's why it's imperative that your words reflect it. Keep that in mind as you review your site this week to improve what it's saying.
Use the checklist below to help you analyze if your Web site's content is effectively and efficiently communicating your company's message. I say "efficiently" because if you're not capturing my attention within the first four seconds of landing in your site, I'm outta there-and so are most Web site visitors. The average length of a visit to a U.S. web site is around 50 seconds, according to Neilsen-Net ratings. That's not much time to make a good first impression.
Before we review your Web site, we're assuming you've already worked out your message/brand/essence in your business plan and/or marketing plan.
1. Is the company's tagline clearly visible? (A tagline sums up what you do. Example: "Globetrotters - A Travel Agency for International Travelers")
2. Is the tone of the writing reflecting your company's message? If your message is "laid-back" or humorous, your words in your Web site should reflect that. Take a look at Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Web site (no, it's not made of ice cream, it's about their ice cream): www.benjerry.com (while you're there you can sign up for chunkmail and be sure to click on the cow's head to hear it moo). You feel like Ben and Jerry are talking to you.
3. Does the writing sound conversational? Conversational is good. Stiff and formal is bad. Remember who your target audience is and talk to her or him as if s/he were face-to-face with you. Really, when you think about, your Web site's visitor IS face-to-face with you if he's looking at your Web site.
4. Include other people's words. Client testimonials from real people, saying specific and good things about your product or service, will lend credibility. Also, links to other Web sites that have benefited from your product or service speaks for itself.
5. Most importantly, if you can't write, don't write your Web site's content. Hire a professional. Your Web site is your face to the world. People judge your company by it. Invest in a professionally produced site or at least invest in the most important piece of it: the words.
It's not what you say but how you say it that counts.
Lori Gama-White owns DaGama Web Studio in Greeley, Colorado. Developing strategic, results-oriented Web sites since 1997, Lori Gama-White and her team of Web professionals are passionate about helping people get their businesses on to the Internet. For more information, questions or comments, call 970-378-7822 or e-mail .
© 2005 Lori Gama-White - All Rights Reserved -
http://www.dagamawebstudio.com
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