ShareBubbles-Cover

We can all spot that awkward conversation yards away. One participant is glibly chattering while the other looks for something, anything to excuse themselves and break away.

If they succeed, how do you avoid becoming the next target?

Do not make eye contact. Should they come over and offer you an elated handshake, you’ve been caught. You have a new best friend, and they’re delighted to outline trivialities of their existence ranging from their preferred drinking water to what kept them awake last night. Hopefully, for your sake, they don’t have a collection of any sort.

Surprisingly, compulsive over sharing is a common approach in marketing and it’s just as off-putting on your website. Potential clients aren’t looking for a deep heart-to-heart connection when scanning your website on their phone; they just want some basic information about you. There are a few things you can do to make sure your website is a handshake they’ll remember. 

Make It Easy

Your company does one or two (or maybe even a few) things really, really well. Can you tell someone why in fifteen seconds? The whole point of your website is to give anyone who visits the best impression you can. Specifically, what differentiates your business and how to contact you. Anything else is icing on the cake.

This means putting the most important information in the easiest place to find it. It’s why logos often go in the top left corner of a website; when we look at websites, we scan from left to right in an F-shaped pattern. If the user scans your page and sees several places that require attention, they won’t know where to look next and most likely won’t click or read what you want them to. Give viewers a call to action first and they can scroll down and read more content if they wish.

When in doubt, less is more. If you have 30 great reviews, that’s fantastic. Choose five to show on your website. Giving the option of more will force the viewer to choose which ones to read, and they probably won’t read any at all.

Showcase Your Portfolio or Recent Projects

This is your elevator pitch. What are the three best or most interesting things your business has done recently? Put those front and center, preferably with visuals on the front page. If the graphics or pictures are attractive, those links will be equivalent to click bait. Don’t be afraid to show off. In fact, only put your best work; anything else is a distraction when you’re clicking through a website. No need to show every project you’ve ever touched. It’s likely the viewer will only read through a few at most, so show them what you’re proud of.

Let Your Brand Speak for You

The “b” word again. It’s ubiquitous, and very few people completely understand what it means.

When it comes to your website, branding is about consistency. You have a logo, but so many other choices are crucial to a coherent brand. Careful choices on your website will imply your company will be just as intentional in all its interactions. Are all of the headlines the same font, color and weight? Do each of the pages have a similar if not the same layout? Is it easy to find what you need? It’s helpful to have someone who’s never visited your website click around and see where they go. A lot of things that are obvious to you may not be obvious for your user. Are all of your calls to action and buttons the same color? This lets the user know what you want them to do, and if the buttons all look the same users will understand what they are supposed to do without thinking about it.

Great user experience speaks louder than words. Keep your design choices consistent and simple on your landing pages  to create an attractive and functional website.  For search engines, and very interested readers you can create more in-depth pages inside your site.  Make the links clear so people who want the extra content can find it, but average visitors won’t feel trapped by a website which “overshares” too early in the relationship.

Audit your website now