Have you ever walked into a store, scanned to see if you saw anything interesting, and then turned back around and walked right out?
This is not the experience that you want people to have when they visit your website. In fact, your goal should be the opposite. You want them to walk in, stay for a while and purchase something before leaving.
But what is interesting to you might not be as interesting to another person. That is because people absorb information differently. Some seek paragraphs and hang on to every word that is written. Others want quick bullet points. And others want visual elements, such as photos and videos. Your goal should be to offer website content for the many different types of customers.
Content for Readers
Some people want to read in depth about your products and services. For this audience, content on your pages should include paragraphs that reflect your brand story and information about the services and products that you provide. Pay attention to proper grammar and spelling, and try use a voice that is easy to understand (stick to one, two, and three syllable words).
Blogs also provide a way for readers to learn more in-depth information about your company’s products and services. Post a blog at least once a month about a different topic within your company. Use the blog as a way to provide answers to frequently asked questions, showcase the difference between products and highlight your services at length. This also assists with your website’s SEO because your site will providing readers continuously updated, new content.
Content for Skimmers
Some people just want to skim information about your products and services. This is especially true for mobile users who are seeking answers to questions quickly. This is where bullet points are helpful. It’s important to pull out bullet points when you can, including when listing:
- Types of products you offer
- Facts about your products
- Different services that you provide
- Various ways people can contact you
Graphic icons with quick informative points also work well. Graphic icons provide a visual element and relay information quickly for those who skim content briefly.
Content for Those Who Are Visual
Others want to see visual elements, such as videos, photographs and infographics.
They say that a photograph is worth a thousand words. Therefore, it is important to use photographs that reinforce your brand story. Your photos should convey your services, programs and projects to the user quickly and succinctly. Be sure your photographs have proper resolution (lower for websites so that they don’t have long load times, but not so low they are blurry).
Video adds information to your website for those who are visual. Video also assists with SEO because people will stay longer on a page to watch the video.
Graphic elements, such as infographics, can assist to tell the story of your products and services for those who enjoy visual elements. Infographics are typically illustrations that provide insight or deeper education about a topic.
When it comes to your website content, your goal should be to have something for everyone, including readers, skimmers and those who want more visuals. Providing varying content on a website can make a difference in the amount of time visitors stay, can improve your SEO, and improve the overall performance of your website. Placement of these elements also matter because they will draw the eye to them (check out this infographic about eye tracking).
