So, it’s no secret that I look at a hell of a lot of websites as part of my job. It’s also no secret that there are a lot of terrible websites out there. Now, a really bad website is sort of like the definition of obscenity. Most of us can’t list what goes into a terrible website, but we definitely know it when we see it. However, a lot of the mistakes I see are really small mistakes. Quite frankly, they’re mistakes that I’m guilty of as well. There are a lot of really fantastic websites out there that are shooting themselves in the foot unintentionally: by having the wrong focus, by using the wrong language, and by worrying about style rather than usage. Today I’m going to go over the top five mistakes that I see consistently (and sometimes make myself), so you can avoid them too.
1. Don’t Describe Yourself As “Low-Cost”.
We all know not to describe ourselves as cheap. After all, that brings up uncomfortable connotations as well as making us look like we’re a low quality business. A huge number of businesses (including me for a few months!) use “low-cost” as a way to avoid the associations with being cheap, while still enticing customers to buy. Well, the problem is that most people truly believe that you get what you pay for: in that situation, describing yourself either as low-cost or cheap is a bad idea. When it really comes down to it, customers want to know if you are a good investment and if you’ll do it right the first time. When you redo your website copy the next time, try focusing on value, and position yourself or your products as a long term investment. If you need to mention cost (because sometimes we can’t avoid it), focus on being reasonable rather than cheap, and tout the benefits that you provide.
2. Say What You Do On Your Homepage.
I know that this seems like a no-brainer, but if you asked I could easily point you to fifteen sites online that have this issue (which I won’t do, even if you ask, because I’m nice that way). You can have the most stylish copy in the universe, the coolest graphics, and the most unique selling proposition in the world: if people don’t know what you do, they will admire the look of your site and keep clicking.
This is especially important if you run a unique or complicated services based business. You may be really familiar with what you do, but that doesn’t mean anyone else has heard of it, let alone understands why they should pay for it. Communication always comes before style: say what you do loudly and proudly, even if that makes your copy plainer.
3. Don’t Oversell On Your Rates Page or Your Store.
Imagine going to a store and reading a great ad for a product, and then taking it up to the cash register where they feed you another sales pitch. You’d wonder what was wrong with it, right? If you have a ton of hard sell copy on your rates page, that’s exactly how your potential clients feel. Many business owners write really lengthy sales page copy that advertises features and benefits and all kinds of things; obviously, you want to demonstrate why you are great and why people should pay you money to continue your path to world domination. However, this is not the place to beat them over the head with it.
Look at your sales/rates page, and try and cut it down to your products or services and the immediate features and benefits. If you have sales copy beyond this, it doesn’t mean that it’s bad or that you’ve wasted a lot of time and effort. Try to find other places on your site where that content can naturally migrate to and become more effective. Remember, people want to buy things, and if they’re on your sales page, you’re 50% there.
4. Don’t Use Lofty Language.
I say this as someone who has been reading Shakespeare and Jane Austen since she was twelve, so it is with some trepidation that I give this advice. In many cases (such as potentially the previous sentence), your language use is scaring off your customers. I’m not advocating that you become Dr. Seuss, but you do have to write for a crowd that probably hasn’t read the Oxford English Dictionary. If you think someone would have to look up a word, don’t use it. If you can rephrase a technical term to aid comprehension, do it. Your audience will thank you, and you’ll seem like a a friendly and down to earth business. Assume that your readers are smart, but don’t hold them to impossible standards of language.
5. Write Like A Human.
There is a lot of stuff out there about finding your writing voice, which I am a big fan of. However, as you’re thinking about that writing voice, please make sure it resembles some sort of mammal rather than that of an android. So many funny, cool, and fascinating people have completely dull websites. The worst part is that the reason that we find this writing voice thing so hard is that we grow up with the idea that professionals dress, act, and sound a certain way. The reality is, most professionals don’t sound like this at all, and that’s probably a good thing.
People want to know that you’re professional, but they also want to know that you’re a person. Feel free to go crazy and be counter-cultural, or write about your love of baseball or tantric yoga on your blog occasionally. People will appreciate your personality, as long as it doesn’t overwhelm your company or your product. Most importantly, make sure your website copy sounds like you, not like the version of you your 7th grade English teacher would really love if you presented to the internet.
Finally, if all of this sounds like far too much work, or gives you a headache just contemplating it, try hiring a professional. Leave a comment and tell me about a big website mistake that you see online, and how to fix it!
P. S. A very flattering mention and link to me on Marketing Maven blog! Go check it out and show Wendy some love.
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