Oh, what a tangled web we weave. Contrary to popular belief, this didn’t come from Shakespeare, but Sir Walter Scott. You know how the saying relates to spiders and drama-mongering, but you probably never guessed it applied to your business.
It does. Especially to your website.
Your website needs to be a spider’s web. Meticulously organized, intricately connected, and simple enough for anyone to understand.
You can read from one end of the internet to the other how your website needs to be simple to attract customers. This is unequivocally true–you can’t overwhelm your visitors, you’ll send them fleeing.
- Get rid of everything unnecessary.
Apple’s website is a perfect example.
This doesn’t mean you throw creative design out the window. Apple maximizes their color scheme to market their products–they have from the moment iPods started coming in color. But focus on the essential–a new product, service, event–and keep it above the fold. Even in the age of touch screens, you can’t expect people to scroll unless they see something they need right off the bat.
This also applies to copy.
- Get all those extra words off the front page.
Pictures make can drive a statement home just as effectively as copy.
No one likes to be bombarded with an essay when they open up a website–even newspapers use big text and pictures to grab your attention on the front page.
Look how delicious this giant cinnamon roll is. It practically screams, “click me!”
- Your website needs to be a web.
Axiom’s website uses a menu bar with drop-downs.
What does your website need more than anything else? A menu bar.
You should be able to click everywhere. From anywhere in your website. You don’t want to be confusing clients and frustrating them by leading them down a one-way road. This can be a problem as you expand your website, adding landing page or microsites. Always, always make sure your client doesn’t need ruby slippers to find their way home.
This ties in perfectly with the next one…
- Makes sure your links are easy.
If you’re a company that has to appeal to a wide and diverse audience, making your options obvious is even more important.
Easy to see, easy to understand. This should be the easiest one to check off your list, since it’s pretty much common sense.
Your goal as a business is to make it easy for your customers to buy your product. Remember: your website isn’t for you, it’s a projection of your brand. New customers, old loyal ones, or just potentials poking around, no one cares if you know how to get everywhere.
It’s all about them. Always.