The Internet as a medium - a brief history.
When TV first came out, the shows were basically radio talk shows migrated onto film so that you could see the people who were talking. It took a while for the industry to embrace the full potential of this new medium rather than simply applying successful techniques learnt from radio.
Similarly, the first websites were basic electronic versions of the printed brochures people were used to; a far cry from the massive potential the internet would later have to offer. Initially, it was just geeky programmers who could create websites. Soon designers who were used to the print industry acquired the necessary skills. This meant that the online brochures became easier to read and better to look at. It didn’t take long for programmers and developers to team up and a new industry of web design and development emerged. Since then we have seen online shops, Google, flash, VoIP, MySpace and an array of new Ajax web applications, but unfortunately the perception of what the internet has to offer the average company is still merely a platform for displaying their existing printed material. With so much potential on the internet, we need to devote a bit more attention to our web strategy and what is really possible.
What makes a website different to conventional marketing?
A website is not an advertisement. You are not trying to catch peoples' attention; you already have it. When someone views your site for the first time they will look at the content to see if it interests them. Looking good is important, but the graphics are to subtly communicate your image and support the content, not take up valuable pixels with unnecessary visual branding.
Get your brand across through what your website does more than through what it looks like. This is where the internet is most powerful and should be exploited. People remember and talk about experiences far more than information or graphics.
People today are very conscious of marketers trying to influence their thoughts and opinions through conventional means and will avoid anything suspicious. They want to be in control of what they look at, in what order and for how long. It is important that your website caters for this new breed of website user.
If you look at a standard website; how much of the screen is taken up by imagery and content trying to sell a brand or product in relation to space that adds value to the user’s experience? Ultimately website designers need to focus less on brand imagery and sales messages and put a lot more attention into creating an interesting experience through your website.
What can I do differently with my website?
The following tips give some ideas as to how you can empower users through making some changes to your existing website.
- Most websites take up the user’s browser space with large logos and brand imagery (Recently referred to as ‘chrome’). Rather brand your content and support it with relevant imagery that adds to their experience.
- Don’t try and be too clever with your navigation, make it obvious and familiar. Don’t take up too much space with your menus and links; make them stand out through colour and position, not size. People should know where to look when they want to move to a new page.
- Wherever possible, show people how you do things. Many companies today offer a simple web interface to their clients to access their statements, place orders, log queries or track orders online. Make sure to show the public what they would get if they were a customer. Display the private menu in a disabled state so people can at least see what is possible. Perhaps even show sample pages of what the different screens would look like. This makes your business transparent and much more interesting to an inquisitive browser.
- Focus on making it exciting/easy to browse the website. Anticipate what questions people may ask and provide quick answers or links.
- Don't talk about your services and products, but rather about their needs and then how you can help them...use the word "you" in your copy and much less of "we".
- Don’t expect people to read your content in any specific order; They want to read your site their way, so make sure they can easily find what is important for them and for you from any page. Place relevant links inline and related links alongside or at the bottom of a page.
- Focus on appropriate headings and introductions because most people will leave if the first three lines don’t get their attention.
- People love bullet points as they usually contain the most important information in a simply summary. People will often skip over paragraphs and only read the bullet points.
- Break your copy into bite-sized pieces; Brief paragraphs that focus on only one idea work best. White space between sections will help to improve comprehension.
- Keep it short and sweet. Say only what is necessary.
People are getting used to using websites that are built to put them in control and if your site takes control away from them, it is likely to make much less of an impact.
How can I create more of an experience for users?
As well as changing the way you structure and display conventional information, creating a new experience through a game or web based tool is an ideal way to impact users and gain from some viral marketing at the same time. I will be discussing some ideas and how you can communicate your brand through such tools in an upcoming article.
The philosophy of the web is changing and marketers need to stay ahead of what internet users expect from websites these days. Don’t just put a website up because you have to, there is massive potential if you take the time to think creatively about your web strategy.
I hope this article has made a few things clearer.
