When you write content for your business website, there should be one question going through your mind:
“What does my reader want to know?”
And all writing must flow from that laser-focused thought.
In thinking about this blog entry, the Disney song “Be Our Guest” keeps going through my mind. Maybe it’s because of the 1,000 times I watched “Beauty and the Beast” with my daughter many years ago. Or perhaps it’s the similarity in determination that the web writer needs to please his or her guest–the site visitor.
What Does Your Website Reader Want?
Most people come to a website looking for specific information. If they don’t find what they need, it’s a fast click and they’re gone. So, when you write for your site think:
- “What does my reader want to know?”
- “What does my reader need to know?”
And then write it in a way that they can find their information fast!
You are writing your website for your reader, not for you!
Your website visitors don’t care about what you want them to learn. They only want to know information as it pertains to themselves. And they have control of which site they visit.
Need I say more?
Here are some key tips to staying focused on your website reader.
- Write directly to your reader. You are on the right track if you are using the words “you” and “your” and not the words “we” and “our.”
- Tell your readers what they want to know as soon as they get to your site . . . not what you want to tell them.
For example, they will want to know that your teapot won the award for “Best of 2020″ in a recent consumer survey of teapots. This will help them be confident in their decision to purchase your teapot.
But they won’t immediately care that your company won the “Best Employer″ award. They don’t care about how great your company is, or how great you are. They want to know about the teapot because it shortly may be theirs.
- Tell your reader about your return policy. Is it easy for your reader to return an item? Will they get their money back quickly if there is a problem? Do you return calls in a timely fashion? Are you easy to contact?
- Provide a page that links to more about you. Your “About Us” page is the place to tell your prospects what you want them to know about you and your company. Web readers look at your “About Us” page because they want to have a reason to trust you. This will help them trust what you are saying about that teapot. Here you can talk about your “Best Employer” award.
- Speak to your readers clearly and concisely. They won’t stop to think about what you are trying to say. They want to get the information fast. Provide links to more detailed information they can access if they want to know more.
- Provide a way for your reader to scan the page so they can quickly find the information they need. I use: lists; bullets; color; numbers; bold headings, etc. Your reader should find exactly what he’s looking for in a glance. He won’t reading long rambling paragraphs.
- Don’t leave your reader wondering what to do. At the bottom of your page, or at other places, have a “call to action.” Maybe they will “Buy the teapot now” or “sign up for your product newsletter.” Have the option right there. Don’t make them search for it. Odds are, they won’t. They have other sites to visit and things to do. Click!
I hope these few tips on how to keep website readers happy are useful.
There is one catch. You have to keep the search engines happy too. More on that later!
And, I hope you have enjoyed being my guest at my blog.
