Suggestions For Your Website

(By Gil Gerretsen) Here’s how to get everything you can out of your website. 12 ways to use your website to out-think and out-perform your competition.

Introduction – Why I Am Sharing This

I often get questions asking me what I think about a firm’s website. Does it do a good job of marketing? It’s a tricky question to answer because so many people have differing opinions about what makes a website good, or not so good.

However, I have seen a lot of DIY websites that have missed the mark. Too often they use a pre-manufactured industry template, fill in a few words, and they have a website. One more thing off their marketing checklist. I’ve also seen a lot of websites developed by “professional” web designers who sadly, demonstrate that they really have no skill in the marketing arena. They may make websites that look pretty but don’t deliver optimal results.

Power Website Have 12 Things In Common

Fortunately, I’ve also seen the work of some highly skilled website designers who truly understand the art of creating designs and messages that work. The websites may all look very different from each other, but there are generally 12 things they have in common. Here’s a synopsis of those 12 things so you can evaluate your won website against them. If changes are warranted, then you should move to fix those weaknesses.

1) Treating Your Home Page As A Brief Introduction For Newbies

Your opening page should be designed for new visitors who may not be familiar with your brand or offerings. It is your opportunity to answer their most immediate questions within seconds and provide a clear path forward. Leave out the jargon. Use common, straightforward language rather than industry-specific terminology. If a newcomer can't understand your message, they are more likely to leave.

2) Immediately Communicate A Unique Message To Define Your Brand

On your home page, use a clear headline and what I call a “Mental Postcard” (aka tagline), prominently placed, to explain who you are and what you do. Within a few seconds of landing on your site, a user should understand your company's purpose and unique value. Use the same principle on supporting pages. Let people quickly understand why that page is there.

3) Your Home Page Must Have A Scannable Design

Stay concise. Most people scan web pages rather than reading them word-for-word. Use meaningful headers, bullet points, and short paragraphs to make the content easy to digest. Avoid exhaustive details about every aspect of your business. Instead, provide a surface-level overview to entice visitors to explore further. If you provide too much information at once, you risk overwhelming and losing the user. Follow an "inverted pyramid" structure, putting the most important information first.

4) It’s All About How Awesome The Customer Will Be If They Choose You

Instead of focusing solely on your business, frame your content and copy from the customer's perspective. Instead of just listing your product's features, emphasize the value they will get from using it. Describe what the customer can do with your product or service and the benefits they will receive. Help them see how their life or business will improve once they partner with you

5) The Most Compelling Messages Focus On The Customer

Start with the customer's needs, problems, and aspirations, not with the company's features or self-promotion. Focus on your customer’s pain points and desired future state. Then, explain how your product or service provides a benefit or solution to their problem. Focus on benefits rather than features by articulating how your offering will improve their life or business, and ensure the message establishes an emotional connection. Finally, use clear, conversational language to build trust and demonstrate that you understand and value your customer.

6) You and Your vs We or Our

A core tenet of user-centric design is that, in general, website content should use "you" and "your" to focus on the user's needs and benefits, rather than using "we" and "our" to talk about the company. The goal is to make the user the hero of the story, not the business.

7) Words That Bring People To The Conclusion You Are A Good Choice

Focus on clear, persuasive, and user-centric language. Effective copy relies on understanding your audience's needs and speaking directly to them. Provide clear calls-to-action (CTAs). Guide new visitors toward the next logical step, whether that's "Shop Now," "Learn More," or "Sign Up." Your CTAs should be strategically placed, easy to find, and written to provoke action.

8) Connect Emotionally And Focus On Helping

Follow the principles of compassionate design. The goal is to build an experience that goes beyond simple functionality by fostering trust, creating positive feelings, and providing seamless assistance. This is often broken down into three levels of engagement: visceral (appearance), behavioral (usability), and reflective (brand loyalty).

9) Connect With What Is Already Important To Them

Put yourself in the target audience's shoes. Understand their goals, frustrations, and priorities. Create a user experience that aligns with and leverages their existing motivations, needs, and values. Rather than forcing a new mindset on visitors, a website should seek to understand and build upon what they already care about.

10) Buyers Respond To Specifics, Not Sales Generalities

Most people are risk-averse and value precision over persuasion. Providing detailed specifications, testimonials, and case studies gives them the concrete evidence they need to justify a purchase. Proof is far more effective at converting prospects than vague, generic, or broad statements. People trust and are persuaded by concrete evidence, while vague claims sound like empty marketing hype.

11) Ask Questions Rather Than Telling Them What They Must Do

Shift the focus from direct instructions to a more conversational and visitor-centric approach. Instead of using aggressive commands like "Buy Now," create content that answers visitors' implied questions, anticipates their needs, and engages them in a dialogue. Phrases like “Do You Know The …?” This approach builds trust and helps visitors feel like they are in control of their own journey on the website.

12) Ensure Easy Navigation

In addition to your homepage content, your navigation bar should be clear and simple. Prominently display your logo in the top-left corner, and make sure your navigation highlights the other vital pages of your site. Use a logical content hierarchy with clear, descriptive labels that intrigue curious visitors who wish to dive deeper before contacting you.

Final Thoughts

A well-designed website is essential for any business that wants to succeed in the digital age. This high level overview of 12 marketing tenets for websites will help you start getting more value out of your web presence as you move toward the great website you need.

What should you do next? Perhaps print out this article and evaluate your current website tenet by tenet to see how it stacks up and where changes might be warranted.

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