Your website doesn’t need to include the kitchen sink.
A lot of people approach building a website much like they would buying a new car: the more features, the better. They’re applying the concept of getting more bang for the buck. It’s easy to get caught up with the idea that your website needs everything, because it all seems so possible and so easy to do in this dreamland called the internet. You’re also typically putting out a large sum of money, so you want more “value.” This kind of thinking is harmful.
I understand though, really I do. We’re very used to the internet being “our” space, a virtual extension of us. When we sit down and think about building a website the first question asked is usually: “What would I like to see?” Then we start filling it up with things that interest us based on the assumption that it will interest others. Stop that. It’s not about you; it’s about your visitors. What do they actually need to see?
When someone visits your website they’re not looking for a good time. They’re looking for information. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other social media sites are where people go when they want to “enjoy” the internet. That’s where you should be putting your photos, news updates, and more personal information about what’s going on with you or your business. Your website should have a goal; it should exist to accomplish a very specific objective, and it should do that very well.
So before you start launching a complex photo gallery, countless pages of information (that already exist on the internet somewhere else like wikipedia, or webMD), flash animations, and everything else including the kitchen sink, stop and consider a few things. All of those take time to build, which means more development time, which means more dollars invested in content that isn’t really helping your website achieve its goal. While you might find the information, photos, and animations appealing, do your customers or target audience? Or are you just confusing them, bogging them down, and preventing them from achieving the objective they hoped for when they landed on your website?
It’s much like hopping in that new car that’s loaded with features: how long does it take you to get used to all of those features? You’re in that car every day getting familiar with it. Your customer isn’t. They’re usually a one off shot, and they’re only there for about 10 seconds if you’re lucky. Make it easier on them, and you’ll see better results.
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