On the Internet, as in life, you only get one chance to make a first impression. But at least face-to-face, people give you a few minutes to make your case before drifting to the next cocktail table. In the impersonal, point-and-click world of the Internet, studies show you have as few as 7 seconds to grab your visitors' attention before they hit the back button.
Your homepage has to do a lot for you. It has to:
- capture your character
- express your talent, services and skills
- invite your visitors to move forward with you
- turn your visitors into paying customers
That's a lot of pressure, especially for those of us who aren't Internet experts (and I know I certainly am not). There are some easy rules, though, that anyone can follow to help your website extend a warm welcome to your important Internet guests.
The best way to make a good first impression is to be at your very best. Simple as that. When you meet a person for the first time, you always smile and make eye contact, right? On the Internet, your website's words have to speak for you, so you want to be sure they embody the very best of you and what you do.
Here are Five Rules To Write By, each based on information that top scientists in the field of human behavior and Internet usability have learned from their years of research. I hope this information can help you make a really killer first impression with the Internet version of a firm, confident handshake.
Rule 1: Be careful that your spelling and grammar is correct.
Even the jazziest site will lose respect if it is sloppy, full of misspellings and typos, or a jumble of grammatical errors. Remember, the words on your site represent you, and you want to put your best face forward, no matter what your message is; whether you are selling an idea or a product.
As the guide to Seven Qualities of Highly Successful Web Writing states: "Grammatical mistakes, typos, and misspellings can spoil or even ruin a reader's experience. Not all readers notice, but plenty do."
If you are writing your copy on your own and are a bit uncomfortable with your writing skills (aren't we all?), you may wish to consult something like the Associated Press Style Guide, Strunk and White's Elements of Style, or another solid grammar guide. This little refresher could give you the confidence you need to get over that "blank page" syndrome and get started with some clear, concise, and persuasive web writing.
Rule 2: Keep it simple.
People have short attention spans on the click-click net navigating landscape, so you'll want to keep that in mind. Use simple, concise, easy-to-understand words - words that you would use in normal, everyday conversation - and your visitors will feel more comfortable with you and your product.
Writing for the general Internet-viewing public requires a straightforward tone that easily communicates your message to the greatest number of people. In fact, many Internet experts suggest that you write on a lower secondary school reading level, to ensure that you reach the widest audience.
As Mies van der Rohe once said, "less is more," which is just as important in his art of architecture as it is in the art of website design. A page that is a wall of words can be simply too overwhelming to the strained eyes of an Internet viewer.
Rule 3: No scrolling text.
Moreover, scientists insist that flashy graphics and moving text do not enhance your message, but rather threaten to retract from it. Clear, unencumbered, and easy material is historically most effective, studies show. IBM calls it "Subtractive Design", or "the reduction of clutter by eliminating any visual element that doesn't contribute directly to visual communication." Straightforward writing, with no distractions, is just easier for every visitor to digest.
Rule 4: Make it scannable.
Studies show your readers won't read your website page top to bottom. Rather, their eyes will jump around on the screen as they search for information relevant to them.
Make that process easy for them: Don't hit your visitors with a rushing waterfall of text, but use carefully placed headers to break up your material into easy-to-read blocks. Bolding important words and short phrases can also help your visitors quickly find the information they are looking for.
Other studies extol the value of empty space on a website, insisting that you really don't need to use every bit of room available to you on the page. To put it more eloquently, brilliant researcher Edward Tufte has said, "it is not how much space there is, but rather how it is used. It is not how much information there is, but rather how effectively it is organized."
Rule 5: Finally, Be Your Own Best Critic. When you look at your website, examine it with an almost cruel eye, assuming the role of your most venomous critic. Is this the sort of website you would like to visit? If you were a customer, would it work for you? Only when you feel your website works the way you want it to, and gives the impression you want to give, will it be the right website to represent you and what you do.
"Inemmo" is that personal velocity within all of us. It is our drive, our determination, and our magnetism towards success. We all have dreams and goals, and inemmo is the force that pushes us to achieve them. Whatever your website business goals, use your inemmo and you will have the momentum to carry you through to the sale.
We wish you every success.
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